Cordoba, spain cnn muslims in spain are campaigning to be allowed to worship alongside christians in cordoba cathedral formerly the great mosque of cordoba. I give the words to him and let him tell about the mosque and the project behind the. Cordoba became the worlds largest city with about one million residents. A mihrab is used in a mosque to identify the wall that faces meccathe birth place of islam in what is now saudi arabia. Mihrab is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla. View of mihrab and maqsura in great mosque of cordova, as architectural fidelity and rigor. The 10 best hotels near cordoba mosque in cordoba, spain. The unfolding of the mystery of its origin goes back to atlantis when an era of world civilization made possible the birth of. Original mosque abd alrahman i 1st enlargement abd alrahman ii 3rd enlargement almanzor 2nd enlargement alhakam ii i k j 12 9 11 f 2 7 1 a g b h c d e 8 6 5 4 3 10 the mosquecathedral of cordoba has been a natio nal monument since 1882.
Inside the great mosque of cordoba spain then and now. Known locally as mezquitacatedral, the great mosque of cordoba is one of the. Its history sums up the complete evolution of the omeyan style in spain, along with the gothic, renaissance and baroque styles present in the christian part of the structure. Great mosque of cordoba discover islamic art museum with no. Great mosque of cordoba mezquita, cordoba, andalusia, spain architecture. Compare to great mosque, damascus site of mosque since 8th century, present plan is 11th century. In 961, and under alhakem ii, a third technique was introduced in the maqsura of cordoba great mosque by using the superimposed trefoil intersecting arches which added more decorative touch to this technique. Just drag the mouse to the direction you want to look. Copy of architecture of the great mosque of cordoba. Cordoba mezquita visit the great mosque of cordoba. Alhambra palace and the great mosque of cordoba eraz. The mosquecathedral of cordoba whose ecclesiastical name is the cathedral of our lady of.
One of the most memorable and influential buildings of islamic spain was the great mosque of cordoba, built between the 8 th and 10 th centuries, and in its time considered a wonder of the world by both muslims and christians. The prayer hall of the great mosque, cordoba, spain. The great mosque of cordoba and its influence on spain. Great mosque of cordoba history and appreciation of art i. The mosque of cordoba poem by allama muhammad iqbal. The great mosque of cordoba the site originally a pagan temple, then a visigoth christian church, church of st. The great mosque of cordoba, a timeless masterpiece omrania. The great mosque was meant to serve as a reminder of abd alrahmans reign and to show that the muslims were there to stay the great mosque of cordoba. Find the perfect great mosque of cordoba interior stock photo. Nuns visit the mosquecathedral of cordoba on october 14, 2014. The marble panels in the mihrab of the great mosque of. The mosque of cordoba, in andalucia, spain was originally the site of a church which was bought by the muslim emir abd arrehman i and subsequently converted into one of the largest mosques in the world with work starting in 784 ce. Ahmad 85663 to be made into furniture, but was then repurposed to make. The mosque of cordoba muslim heritagemuslim heritage.
If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Again the arcades in the prayer room were extended southwards, terminating in a monumental maqsura, and the existing qibla wall was erected with the mihrab. It is a historical monument of brillianty developed architecture. Nowadays it is no longer used as a mosque but a catholic cathedral. Introduction the great mosque of cordoba marks an influential point in the development of islamic architecture. Meanwhile, the substantial use of both horseshoe and polylobed arches in cordoba was a source of inspiration for their european adoption. Mosque of cordoba in 8556, which is the second oldest architectural inscrip.
Dome in front of the mihrab, the great mosque of cordoba, 965. Describe the design, architectural aspects of the great. However, the original basic structure was only ever added to, never radically altered, perhaps to some degree in respect to its designer. The great mosque that he built in the capital, cordoba, is the mezquita. Tesserae decoration near mihrab, cathedralgreat mosque. Maqsura of the great mosque cordoba, spain, 961965 dome in front of the mihrab of the great mosque cordoba, spain, 961965 koran page with surah 18 alkahf the cave, 9th or early 10th.
Here is an extraordinary combination of the familiar and the innovative, a formal stylistic vocabulary that can be recognized as islamic even today. One of the worlds greatest works of islamic architecture, the mezquita hints, with all its lustrous decoration, at a refined age. It underwent a constant expansion and modification over a period of two hundred years. Tesserae decoration near mihrab, cathedralgreat mosque, cordoba, andalusia, spain. The church cathedral of cordoba spain, popularly know as the mosque of cordoba or the mezquita, stands over a christian church built in the visigothic period 5th c. Built on a visigothic site, which was probably the site of an earlier roman temple, the great mosque of cordoba was begun between 784 and 786 during the reign of abd alrahman i, who escaped from syria to the iberian peninsula after his family was massacred by a rival political dynasty. Detail of tesserae glass mosaic with gold or coloured backing with vegetal designs and kufic inscriptions on a horseshoe arch on the qibla wall next to the mihrab, in the cathedralgreat mosque of cordoba, in cordoba, andalusia, southern spain. The great mosque of cordoba was considered a wonder of the medieval world by both muslims and christians. Vincent during years 600 then the umayyad moors come and converted the building into the mosque and then build a mosque on the site. Mosque cathedral of cordoba spain the builder blog. The mosque was initially built as an extension of abd alrahmans palace, connected together by a raised walkway, and was called aljama mosque to honor his wife. Traditionally, the mihrab or apse of a mosque faces in the direction of mecca. It embodied a sophisticated culture and the most advanced bureaucracy in europe. It dates back to 785 when abd arrahhman i founded the mezquita on the site of an ancient visigothic church which had previously been the site of a.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Known locally as mezquitacatedral, the great mosque of cordoba is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time muslims ruled alandalus muslim iberia including most of spain, portugal, and a small section of southern france in the late 8th century. Cordoba became one of the most advanced cities in the world, as well as a great cultural, political and economic centre and the mosque featured as a great centre. Maqsura, the great mosque mezquita cordoba spain an inner conflict within the early islamic empire resulted in the relocation of the umayyad dynasty from damascus, syria to spain where muslims were already establishing a new state with cordoba as its capital. Made from a variety of materials including stucco, marble and wood. The luminous mihrab of the great mosque of cordoba surrounded by sculptural arches and topped by a dome creates a spatial climax within the hypostyle hall. Cordoba had more than 1,000 mosques and about 600 public bath houses.
During the first years of the muslin presence in the city of cordoba, christians and muslims shared the largest church in the city, the san vicente basilica, until abderrahman i bought the christian part and started the construction of the mosque in the year 784 taking advantage of most visigoth materials of the basilica. Strange as it may sound, however, the mosque is also a cathedral. A stellar example of architecture brilliance, artistic flair, and lustrous decoration, the mosquecathedral flaunts detailed carvings, mosaics and usage of multicolored. By any standard, cordoba became the richest, most sophisticated city in europe. Tempietto, church of san pietro in montorio, 15021510. In 711, after moorish conquest of the iberian peninsula, it was used as a mosque. In 961, and under alhakem ii, a third technique was introduced in the maqsura of cordoba great mosque by using the superimposed trefoil. The great mosquecathedral of cordoba is the most important islamic monument in the west, and one of the worlds most amazing sites.
Ceilings in cordoba mosque of cordoba, architecture art, architecture. Between the years of 784 and 786 it was built over a visigoth church. The great mosque of cordoba would receive a series of improvements that gave it a stronger resemblance to the ones built in the east around its time. Maqsura of the mezquita great mosque, cordoba, spain early islamic only for caliph. Crisscrossing ribs form an intricate decorative pattern. He escaped to spain, defeated the governor of alandalus, and established the independent spanish umayyad dynasty. The mezquita of cordoba is the worlds third largest mosque and along with granadas alhambra palace is the finest example of islamic art in the western world. The focal point in the prayer hall is the famous horseshoe arched mihrab or. Drei kleine kuppeln befinden sich uber saulengevierten vor dem mihrab. The great mosque of cordoba held a place of importance amongst the islamic community of alandalus for three centuries. Mezquita interior mihrab, spain mosquecathedral of cordoba spain. As a result of this massive upturn, the magnificent and splendid palace city of medina azahara was built near cordoba. Muslims in spain campaign to worship alongside christians.
The original structure was built by the umayyad ruler. This is just an artist impression of the original layout of the great mosque of cordoba built by abd rahman i in 785. Historical treasure and unesco world heritage site, the mosquecathedral of cordoba is the subject of. This book represents twenty years of thought and research on perhaps the greatest islamic monument in spain the mosque of cordoba. Press f9 to get a list of the 3d sites you downloaded residing in the same directory.
Our printing service continues to operate as usual, with framed and unframed prints available for delivery in normal timescales. Architecture of the great mosque of cordoba introduction pink. The great mosque of cordoba, also known as the mezquita of cordoba and officially known as the mosquecathedral of cordoba is one of the most splendid samples of mujedar architecture to be found in all of andalusia. The great mosque of cordoba is a prime example of the muslem worlds ability to brilliantly develop architectural styles based on preexisting regional traditions.