Cordoba and its wonder, the Mezquita

by Lora Meisner

When I traveled to Spain recently, I wasn’t prepared to find that Cordoba was my favorite Andalusian destination.  Nor was I prepared for its excellent cuisine or it’s extensive selection of things to see.  But my ultimate awe-struck moment occurred while visiting the Mezquita.

The Mezquita—one of the wonders of the architectural world—is a not-to-be-missed site to visit in Spain.  None of the photographs really capture the scope or the beauty of this building.

The entrance to the Mezquita, through an understated courtyard, is very deceiving.  It’s almost non-descript.  Since it was a beautiful sunny day, it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light in the interior.  But once inside, the glorious architecture, took my breath away.

The Moorish archways seemed to go on as far as the eye could see.

The history of the Mezquita is fascinating. The Mezquita (Spanish for "Mosque") is a beautiful and fascinating 8th-century mosque/cathedral combination that symbolizes the many religious changes Cordoba has undergone over the centuries. Today, it is the cathedral of Cordoba (officially the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption) and no longer a mosque, but the vast majority of its architecture owes its origin to the Islamic architects who built it as a mosque in the 8th century 

The site of the Mezquita has long been a sacred space – it initially hosted a Roman temple, then a Visigoth cathedral church, and a mosque (the Mezquita). Finally, a Baroque cathedral was added inside the mosque by the Christian conquerors in the early 13th century.

The construction of the Mezquita lasted for over two centuries, starting in 784 AD under the supervision of the emir of Cordoba, Abd ar-Rahman I. Under Abd ar-Rahman II (822-52), the Mezquita held an original copy of the Koran and an arm bone of the prophet Mohammed, making it a major Muslim pilgrimage site.

The Mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd ar-Rahman III ordered a new minaret, while Al-Hakam II, in 961, enlarged the plan of the building and enriched the mihrab. Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir completed the last of the additions, including the completion of the outer naves and orange tree courtyard, in 987.

When finished, the Mezquita was the most magnificent of the more than 1,000 mosques in Cordoba. But Cordoba was subject to frequent invasion and each conquering wave added its own mark to the architecture.

In 1236, Cordoba was recaptured from the Moors by King Ferdinand III of Castile and rejoined Christendom. The Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita largely undisturbed — they simply consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship.

King Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the structure of the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features: Enrique II rebuilt the chapel in the 14th century; a nave was constructed with the patronage of Carlos V, king of a united Spain.

Charles V sanctioned the heavy, incongruous Baroque cathedral in the very heart of the mosque in the 1520s. Artists and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century, making the Mezquita an intriguing architectural oddity.

In 1931, Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal was the first Muslim to pray in the Mezquita since it was closed to Islam. In 1984, the historic center of Cordoba, including the Mezquita, was made a UNESCO World Heritage site

The Mezquita is most notable for its giant arches and its more than 1,000 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple, which had occupied the site previously, as well as other destroyed Roman buildings. Besides the horseshoe-topped arches, the Mezquita also features richly gilded prayer niches.

Although it does not fit in with the rest of the mosque, the 16th-century Baroque cathedral is impressive in its own right, with an intricately carved ceiling and choir stalls.

Its most interesting feature is the Mihrab, a domed shrine of Byzantine mosaics built by Al Hakam II (961-76). It once housed the Koran and relics of Muhammad. In front of the Mihrab is the Maksoureh, a kind of anteroom for the caliph and his court; its mosaics and plasterwork make it a masterpiece of Islamic art.

Outside the Mezquita is the Courtyard of the Orange Trees (Patio de los Naranjos), which in springtime is perfumed with orange blossoms and has a lovely fountain.

The Torre del Alminar, the minaret once used to summon the faithful to prayer, has a Baroque belfry. Hardy travelers can climb to the top to catch a panoramic view of Córdoba and its surroundings.

I was very happy that I arranged our visit to Cordoba for four days.  I visited the Mezquita twice.  I needed both visits to take-it-all-in and really appreciate its magnificence and its historical significance.  The visual and emotional impact of my visit to the Mezquita, compares to my experience visiting Chartres Cathedral, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and seeing Michelangelo’s David for the first time.

That’s why I love to travel and have the opportunity to experience so many wondrous sites.

Lora Meisner is a freelance travel writer and communications expert specializing in both online and print marketing.