The Great Mosque of Cordoba
The Great Mosque of Cordoba was built in the 10th Century and is one of Andalucia's most fascinating buildings. It was built by The Moors during their golden age in Andalucia when Cordoba was considered the largest and most prosperous city in Europe and the mosque was
intended to eventually take over from Mecca as the Muslim centre of the world.
It is a fine example of the mixing pot of cultures that have influenced Andalucia as it is built on the site of a Roman temple, was at one time the 2nd largest mosque in the world and today it has an imposing Christian cathedral built inside.
You enter the mosque via the original area which dates back to the 8th Century, and you progress through extensions that were added on over the years as the city grew and room for more worshippers was required. Originally there would have been no walls to
the building, the arches would simply have blended into the outside environment, through to the Islamic courtyard the "Patio de Los Naranjos" and the surrounding streets and market place. The Muslims wanted a place of worship to feel part of everyday life, rather than a closed
building intended to keep people out.
Inside there are more than 850 arched pillars, inspired by Roman aqueducts, made form granite jasper and marble. As you enter the mosque for the first time you will be struck by a sight that you have never seen before. A jaw dropping experience for many, who can do nothing more than
stand and stare in amazement at this most incredible and ancient structure. As you wander around the mosque the surprise starts to fade and this strange environment becomes comfortable and peaceful, as beams of sunlight break between the pillars and oil lamps hang from the arches.
When the Christians re-conquered Cordoba in 1236 the mosque was consecrated as a cathedral and the
structure was enclosed and various alters built. However, it was not until 1523 when the huge cathedral
area was constructed in the centre of the mosque. King Carlos V, who sanctioned the work, upon seeing the end result said "You have built what you or others might have built anywhere, but you have destroyed something that was unique to the world".
Apart from the mosque Cordoba has many other attractions including a Moorish fortress, a Roman temple, museums, palaces, art galleries, shady patios and the atmospheric Juderia. You can also visit a restored Moorish bath, of which there were
once hundreds throughout the city. For The Moors cleanliness was next to godliness where as for the Christians of that day, physical dirt was a test of moral purity and faith. An old Moorish saying says that "Christians were sprinkled with water at birth and thus relieving them from washing for
the rest of their lives".
In the the streets around the Mezquita during Moorish Andalucia, Arabic, Jewish and the new up and coming Romance language were spoken. The different faiths all their accepted place in the social and economic society where tailors, barbers, muleteers, masons, architects and
shoemakers were usually Moors and physicians, pharmacists, interpreters and money changers were invariably Jewish. The Jews lived in close knit communities centred around the market place and the Juderia of Cordoba is a fine example.
Cordoba is not as easy to reach as the more popular cities of Granada, Seville or Malaga but if you make that extra effort
you are sure to think it was worth it. You get a true taste of ancient Spanish life amidst the most incredible medieval surroundings.
And as no airlines fly direct to Cordoba you also get the chance to see some of the stunning Andalucian countryside on your way there!
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