To the north is a spacious courtyard (the former sahn), surrounded by an arcaded gallery, with gates on the north, west, and east sides, and fountains that replace the former mosque fountains used for ablutions. After all of its historical expansions, the mosque-cathedral covers an area of 590 by 425 feet (180 m × 130 m). A restoration project began on the bell tower in 1991 and finished in 2014, while the transept and choir of the Renaissance cathedral were also restored between 2006 and 2009. More recent scholars have noted that modern restorations since the 19th century have partly focused on "re-islamicizing" (in architectural terms) parts of the Mosque-Cathedral. During this period, in 1882, the cathedral and mosque structure was declared a National Monument. In 1816 the original mihrab of the mosque was uncovered from behind the former altar of the old Chapel of San Pedro.
Starting in the 19th century, modern restorations have in turn led to the recovery and study of some of the building's Islamic-era elements. Due to its status as a former mosque, it is also known as the Mezquita (Spanish for 'mosque') and in a historical sense as the Great Mosque of Córdoba.
Doors of the Christian period
The arches that marked the transition from the courtyard to the interior of the prayer hall were originally open and allowed natural light to penetrate the interior, but most of these arches were walled up during the Christian period (after 1236) as chapels were built along the northern edge of the hall. The Puerta de las Palmas (Door of the Palms) is the grand ceremonial gate from the Courtyard of the Oranges to the cathedral's interior, built on what was originally a uniform façade of open arches leading to the former mosque's prayer hall. The most substantial and visible additions are the cruciform nave and transept of the Capilla Mayor (the main chapel where Mass is held today) which were begun in the 16th century and inserted into the middle of the former mosque's prayer hall, as well as the remodelling of the former minaret into a Renaissance-style bell tower. Abdurrahman III had a new minaret built whilst in 961 Al-Hakam II extended the ground plan and decorated the “mihrab” (prayer niche). The bell tower was built in the 17th century over what was the mosque’s minaret. Known as the Patio de los Naranjos, this open courtyard is attached to the mosque and surrounded by walls and the bell tower.
Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba
He reinforced the tower and modified the initial design of the Puerta del Perdón ("Door of Forgiveness") which passed through the tower's base. In 1589 a strong storm (or earthquake) caused damage to the former minaret, which was being used as a bell tower, and it was decided to remodel and reinforce the tower. The final element was the construction of the elliptical central dome of the transept, built between 1599 and 1607. He was responsible for building the transept walls to their full height as well as the buttresses upholding the structure. He also worked on the mosque building's eastern section (the extension added by Al-Mansur) by adding gothic vaulting to the mosque naves in this area. Before his death in 1547 he built the choir walls up to the windows and the gothic vaults on the south side.
- These three areas appear to have been the most important focal points of Christian activity in the early cathedral.
- The faded mural paintings inside the blind arches above the outer doorway include a depiction of Our Lady of the Assumption in the middle, with Saint Michel and Saint Raphael on the sides.
- Despite the demise of the Umayyad caliphate and the concomitant decline of Córdoba’s political status, its great mosque remained one of the most thoroughly described and lauded Islamic buildings for centuries to come.
- The Mosque-Cathedral also prompts reflection on spatial hybridity in modern architectural practice.
- This attractive building in Cordoba was built by order of Philip…
Expansion of al-Mansur
- In 1727 the tower was damaged by another storm and in 1755 pieces of it (mainly decorative details) were damaged by the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.
- The elliptical dome of the crossing rests on four pendentives which are sculpted with images of the four evangelists.
- It was built by King Henry II to fulfil the wishes of his father, Alfonso XI of Castile and León, who wanted to be laid to rest in the cathedral where his own father, Fernando IV, was already buried.
- If you can climb the 54m (177 ft) to the top, you will be rewarded with some great views of the courtyard and mezquita below.
- As a result of both this pillage and the earlier pillage during the fitna, the mosque had lost almost all of its valuable furnishings.
- The lower walls on either side of the mihrab are panelled with marble carved with intricate arabesque vegetal motifs, while the spandrels above the arch are likewise filled with carved arabesques.
The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is a profound architectural expression of the layered histories of al-Andalus. This building is a temple and a monument. Discover one of the most beautiful and unique buildings in the world.
BELL TOWER
Today, the building continues to serve as the city's cathedral and Mass is celebrated there daily. The former minaret, which had been converted to a bell tower, was also significantly remodelled around this time. The structure itself underwent only minor modifications until a major building project in the https://www.velwinscasino.gr/ 16th century inserted a new Renaissance cathedral nave and transept into the center of the building. The mosque was converted to a cathedral in 1236 when Córdoba was captured by the Christian forces of Castile during the Reconquista. Among the most notable additions, Abd al-Rahman III added a minaret (finished in 958) and his son al-Hakam II added a richly decorated new mihrab and maqsurah section (finished in 971).
Al-Hakam II's work on the mosque also included the commissioning of a new minbar (pulpit) in 965, which took about 5 to 7 years to finish. Abd ar-Rahman III's son and successor, al-Hakam II (r. 961–976), was a cultured man who was involved in his father's architectural projects. Mosques were normally aligned with the qibla (the direction of prayer), which is theoretically the direction of Mecca. The Great Mosque was built in the context of the new Umayyad Emirate in Al-Andalus which Abd ar-Rahman I founded in 756.
ARCHEYES
If you can climb the 54m (177 ft) to the top, you will be rewarded with some great views of the courtyard and mezquita below. The Mezquita’s main chapel (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) is found right in the center of the complex. The patio is where the Muslims would wash as part of their purification ritual before entering the mosque. But that’s just what the mosque is – a peculiar but beautiful masterpiece that stands testament to 1500 years of human civilization.
The minaret's original appearance, however, was reconstructed by modern Spanish scholar Félix Hernández Giménez with the help archeological evidence as well as historical texts and representations. The courtyard is known today as the Patio de los Naranjos or "Courtyard of the Orange Trees". The Arabic inscriptions in the decoration around the mihrab are the first major example of a program of political-religious inscriptions inserted into Andalusi architecture.
The cathedral's first altar was installed in 1236 under the large ribbed dome at the edge of Al-Hakam II's 10th-century extension of the mosque, becoming part of what is today called the Villaviciosa Chapel (Capilla de Villaviciosa) and the cathedral's first main chapel (the Antigua Capilla Mayor). The mosque's original mihrab (niche in the far wall symbolizing the direction of prayer) no longer exists today but its probable remains were found during archeological excavations between 1932 and 1936. This wall-less cathedral looks as though it was just plopped into the middle of the mosque – a truly strange sight to behold.