The Mezquita in Cordoba is a worldwide unique architectural monument. The word Mezquita comes from the Arabian and means mosque.
It was built 784 by Abd ar-Rahman I, the first Umayyad Emir of Cordoba. It had repeatedly been extended, first by Abd ar-Rahman II, then from Abd ar-Rahman III, of Al-Hakam II and the vizier Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Amir, until they reached an area of 23,000 m².
The Mezquita was one of the largest mosques in the world.
In 1236, Ferdinand III of Castile reconquered Cordoba from the Moors and the Mezquita was converted into a Christian church. In 1523, Don Alonso Manrique built a church in the middle of the mosque, against the resistance of the town council.
Even today, it acts like a foreign body in the huge prayer hall, which is spanned by numerous arches resting on 856 pillars.
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More InformationThe construction was justified by the fact that a Christian church, namely the Visigothic Saint Vincent Basilica, was already located at this point before the construction of the mosque. However before that, a Roman temple was on the same site.
Particularly artfully designed is the entrance to the Mihrab, the prayer room.
A small portion of the original masonry of the mosque is still visible in the back part.
An old clockwork can be seen next to tombstones.
But regardless of all religion, it is an exceptionally impressive building. Thus it is not surprising that the Mezquita belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1984.
Please read on > Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos – Cordoba
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