Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mezquita is one of the earliest examples of Moorish architecture in Spain, with work on the original mosque begun by the Umayyad Dynasty in 786. This was Córdoba’s congregational mosque, or great mosque, where people from all over the city came together to pray on Fridays. As the city’s population grew, the mosque needed to be extended on three occasions, first towards the river, and then eastwards. It reached its current size in 994, when Córdoba was the capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba, and one of the biggest cities in the world. The minaret was also rebuilt in the 10^th century.

After the Christians conquered Córdoba in 1236, they reconsecrated the mosque as their cathedral. Initially, they made very few changes to its structure, although a royal chapel was incorporated in the 14^th century, followed by a small Gothic nave the following century. The really big changes began in the 1520s, during the reign of the Emperor Charles V. This was when the cruciform Main Chapel was added right at the heart of building, transforming Córdoba’s skyline. The current bell tower was built around the old minaret in the late 16^th century, after the minaret had been damaged in a storm.

The defining feature of the mosque is its iconic rows of double-tiered red and white arches, semi-circular above and keyhole-shaped below. The keyhole (or horseshoe) arch was adapted from the Visigoths, but the idea of combining it with a second row of arches was entirely new. The mosque is also decorated with elegant multifoil arches, which are a characteristic feature of Umayyad architecture. For over a thousand years, the Mezquita’s beautiful and groundbreaking design has inspired architects all over the world.

One curiosity is that the mihrab – the prayer niche that should point towards Mecca in order to indicate the direction of prayer – actually faces much too far south. The reason for this is not known.