Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, known locally as the Mezquita, stands in the historic centre of Córdoba in Andalusia, close to the Guadalquivir River and the Roman bridge. Work on the great mosque began in 785 under Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Umayyad emirate of Córdoba, on a site traditionally said to have held an earlier Christian church.

The mosque was enlarged several times over the following two centuries, most notably by Abd al-Rahman II, by al-Hakam II, who added the richly decorated mihrab, and by al-Mansur in the late 10th century, making it one of the largest mosques of its time. After Ferdinand III of Castile took Córdoba in 1236, the building was consecrated as a cathedral. In the 16th century a Renaissance and Baroque cathedral nave was built in the middle of the prayer hall.

The prayer hall is filled with about 850 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry; the first 120 or so were reused from Roman and Visigothic buildings. They support double-tiered horseshoe arches striped in red brick and white stone. The mihrab is covered in Byzantine-style gold mosaics. Outside, the Courtyard of the Orange Trees leads to the bell tower, which encloses the remains of the original minaret. The building is part of the Historic Centre of Córdoba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site first inscribed in 1984.

The building is an active Catholic cathedral, so tourist visiting hours are set around services. Tickets are needed for the interior and separately for the bell tower climb, and a night visit called The Soul of Córdoba runs on set evenings.

From 120 reused columns to a 180 by 130 metre building

After all its expansions, the building covers about 180 by 130 metres. The first mosque of 785 had about 120 columns, all taken from older Roman and Visigothic buildings. Tradition says Abd al-Rahman I bought the Christian half of the site for 100,000 dinars, though scholars point out there is little archaeological evidence for the earlier church of Saint Vincent.

Al-Hakam II's extension holds the finest work. His maqsura, the enclosure in front of the mihrab, is marked by interlacing multifoil arches and three ribbed domes. The domes and mihrab were finished in late 965, and the gold mosaics in 970 or early 971. Christian chapels were added after 1236, including the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel, finished in 1371.

The Renaissance nave and transept in the centre were designed by Hernán Ruiz I, who died in 1547, and continued by his son Hernán Ruiz II. Hernán Ruiz III designed the bell tower that encases the old minaret. Emperor Charles V is said to have complained after seeing the result that the builders had destroyed something unique in the world.