many of these columns originate from Roman temples and amphitheaters
Cordoba's Mezquita Cathedral / Mosque
In 784 Emir
Abd-al-Rahman I ordered the construction of a grand mosque on the site of the Visigoth St Vincent Basilica.
His successors
enlarged and beautified the mosque that became known as
Mezquita.
For the construction of the famous double arches in the
giant Prayer Hall Roman buildings were 'mined' all over El-Andaluz.
Strangely enough, the elaborated gilded prayer
niche or Mihrab is facing south and not straight to Mecca. Maybe a reference to Abd-al-Rahman's strained relation with the rulers
in Mecca?
After the Christian
Reconquista in 1236, the mosque was turned into a cathedral and over time several richly adorned
chapels were added.
The Minaret was converted to a bell tower with the original minaret hidden inside.
A major 16th
century addition was the construction of a huge Renaissance cathedral in the middle of the mosque. The result is a unique combination
of Moorish and Christian features.
The Mesquita is Cordoba's main attraction with over 1.5 million visitors each year. We
joined the huge crowd in April 2019.
in the Court of Oranges people wait for their turn to visit the mosque turned cathedral
the ceiling above the Mihrab
long lines to enter the Mesquita. Even in April the sun is burning hot
the clocks in the bell tower originate from Santiago de Compostella cathedral
the Minaret inside the bell tower. The cross was added later...
the 16th century cathedral rises high from the original mosque
the Court of Oranges as seen from the bell tower
the fortified walls of the Mesquita
some of the old gates have been restored
the colourful double arched columns in the Hall of Prayer
the richly gilded Mihrab
Archangel San Rafael guards over his town from the top of the bell tower
and this is the ceiling of the cathedral