A Brief History: Cordoba Mezquita
The Great Mosque of Cordoba is a Mosque-Cathedral in Andalusia, Spain. It is now known as the “Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption”, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
Converted to a cathedral in 1236, by the Christian forces of Castile during the Reconquista, The Great Mosque was constructed on the orders of the Caliph Abd ar-Rahman I in 785, a glorious time of Muslim rule in Al-Andalus. It was expanded multiple times afterward under Abd ar-Rahman’s successors up to the late 10th century. Among the most notable additions, a new minaret was added by Abd ar-Rahman III and his son Al-Hakam II added a richly decorated new mihrab and maqsura.
Apart from minor modifications here and there, the building remained untouched till the 16th century, when a new Renaissance cathedral nave and transept were incorporated into the center of the building. The former minaret, which had been converted to a bell tower, was also significantly remodeled around this time.
Regardless of the wars on faith, and between who should be allowed to worship, the structure is an undisputed marvel of Moorish architecture. Several other buildings have been designs based on this wonder of a building. I will take you through a few.
Bab-e-Mardum Mosque, Toledo
The mosque of Bab Mardum, has been the church of Cristo de la Luz since the Christian conquest of Toledo in 1085. Its ribbed dome is supported in the center of the plan by four spolia columns and goes with a nine-bay domed plan. The red and white colour combination between bricks, blind intersecting arches, niches, and geometric patterns, triple-arched brick facades, horseshoe arches, are all examples of properties it shares with the Cordoba Mezquita.
Aljaferia Palace, Zaragoza
The Aljafería Palace reflects the splendor attained by the Taifa of Zaragoza at its height. It currently houses the Cortes, the regional parliament, of the autonomous community of Aragon.
After the reconquest of Zaragoza in 1118 by Alfonso I of Aragón, it became the residence of the Christian kings of the Kingdom of Aragón. Later, it also went through yet another restructuring that would turn it into a military fortress. After destruction during the Sieges of Zaragoza of the Peninsular War, until it was finally restored in the 20th century and now is one of the three Hispano-Muslim buildings in Spain to enjoy special legal protection, along with the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba and the Alhambra.
The style of ornamentation of the Aljafería, such as the use of mixtilinear arches and springers, the extension of arabesques over a large area, and the schematisation and progressive abstraction of natural objects is a classic feature of it’s similarity with Cordoba Mezquita.
Al-Qubba al-Murabitiya, Marrakech
Also known as the al-Barudiyin, it was built in 1120 as an ablution fountain and waterworks for the Almoravid congregational mosque in Marrakech.
Qasr al-Hajar, by then-ruler Ali bin Yusuf. When the Almohads took Marrakech in 1147, the Almoravid mosque was closed and allowed to fall into disrepair. Today the qubba is the only structure that survives from the mosque or the palace.
Tremecen Great Mosque, Tlemcen
The Great Mosque of Tlemcen is a major historic mosque in Tlemcen. It was founded and first built in 1082 but modified and embellished several times afterward. It is considered one of the most important examples of architecture under the Almoravid dynasty in Algeria.
San Lorenzo, Turin
San Lorenzo, also known as the Royal Church of Saint Lawrence, is a Baroque-style church in Turin, adjacent to the Royal Palace of Turin. The present church was designed and built by Guarino Guarini during 1668–1687. However, it’s the Gothic and Mudejar influence cannot be ignored, which were in turn heavily influenced directly or indirectly by Hispano-Muslim architecture.
The Islamic Center, Rome
Also known as the Grand Moschea di Roma, built in 1996, this modern building is the only mosque Rome. The complex is considered one of the major monuments built in the city in the past few decades.
Perhaps it was only natural that a mosque in Italy, built some eight centuries after the Reconquista, would be built on the architectural principles brought to Italy by the Moors.
