The Mosque of Cordoba is one of the architectural monuments most visited in Andalusia and even in Spain. Its great artistic wealth and architectural diversity, with all the history contained in its walls, make it an important place and one of the most important representatives of Islamic art.
If you want to know more about the parts of the Mosque of Cordoba, here we tell you.
The current location of the Mosque of Córdoba has been dedicated to different religions for centuries. Under the Visigoths the Basilica of San Vicente was built and the original mosque was built on top of it. At that time, the place was shared for a time by Muslims and Christians until a larger Muslim population appeared in the area. It was then that it was acquired by Abderraman I, who ordered the construction of the alama mosque as the main place of worship in the city.
Currently, many of the Visigothic architectural elements of the building are incorporated into part of the original mosque of Abderraman I.
The Mosque of Córdoba currently consists of two differentiated spaces: the arcaded courtyard called Patio de los Naranjos, where is it located the minaret, and the interior room dedicated to prayer.
The interior area is divided into different spaces, which in turn correspond to the extensions made over the years. We can find the following areas: Abderraman I Mosque, First Extension, Second Extension, Third Extension and Cathedral. We can also highlight the towers from the time of Abderraman III.
The section in which the current mosque-cathedral is divided is directly related to the history of the mosque itself, since we begin with the Umayyad dynasty of Abderraman I, then Abderraman II (the first extension), Abderraman III (minaret), Al Haken II (second extension), Almanzor (third extension); Finally the cathedral was built in 1146.
The current configuration of the Patio de los Naranjos corresponds to 1597, when Bishop Reinoso, together with the architect Hernán Ruiz, proposed the design of the courtyard garden, this is the aspect that we can admire today.
But patios weren't always what they are. During Islamic times, it was used as a place for public activities such as teaching or the administration of justice., a concept related to Islamic culture. The gallery began to be built under the authority of Abderraman I and was completed by Hixem I. It is called Patio de los Naranjos because the existence of these trees has been known since the fifteenth century. Later cypresses and olive trees were added.
Abderraman I Mosque
This is one of the most emblematic areas of the Mosque of Cordoba. The horseshoe arch was one of the innovations of Abderraman I, although capitals and shafts of Visigoth or Roman origin were reused in architecture.
This first mosque and subsequent extensions are curiously oriented to the south, a location that could be due to the sandy topography of the Guadalquivir River. Horseshoe arches became a symbol of Islamic architecture, and in this region they were twice as tall. They are built with stone and brick, which gives it the bicolor character of the place.
Abderraman I was succeeded by Hixem I, who built the first minaret of the Mosque of Córdoba, which had a quadrilateral plan. He is also credited with the construction of the patio gallery, whose function, as we mentioned earlier, was for women to pray.
Enlargement of the parts of the Mosque of Córdoba
First enlargement
With the arrival of Abderraman II, we had a second expansion in 822. The prayer hall is expanded into eight sections and features Abbasid-influenced decoration, which can be explored in more detail in the History of Islamic Art section. In the first expansion, other details were added, such as the treasure room and the secret passageway that connected the Mihrab with the Alcázar of the Caliphate of Córdoba.
Abderraman III became caliph in the year 929, and to demonstrate the power of the Islamic kingdom in the West, enlarged the courtyard and built a new minaret, the first in this part of the world. The ruler also took it upon himself to place a large horseshoe-shaped arch at the main entrance of the temple.
Later, during the reign of Al Hakem II, the mosque was added in twelve more sections, thus reaching its current extension. The materials used for this extension are blue and pink marble. At the end of the building is the mihrab, which is the place of prayer. It is double-walled, which ensures that the structure is strong enough.
When building this extension, additional light was needed, so a series of vaults formed by large ribs were built. This type of vault, known as caliphal ribbed vault, had a clear influence on Mudejar art. This is the other most representative area of the building, although it does not reach the size of the bicolor bow. The mihrab has an octagonal plan, framed by a large dome in the shape of a pilgrim's shell.
third enlargement
The last extension of the Mosque of Córdoba was carried out by Almanzor at the end of the XNUMXth century. Due to the imminent fall of the caliphate, the materials used here are of lower quality than in previous extensions. Almanzor built 8 more naves for the mosque, but due to its proximity it did not face the river (as his predecessor did), but he built them to the east.
Catedral
During the reign of Charles V, the cathedral was built on a XNUMXth-century mosque. It was Bishop Manrique who expressed his desire to carry out this work. To do this, they kept the expansion of Alhaken II intact, building a cathedral inside the mosque, whose building is Gothic style, but also with elements of the original Baroque.
The architect Hernán Ruiz was in charge of the execution of the work, and after the death of the architect, his son and later his niece continued building. It is almost two centuries old and features Gothic vaults, original Baroque features and Renaissance-style domes.
The floor plan of the cathedral is a Latin cross, inside we also find the pulpits flanked by Miguel Verdiguer, carved in mahogany and marble. The Treasury is another remarkable jewel of this building, made of silver and ivory from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth centuries.. It is a spectacular collection, and here we find a very spectacular piece: the Corpus Christi, made in the XNUMXth century by Enrique de Arfe.
So if you plan to visit Córdoba, this information may be useful if you see the Mosque.
