The History and Influence of The Great Mosque of Córdoba

The Mosque of Córdoba (Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba in Spanish) is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba located in southern Spain in the region of Andalusia. The cathedral was formerly a mosque built for Muslim prayer by Abd ar-Rahman I, an Umayyad prince from Damascus (located in modern-day Syria), in the eighth century to mark the Iberian city of Córdoba as a Muslim stronghold.

The mosque’s architecture is rich and characterized by unique details, like a hall of columns connected by striped arches, a central orange garden, and its gold-inlaid mihrab. Opulent Roman and Visigothic materials like jasper, marble, and pophry were used to build the mosque. The building has been expanded multiple times over the centuries as it changed hands from Muslim to Christian rule, adding different architectural structures and motifs. Within the last century or two, efforts have been made to restore the original Islamic architecture.

Abd al-Rahman I (sometimes spelled Abd ar-Rahman I), a royal in the Umayyad dynasty, was the original founder of the Arab dynasty that ruled the Iberian peninsula for nearly three centuries following their exile from Damascus. Aside from improving the infrastructure of the land and expanding his emirate, al-Rahman wanted to build a new mosque at the capitol of the Muslim-controlled region of Al-Andalus: Córdoba. However, the building changed hands from Muslim to Christian rule multiple times. Here is an overview of the history of the Mosque of Córdoba.

• Construction in the eighth century: During the late eighth century, Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction on the Great Mosque. The building was completed only a year later. However, many additional developments would be made over the next two centuries, until the collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba. Subsequent successors of the dynasty continued to add and enhance various features to the mosque, such as a treasury, larger prayer halls and courtyards, and private passages.
• Tenth century to eleventh century renovations: Abd al-Rahman III continued to expand the Great Mosque in the tenth century, declaring a new caliphate. A minaret for the mosque is built, which is the structure that issues the call to prayer. Caliph al-Hakam II, al-Rahman III’s son and successor, commissioned a minbar (which is a pulpit in a mosque) for the Great Mosque of Córdoba. By the beginning of the eleventh century, the caliphate separated into independent Muslim kingdoms due to a civil war. Expansions to the mosque ended once the Umayyad caliphate collapsed, and much of the mosque was greatly damaged and looted.
• Thirteenth to fourteenth century: King Ferdinand III of Castile conquered Córdoba in 1236 and turned the mosque into a Christian cathedral. Much of the architectural flourishes and designs remained intact until the fourteenth century, though some features like chapels and altars were added. The Royal Chapel, which was completed late in the fourteenth century, was the first major addition added to the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba since the fall of the caliphate.
• Fifteenth to sixteenth century: The late fifteenth century was when the mosque started to take on more Gothic features, such as Gothic-style naves, arches, and vaulting. During the 1500s, King Charles V grants permission for the construction of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the center of the mosque. Later, an earthquake damaged part of the mosque, and though repairs and reinforcements were made, some of the original Islamic architecture was destroyed.
• Seventeenth-century and beyond: The mosque-turned-cathedral was renovated, repaired, and changed several times over the centuries. As years of construction wore on, some leaders would die, at which their successors would take over construction and employ their own modifications, like baroque elements to the chapels. In the early nineteenth century, features of the former mosque were found behind an altar, and an effort to restore the Islamic features of the building began. The Mosque of Cordoba was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Many of the architectural elements of the Mosque of Córdoba had a ripple effect on western Islamic architecture. As it has changed hands over the years, it has become a prime example of a fusion of Islamic and Christian architecture. Some of the Mosque of Córdoba’s notable architectural features include the following:.

1. 1. Striped double arches: Over 800 Roman/Visigoth granite and marble pillars support to the mosque’s brick and stone-tiered horseshoe arches, most notably in the hypostyle hall, or the main Muslim prayer space. This hall is a major focal point in the mosque.
2. 2. Orange trees: Orange trees were imported and planted in the courtyard of the mosque as a promotion of agriculture. Today, there are still orange trees that line the courtyard of the mosque.
3. 3. A bell tower: Serving as the tallest structure in the city, the bell tower is where the original minaret was located. In the process, the minaret was partially destroyed and encased inside the bell tower. However, modern restorations have restored much of the original Islamic features to the structure.
4. 4. High, vaulted ceilings: The mosque ceilings and domes are complete with ribbing and gold mosaic decor set in geometric patterns, an early precursor to later Gothic architecture.
5. 5. The mihrab doesn’t face Mecca: Many mosques have a mihrab, or a wall that indicates the direction of Mecca. Similar to the former Mosque of Damascus (and based on a tradition of the western Islamic world), the Mosque of Córdoba’s has a mihrab that faces south rather than southeast, where Mecca is located. This mosque’s mihrab is uniquely opulent, built as a small room bedecked with gold cubes, rather than a basic prayer niche that is into a wall like most mihrabs.

The Mosque of Córdoba influenced architectural styles around the world for centuries to come. It is a prime example of Moorish architecture, a style of Islamic art that developed on the Iberian peninsula of Spain when it was under Muslim rule. It combines Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Berber elements together to create a new aesthetic characterized by unique arches, intricate tilework, and vegetation.

The mosque’s roof also proved to be very influential in the development of Western religious architecture. The mosque of Córdoba is notable for its ribbed vaulted ceilings carved from stone to make intricate, honeycombed patterns. This could go on to influence Western religious architecture. In France, the ribbed vaulted ceiling would go on to become very popular. The mosque’s double arches and honeycombed patterns also influenced much of Spanish architecture. In the nineteenth century, it would also inspire a Moorish Revival (or Neo-Moresque) period.

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