Southern Spain #1 : "🕌☀️The Great Mosque of Cordoba☀️🕌"

jduarte (57)in #travel • 7 years ago (edited)

The Great Mosque of Cordoba.jpg

Andalusia

Located to the south of the Iberian Peninsula, it is the most populous autonomous community of Spain and the second more extensive.
Andalusia is for many synonymous with Spain, thus dragging many of its stereotypes:
a sunny land, religious fervor, party lover, full of bullfighters and flamenco dancers....

Although many of these stereotypes are false and unfair, the truth is that Andalusia, despite progressive modernization, remains the "guardian" of many spanish traditions, a lively place with a different timetable than the rest of Europe .

Image edited from sources: 1; 2 & 3

Córdoba:

Once capital of al-Andalus and one of the most important cultural centers in Europe, Cordoba remains a fascinating city for the traveler. However, there is no doubt that there is a building that stands out above all other tourist attractions: The Monumental Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. A spectacular and unique building in which the different cultures and civilizations that have inhabited in the city are visibly integrated.

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba Monumental Complex:

Practical information:

Entrance fees:

Adults: € 10
Children between 10 and 14 years old: € 4
Children under 10 years: Free
Tickets can be purchased in the same Mosque or on the official website. You can also visit the Mosque for free, if you enter at 8:30, when it opens the doors for those who wish to attend 9:3o a.m. Mass.

History of the building:

To understand the importance of the building it is inevitable to know its history and, above all, its various reconversions from Christian temple to Muslim temple. In fact there are those who refer to the building as Mosque-Cathedral or **Cathedral **, which perhaps would be the most correct, since at present it is only used for Christian liturgies, however most people in Cordoba refer to it as the mosque.

The origin of the current Mosque of Cordoba dates back to the 6th century, when in the place where the mosque is now built there was the Basilica of San Vicente Mártir (a Christian temple) . After the arrival of Islam to the peninsula in 714 B.C., the building was transformed into Mosque. From that time until the twelfth century the Mosque of Cordoba was expanded to become one of the most impressive mosques in Islam. Finally, in 1236 after the Christian reconquest of Cordoba, the mosque was converted into the current Cathedral of Cordoba.

All these "remodelings" are better understood with the following images:

edited image from source

Source

Visiting The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba Monumental Complex:

in the Mosque there are 1,300 columns on which are supported three hundred and sixty-five bicolor horseshoe arches .

The columns of marble, jasper and granite are one of the most iconic elements of the Mosque of Cordoba.

East wall of the Villaviciosa Chapel where the main altar of the 13th century Cathedral was located.

Crucifix of the Villaviciosa Chapel in the interior of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, surrounded by Islamic art.

Spectacular dome built in the 10th century.

Mihrab of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. Like the rest of mihrab, it indicates the direction to look during the prayer. However, not oriented toward **Mecca ** like the rest of the mihrab of the Islamic world,but oriented east, as used to be done in the Al-Andalus.