The Mezquita and Cathedral

The Mezquita (mosque) was extended several times; the final version held up to 40,000 people. Here are some of the 1293 marble columns connected by distinctive supporting double arches, stretching into the distance, giving some idea of the scale of the building and its unique design.

These columns were mainly reused roman marble brought in from previous Roman territories. Coming from various sources, the columns were of different lengths and were cleverly adapted by putting the short ones on plinths or sinking the tall ones into the floor. So recycling isn’t a new idea.

Extra height was achieved by adding arches as the next photo shows. The sunlight streaming in adds to the harmonious beauty the builders achieved.

The most intricate decoration is reserved for the Mihrab, the most sacred area of the mosque that points precisely towards Mecca. However, in this case, it isn’t aligned correctly because the old St Vincent’s cathedral wall was incorporated into the structure and that was pointing due east, as Christian churches do. St Vincent’s revenge, you may say.

The detail of the craftsmanship is astoundingly intricate, an example of which is worth reproducing here. 

The ceiling above the Mihrab is also incredibly ornate and beautifully designed, but might look a bit ott in the average house.

So, if this is the mosque, where’s this added cathedral? The answer is: right in the middle!

In 1236 Cordoba was reconquered by the Christians, so ending 500 years of Moorish rule. The mosque was ritually reconsecrated as a Christian church, and over the next 300 years some internal modifications were made, for example some of the columns were partitioned  to make chapels, mainly  around the perimiter. But substantially it was still the same mosque as built by the Moors.

However, in 1536, despite local opposition, it was decided to build a cathedral right in the centre of the mosque. The resulting edifice is quite ornate and magnificent  although it occupies less than 10% of the mosque floor area. They needed to demolish the mosque roof where the cathedral was to be built to get the extra height needed for their design. This is a shot of part of how it turned out.

The cathedral is open sided, so look around and you peer into the original mosque. It’s a strange combination.

The chapels referred to above that were created around the edge of the building appear to be of conventional Roman Catholic Church type until you see how the Moorish features have been incorporated and redecorated.

Some chapels though have barely bothered to alter any of the Moslem decoration, as in the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) shown next. It’s a testimony to the original craftsman.

We visited the Mezquita/Cathedral on two days running as there was so much amazing architecture to be seen. The place held an atmosphere of calm and harmony; a unique building, certainly one of the most extraordinary we have ever seen.