Search results
Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Islamic mosque in Córdoba, Spain, which was converted into a Christian cathedral in the 13th century. The original structure was built by the Umayyad ruler ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān I in 784–786 with extensions in the 9th and 10th centuries that doubled its size, ultimately making
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
People also ask
Why did Muhammad Iqbal visit the Great Cathedral of Córdoba?
Who built the 'Hypostyle Hall' of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba?
When was the mosque built in Córdoba?
Is Córdoba a Christian cathedral?
- Overview
- Temple/church/mosque/church
- A new capital
- The hypostyle hall
- The mihrab
- The horseshoe arch
- The dome
By Dr. Shadieh Mirmobiny
Known locally as Mezquita-Catedral, the Great Mosque of Córdoba is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century. Córdoba is a two hour train ride south of Madrid, and draws visitors from all over the world.
The buildings on this site are as complex as the extraordinarily rich history they illustrate. Historians believe that there had first been a temple to the Roman god, Janus, on this site. The temple was converted into a church by invading Visigoths who seized Córdoba in 572. Next, the church was converted into a mosque and then completely rebuilt b...
Following the overthrow of his family (the Umayyads) in Damascus by the incoming Abbasids, Prince Abd al-Rahman I escaped to southern Spain. Once there, he established control over almost all of the Iberian Peninsula and attempted to recreate the grandeur of Damascus in his new capital, Córdoba. He sponsored elaborate building programs, promoted ag...
The building itself was expanded over two hundred years. It is comprised of a large hypostyle prayer hall (hypostyle means, filled with columns), a courtyard with a fountain in the middle, an orange grove, a covered walkway circling the courtyard, and a minaret (a tower used to call the faithful to prayer) that is now encased in a squared, tapered ...
The focal point in the prayer hall is the famous horseshoe arched mihrab or prayer niche. A mihrab is used in a mosque to identify the wall that faces Mecca—the birth place of Islam in what is now Saudi Arabia. This is practical as Muslims face toward Mecca during their daily prayers. The mihrab in the Great Mosque of Córdoba is framed by an exquis...
The horseshoe-style arch was common in the architecture of the Visigoths, the people that ruled this area after the Roman empire collapsed and before the Umayyads arrived. The horseshoe arch eventually spread across North Africa from Morocco to Egypt and is an easily identified characteristic of Western Islamic architecture (though there are some e...
Above the mihrab, is an equally dazzling dome. It is built of crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches all lavishly covered with gold mosaic in a radial pattern. This astonishing building technique anticipates later Gothic rib vaulting, though on a more modest scale.
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. Here is an extraordinary combination of the familiar and the innovative, a formal stylistic vocabulary that can be recognized as “Islamic” even today.
Khan Academy video wrapper
See video transcript
Additional resources:
Al-Andalus: the art of Islamic Spain, ed. Jerrilynn D. Dodds (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art) 1992
The South Asian Muslim philosopher and poet Muhammad Iqbal, who is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement, visited the Great Cathedral of Córdoba in 1931–32. He asked the authorities to offer adhan at the cathedral and was even allowed to offer his prayers there.
Aug 16, 2022 · Córdoba's stunning mosque-cathedral showcases Spain's Muslim heritage. Christian forces captured the Umayyad capital in 1236, but left its glorious house of worship largely untouched when ...
Dec 6, 2023 · The Great Mosque of Córdoba. Known locally as Mezquita-Catedral, the Great Mosque of Córdoba is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century. Córdoba is a two hour train ride south of Madrid ...
When finished, the Great Mosque of Córdoba had 856 marble columns, a veritable forest of pillars. The mosque-cathedral covers an area of 23,400 square metres which made it the second largest mosque in the world until the 16th century when the Blue Mosque in Istanbul was completed, the largest then and now being the Masjid al-Haram or Great ...
Jan 12, 2024 · Visit the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba - This is the most famous attraction in Cordoba and the reason why so many tourists flock here. And it’s well worth the visit! Explore the Old Town - The old town of Cordoba is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a great place to wander around and explore the narrow streets and beautiful buildings.
