Cordoba Part 1: The Mezquita Mosque and cathedral

Cordoba, (pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable) in Southern Spain is the capital of the Cordoba province, and was formerly the Muslim capital of the caliphate, when the Moors were in control of central Spain. The Moors exported wine and oil from Spain, just as the Romans had done before them. The city is landlocked between 2 major mountain ranges that run from East to West. But it is strategically located on the Guadalquivir River, which runs westward through Seville and to the Atlantic Ocean. During the peak of Moorish rule, Cordoba was a rival to Baghdad in wealth and culture. In the 10th century, it was one of the most populated cities of Europe, with a population of almost 1 million, a flourishing library and a famous university in the middle of the 'Dark Ages.'And the crown jewel of this wealthy city was the Great Mosque, or Mezquita.

Admission fee to the Mezquita is 8 Euros per person. It is FREE in the mornings from 8-9:30am. Morning Mass is celebrated daily at 9:30, so admittance is not permitted between 9:30 and 10am, and then you can enter the mosque area, but must wait for Mass to finish before entering the Cathedral. 

In 784, under the leadership of the caliph Abd-al Rahman, construction began on a great Mosque, that was built on the site of an old Visigoth church. The mosque was originally built in honor of his wife, and was oriented facing towards Mecca. The most striking feature is the numerous rows of red and white arches. In the original part of the mosque, these are made of brick and stone in alternating bands, and are remnants of the original Visigoth church. The moors stacked the Visigoth arches in a double layer to achieve the desired height. The rows of columns and arches are said to imitate palm and date trees in the middle of a desert oasis. The original design was a building full of light, but later renovations (including the construction of a Christian cathedral in the center of the structure) have made it rather dim and hushed in the interior.

 

Later Muslim successors expanded on the plan and layout of the mosque in every direction. In the newer sections, instead of using brick and stone, they simply painted the bands onto the arches. The layout of the mosque and some of the decoration are said to imitate the Great Mosque of Damascus. The red and white stripes imitate the interior of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The Muslim caliphs had wealth and power to import the best artisans and the finest supplies for the construction of the Mosque. This extravagance is most evident in the area called the Mihrab, which is the prayer 'niche' (more like a large area) in the Eastern wall which is aligned with Mecca. From the Mihrab, the imam would call Muslims to prayer, and read from the Koran. The area is decorated with solid gold tiles, and designed so that the reader's voice will carry out into the mosque to his audience.

When the Christians re-conquered Cordoba in 1236, the mosque was designated as a Christian church. By the 14th century, construction began on a Renaissance cathedral that literally rises out of the center of the mosque. To build the cathedral, numerous columns and arches were destroyed, and those that remained were decorated with crosses and Christian bas-relief sculptures. The conversion of the building probably saved it from destruction during the Inquisition, when many other mosques were destroyed. The cathedral is rather beautiful, and full of light, but it is in definite contrast to the rest of the building in which it is located. In fact, even though the Christian king Charles V gave permission for the cathedral's construction, he later commented upon seeing it, "you have taken something unique in all the world, and destroyed it to build something which could be found in any city."

I have to say my sentiments were similar. I am Catholic, and expected to like the cathedral. It is indeed pretty, but nothing really spectacular. The altar is pictured at left, and the choir at right. There is some fine craftsmanship, but it does seem very much in contrast to the surrounding building.




In fact, the contrast is not only architectural and religious, but it is still going on today. The Mezquita is officially designated as a Catholic place of worship. Mass is held there daily (in the cathedral) but Muslims are not allowed to pray on the premises. Islamic groups have been petitioning the Spanish government to have this changed, since the Mihrab prayer niche is still preserved, but so far the government insists that two religious groups cannot share the same building. It does feel a little bit of a shame that the Muslims who were tolerant of Christianity during their rule of Spain were so oppressed during the subsequent Inquisition that they were forcibly removed from the country, killed, or forced to convert. And now the Christians cannot be as tolerant during their rule. The Moors contributed greatly to Spanish architecture, science, medicine, and art during their Golden Age, and it is unfortunate that their accomplishments were ignored and almost wiped out.


Because really, who is to say which is a more fitting tribute to God:  a Renaissance ceiling, or a star-studded tile mosaic? A bell tower or a minaret?

The Mezquita is still a jewel of the city of Cordoba and is not to be missed. It takes about 3.5 hours to get to Cordoba from Rota, so if you decide to spend the night, then stayed tuned for Cordoba Part 2: The Palace of the Christian Kings!