The Great Mosque of Cordoba: all information | Andalusia

The Mosque ofCordoba, in the heart of Andalusia, is one of the most unique monuments in the world. Testimony of an infinite interweaving between art and faith, it encompasses the history of different architectures, from the Islamic to the Hellenistic, from the Roman to the Byzantine, not forgetting the Christian one. Just set foot in it to realize the greatness, material and spiritual, of this huge Cathedral characterized by areal “forest” of columns, arches and domes. The Mosque of Cordoba is not a museum like many others, nor an object of worship from the past. It is still fully "lived" today by the Cordoba community. Suffice it to say that not a day goes by when the Chapter celebrates Holy Mass for Christians.

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HISTORY OF THE CORDOBA MOSQUE

The history of the Mezquita (Mosque of Cordoba) begins in the 6th century when it housed a complex of buildings including theVisigothic Basilica of San Vincenzo, later converted to the main Christian temple of the city. With the advent of the Muslims, the enclosure of this temple was divided and used in common. It was Abd al-Rahman, in 786, who had the original mosque built to cope with the increase in population. He designed it with a plant adeleven naves, perpendicular to the qibla wall, of which the central one was the highest and most extensive. The original model was very similar to those of Damascus and al-Aqsa of Jerusalem but, unlike the other Muslim oratories, this qibla wall was not oriented towards Mecca but towards the south. In 951, under the Caliphate ofAbd al-Raham III,the expansion of the mosque begins which, with the addition of a new alminar, will reach 40 meters in height, coming to inspire the minarets of the mosques of Seville and Marrakech.

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Alhaken II will then make a second expansion, the most creative, with the addition of twelve new sections to the south. Will beAlmanzor, the hayib of Caliph Hixam, to complete the third extension, this time towards the east with the addition of eight new naves. From 1232, the date of the conquest of Cordoba, the Alijama was consecrated to Catholic worship, with the installation of the altar in the ancient skylight of Alhaken. In 1489 the Cappella Maggiore was built and, in 1607, this space became theChapel of Villaviciosa. Finally, it will be Bishop Alonso Manrique who will order the construction of the Crusade which, in a creative way, will integrate the caliphal naves.

WHAT TO SEE IN THE CORDOBA MOSQUE

The first "step" is to let yourself be transported inside the forest of columns of the original Mosque - Cathedral of Cordoba and savoring its silence and majesty. As soon as you enter from the main entrance, in fact, you will find yourself "submerged" by the arches, domes and soft colors of the original mosque (1). As you enter you will pass to the areas "expanded" by the various caliphs. In the center stands the choir stall (11), with the crosspiece (10) on the left. In front of the stall stands theMajor Chapellater called the Villaviciosa Chapel (4), in front of which stands the Royal Chapel commissioned in 1371 by King Henry to bury Alfonso XI and Ferdinand IV (7). This is the expansion made by Alhaken (5). Continuing to the end, you will reach theMihrab (6), while in the left corner you will find theParish of the Sagrario(9), characterized by wall paintings centered on the martyrs of the city. This is the area enlarged by Almanzor (8).

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Below the original-mosque you can instead admire thearchaeological site of San Vincenzo(2) with some important historical artifacts. Outside the Mosque, however, (but still within its walls) opens thePatio of the Oranges(12), the ancient patio of Muslim ablutions which will then give way to the Christian patio. It is here that you will find the ticket office for the entrance to the Cathedral. Finally, do not forget a look up, towards the splendidBell Tower (13), true symbol of the city.

COSTS AND TIMETABLES

The Cordoba Mosque is open every day of the year with this calendar:

• From March to October: Monday to Saturday (10am to 7pm); Sundays and holidays (8.30-11.30 and 1518)
• November to February: Monday to Saturday (10am to 6pm); Sundays and holidays (8.30-11.30 and 15-18)

Entrance to the patio is free, while entrance to the mosque and bell tower is subject to charges. For the Mosque the price is10 euros(5 euros for children between 10 and 14, free for children under 10), for the Campanile it is2 euros(free for children and residents). For more information, you can click onofficial site.

CURIOSITY'

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba has been a National Monument since 1882 and was declaredUNESCO heritage nel 1984. Nel 2014 essa è anche diventata Bene di Valore Universale Eccezionale.