[93][16]:73[13]:84 Scholars have argued that this use of Byzantine mosaics is also part of a general desire – whether conscious or not – by the Cordoban Umayyads to evoke connections to the early Umayyad Caliphate in the Middle East, in particular to the Great Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, where Byzantine mosaics were a prominent element of the decoration. [17][77][78] The ensemble was carved mainly out of mahogany wood and features a row of 30 upper seats and a row of 23 lower seats, all intricately decorated with carvings, including a series of iconographic scenes. [83] Muhammad Iqbal described its interior as having "countless pillars like rows of palm trees in the oases of Syria". [16]:62[13]:71, Abd ar Rahman III's son and successor, Al-Hakam II, was a cultured man who was involved in his father's architectural projects. A gate existed here since the Islamic period; its location is aligned with the mihrab of the mosque and with the central axis of the building before Al-Mansur's expansion. The rooftop terrace is also lovely. [11] An archaeological exhibit in the mosque–cathedral of Cordoba today displays fragments of a Late Roman[41] or Visigothic building, emphasizing an originally Christian nature of the complex. [75], The cathedral's main chapel (known from Spanish as the Capilla Mayor) is located at the cruciform nave and transept at the center of the building. [15][63] The first mass was dedicated here on June 29 of that year. Ecker hypothesizes that it was the proximity of the sabat, a covered bridge to the old caliphal (now episcopal) palace, which determined the location of the capilla mayor. [15][63][69] (Their remains were later moved in 1736 to the Church of San Hipólito. [17] According to Jiménez de Rada, Ferdinand III also carried out the symbolic act of returning the former cathedral bells of Santiago de Compostela that were looted by Al-Mansur (and which had been turned into mosque lamps) back to Santiago de Compostela. [15]:69 This expansion is responsible for some of the mosque's most significant architectural flourishes and innovations. Type here to search everywhere ? [16]:62 Like other Andalusi and North African minarets after it, it was composed of main shaft and a smaller secondary tower or "lantern" (also with a square base) which surmounted it. The Great Mosque of Córdoba is a prime example of the Muslim world’s ability to brilliantly develop architectural styles based on pre-existing regional traditions. Helaine Silverman. Ocaña Jiménez, M., “Documentos Epigráficos de la Mezquita”, La Mezquita de Córdoba: Siglos VIII al XV, Córdoba, 1986, pp.16–27. The stone channels visible today are not original. [61]:50[62], The mosque's last significant expansion under Muslim rule was ordered by Al-Mansur (Almanzor), the autocratic vizier of Caliph Hisham II, in 987-988. [87] It has thick outer walls with a somewhat fortress-like appearance. Built in the 8th century, the mosque had deteriorated over time. More famously, a rectangular maqsura area around the mosque's new mihrab was distinguished by a set of unique interlacing multifoil arches. Today the courtyard is planted with rows of orange trees, cypresses, and palm trees. [41] The “stratigraphy” of the site is complicated and made more so by its impact on contemporary political debates about cultural identity in Spain. He reinforced the tower and modified the initial design of the Puerta del Perdón ("Door of Forgiveness") which passed through the tower's base. The Great Mosque of Córdoba held a place of importance amongst the Islamic community of al-Andalus for centuries. The archbishop of Toledo, Don Raimundo, accompanied by the king, led a mass inside the mosque to "consecrate" the building. Cordoba was the capital and heart of Muslim Spain. They consist of a lower tier of horseshoe arches and an upper tier of semi-circular arches. [75], In the new Capilla Mayor, after its completion by Juan de Ochoa, Bishop Diego de Mardones initiated the construction of its main altarpiece and provided a significant donation himself for the project. The facade's statues depict the Annunciation while, unusually, the smaller figures in the lower corners depict mythological creatures. [64], In 1146 the Christian army of King Alfonso Vll of Léon and Castile briefly occupied Cordoba. [89][90][16] The approximately 850 columns were made of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. It’s impossible to overemphasise the beauty of Córdoba’s great mosque, with its remarkably serene (despite tourist crowds) and spacious interior. [13]:43[12]:163–164[14]:13–14, The mosque's architectural system of repeating double-tiered arches, with otherwise little surface decoration, is considered one of its most innovative characteristics and has been the subject of much commentary. ‘Abd al-Rahman I (r. AH 139–72 / AD 756–88); Hisham I (r. AH 171–9 / AD 788–96); ‘Abd al-Rahman II (r. AH 207–38 / AD 822–52); Muhammad I (r. AH 237–72 / AD 852–86); al-Mundir (r. AH 272–4 / AD 886–8); ‘Abdallah (r. AH 274–99 / AD 888–912); ‘Abd al-Rahman III (r. AH 299–350 / AD 912–61); al-Hakam II (r. AH 350–66 / AD 961–76); Abi Amir al-Mansur (r. AH 367–92 / AD 978–1002). [84] To the people of al-Andalus "the beauty of the mosque was so dazzling that it defied any description. Muhammad Iqbal described its interior as having "countless pillars like rows of … This could be due to the terrain along the river Guadalquivir, to the influence of the Great Mosque of Damascus, Syria; or the location of the Roman Cardo of Córdoba. It was initially funded with the help of a large bequest by Archdeacon José Díaz de Recalde in 1742. [70], The nave of the cruciform core of the cathedral or Capilla Mayor, looking towards the altar, Details of the Gothic lines and iconographic sculpting over the altar of the Capilla Mayor, Gothic decoration on the ceilings of the transept arms, Example of the arches of the former mosque incorporated into the sides of the transept, Details of the barrel vault ceiling over the choir, The altar of the Capilla Mayor was begun in 1618 and designed in a Mannerist style by Alonso Matías. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. The key elements in this respect were its marble columns, its polygonal mihrab chamber, its Qur'an and its minbar, all of which went on to have long histories in the Maghrib, appropriated and adapted by the Almoravids and the Almohads in turn. The Great Mosque of Cordoba is such a fascinating and timeless piece of ancient history. Also known as the Mezquita of Córdoba, the Great Mosque of Córdoba is one of the most important historical sites and most popular tourist attractions in the city. Although early references are confused, work must have begun around AH 169 / AD 785–6 during the Emirate of 'Abd al-Rahman I and almost all of the Umayyad amirs and caliphs subsequently worked on the capital's great mosque. The total area encompasses 80.28 ha. [13][14][16] At the beginning of al-Hakam's extension, the central "nave" of the mosque was highlighted with an elaborate ribbed dome (now part of the Capilla da Villaviciosa). The arches that marked the transition from the courtyard to the interior of the prayer hall were originally open and allowed natural light to penetrate the interior, but most of these arches were walled up during the Christian period (after 1236) as chapels were built along the northern edge of the hall. [83] Some of its features had precedents in the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, which was an important model built before it. Al-Mansur's final expansion of the mosque a few decades later (starting in 987-988), which extended the mosque laterally to the east, copied the design of the earlier gates of Al-Hakam II's expansion. Spaces. [79][80][16]:272–278, The Mosque-Cathedral was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and in 1994 this status was extended to the entire historic centre of Cordoba. As a result of this long period and the succession of architects, this cruciform section presents an interesting blend of styles. The Mezquita of Córdoba (Mosque of Córdoba) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral located in Córdoba, Spain. The mosque in Córdoba, to 23,400 m2, was the second largest in the world after that of Mecca, until in 1588 the Blue Mosque in Istanbul exceeded. The Great Mosque has two different areas: the courtyard or “arcade sahn“, where the “alminar” (minaret) is constructed (beneath the Renaissance tower) by Abd al-Rahman III, and the “haram” or praying hall. [52], The original mosque had a roughly square floor plan measuring 74 or 79 square meters per side,[13]:40[16] equally divided between a hypostyle prayer hall to the south and an open courtyard (sahn) to the north. But the reign of religious pluralism in Córdoba didn’t last: in 784, on the orders of the Emir Abd al-Rahman, the church was destroyed and work on a great mosque began. According to tradition and historical written sources, Abd ar-Rahman involved himself personally and heavily in the project, but the extent of his personal influence in the mosque's design is debated. The voussoirs of the arch, however, as well as the rectangular alfiz frame and the blind arcade above it, are all filled with gold and glass mosaics. 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