When we first walked through the doors of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, we were speechless. We had expected to be amazed by the many red and white arches, but what we saw was much better than our minds could imagine. The stunning Moorish mosque, is beyond comparison and should be at the top of your must-see list when visiting Spain.
We had seen many pictures of the inside of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, but couldn’t recall seeing any from its exterior. Our first sighting was from across the Roman Bridge where the majestic building has a commanding presence.
To read about the rest of the sites in the city, read our post Explore The Historic Streets of Córdoba.
Once we got closer, we realized there aren’t many features on its outer walls. Only a few Moorish horseshoe gates remain on the large building. Most are closed and not well tended. Puerta del Sabat is the prettiest and gives you a hint of the designs inside.
One of the nicest features on the complex’s exterior is the tower. When the Spanish converted the mosque into a church, they also transformed the 10th century minaret into a bell tower. It wasn’t altered much until a 16th century earthquake caused extensive damage. Today, the belltower is a lovely feature along the rather stoic looking wall.
At the base of the tower is a decorated gate that leads to Orange Tree Courtyard (Patio de los Naranjos). As its name suggests, the large courtyard is filled with orange trees and is surrounded by a wall. The main entrance to the Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba, or Mezquita, as it is commonly called, is inside this courtyard.
Once we stepped inside the Mezquita, we were immediately in awe of the stunning scene before us. Instead of one small area, as we had expected, we found a massive hall filled with hundreds of two-tiered, red and white striped arches. The double levels of arches with alternating brick and stone give the room a magical look. We did one full lap around the room, staring in awe at the arcs overhead before we could stop to look at anything else. It is mesmerizing.
Like the city, the history of this site is extensive. Historians believe a Roman Temple first stood on this site and was converted into a Visigoth Church. When the Moors conquered Córdoba in the 8th century, they immediately built a mosque on top of the old church. It was intended to rival the mosque in Damascus and was called the Great Mosque. This original building expanded over the next few generations as the city grew in wealth and population. Thankfully, these expansions, kept the original look of the building.
Approximately 120 Roman and Visigoth columns with Corinthian capitals from the old temple-church were used to build the first mosque. As it expanded, more columns were added so at one time there were almost 1200. In these additions, the new columns have less decorated capitals, but you barely notice the difference.
The picture below shows the old Roman columns. In other pictures you may notice they are less elaborate, these are in the newer areas of the mosque.
These granite columns support the iconic two-tiered arches and are a harmonious fusion of two classic styles. The double-arch construction allowed for a higher ceiling in the grand building. The top arches were built for structural support of the roof and are rounded in design. The lower arches are horseshoe shaped and add more support. The horseshoe shape is reportedly Visigoth in origin. The Moors took this design and used it in many of their buildings in Andalucía and Morocco.
The repetitive design, unique shape and colouring are mesmerizing. In some directions, you can see long passageways between the columns. On an angle, it appears as a mixed-up assortment of red and white atop a forest of columns.
When the Spanish overthrew the Moors, the mosque was quickly converted into a church. The Chapel of Villaviciosa was the first sanctuary in the new church. It was erected under a skylight built by the Moors. Many of the gorgeous Moorish designs, including the skylight, were covered in plaster for centuries. They have since been uncovered so that now, we can appreciate the finely detailed Moorish plasterwork.
Gothic arches, added near the chapel in the 15th century, create a unique view that combines Gothic and Arabic designs. Once the new nave was built, this small chapel lost its significance.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, work began to uncover some of the original Moorish elements. Not all have been restored so we can see their authentic features.
A key area that was uncovered was the prayer niche, called mihrab. With delicate lace-like carvings and coloured glass on the arch, ceiling, and wall, the mihrab is being returned to its former brilliance. Traditionally, this prayer niche is on a wall called qibla. Restoration work is taking place beside the mihrab, likely to uncover the qibla. From the little of it we can see, it must have been a beautiful feature.
The general architecture of the building wasn’t altered much until the 16th century. At that time, tragically, 144 columns were removed from the middle of the building to make room for the cathedral’s nave. Officially named Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), the high vaulted ceiling is elaborately decorated in white moulded designs, highlighted in gold. The altar is also ornate and overly decorated. It may be a nice room in any other cathedral, but in this one, it seems too much and sits in extreme conflict with the rest of the building.
The mixture of Christian and Moorish elements doesn’t always blend well together. Around the outside of the church are many typical, ornate altars and chapels. They seemed very garish in comparison to the understated Moorish designs and were not interesting to us.
Visiting the Mosque-Cathedral was a highlight of our trip to Spain. Thankfully, many of the original Moorish elements were retained and even more are being uncovered. They are what makes this building truly spectacular.
How To Visit The Mezquita
Tickets must be purchased in advance, on-line and have a timed entry. You can usually still get tickets a few days in advance, but not all entry times may be available. Our tickets were for the first entry of the day and since the building is so large, it didn’t feel very busy until an hour into our visit. We recommend trying to get one of these early morning tickets.
For more information on what else you can see in the city, as well as where to stay and how to get there, visit our post Explore The Historic Streets of Córdoba.
To read more of our adventures in Spain, click here.
Coming Next – A Guide to Spain’s Pueblo Blancos
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