Interior of the Mezquita

The Mezquita (Spanish for "mosque", from the Arabic مسجد "Masjid") is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Córdoba, Spain. It was originally built to be a warehouse/temple/lighthouse. It later became the second-largest mosque in the world. Image File history File links Mosque_of_Cordoba_Spain. ... Image File history File links Mosque_of_Cordoba_Spain. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For other uses, see Cathedral (disambiguation). ... Location Coordinates : , , Time zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer : CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Córdoba (Spanish) Spanish name Córdoba Founded 8th century BC Postal code 140xx Website http://www. ...

History

The construction of the wigwam started in approximately sixth century B.C. Later, Mezquita (originally the Aljama Mosque) was reworked for over two centuries to refashion it as a mosque, starting in 784 A.D. under the supervision of the first Muslim Emir Abd ar-Rahman I, who used it as an adjunct to his palace and named it to honor his wife. The land was bought by the Emir from the previous owners. The site was that of the Visigothic cathedral of St. Vincent. When the forces of Tariq ibn-Ziyad first occupied Córdoba in 711, the Christian cathedral was suppressed. Several explanations have been proposed to explain the mosque's unorthodox orientation. Some have suggested the mihrab faces south because the foundations of the mosque are borrowed from the old Roman and Visigoth constructions. Others contend that Abd ar-Rahman oriented the mihrab southward as if he were still in the Ummayyad capital of Damascus and not in exile. Events August 31 - Paul IV abdicates as Patriarch of Constantinople December 25 - Tarasius elected Patriarch of Constantinople The Japanese capital moved away from Nara. ... Abd ar-Rahman I Arabic: (عبد الرحمن الداخل), (known as the Falcon of Andalus or The Falcon of the Quraish)[1] (born 731; ruled from 756 through his death circa 788) was the founder of a Muslim dynasty that ruled the greater part of Iberia for nearly three centuries. ... Migrations The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe (the Ostrogoths being the other). ... Tariq ibn Ziyad or Taric ben Zeyad (d. ... Mihrab (in Persian مهراب or محراب, in Arabic ألمحراب pl. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ...

The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd ar-Rahman III ordered a new minaret, while Al-Hakam II, in 961, enlarged the plan of the building and enriched the mihrab. The last of the reforms was carried out by Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir in 987. Abd-ar-Rahman III, Emir and Caliph of Cordoba (912 - 961) was the greatest and the most successful of the princes of the Ummayad dynasty in Spain. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Al-Hakam II was Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus, and son of Abd_ar_rahman III (al_Nasir). ... Abu Aamir Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abi Aamir, Al-Hajib Al-Mansur أبو عامر محمد بن عبد الله بن أبي عامر الحاجب المنصور (c. ...

It was the most magnificent of the more than 1,000 mosques in the city and was at one time the second largest mosque in the Muslim world. It was connected to the Caliph's palace by a raised walk-way, allowing the ruler of Cordoba to visit the mosque without risking assassination. Today the Bishop's palace stands on the site of the Caliph's.

The city in which it was built was subject to frequent invasion and each conquering wave added their own mark to the architecture. The building is most notable for its giant arches, with over 1,000 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple which had occupied the site previously, as well as other destroyed Roman buildings. The "poly-lobed" arches, pictured above, were a new introduction to architecture, and helped support the tremendous weight of the higher ceilings. Besides these horseshoe-topped arches, the Mezquita also features richly gilded prayer niches. A centrally located honey-combed dome has beautiful blue tiles decorated with stars. The mihrab is a masterpiece of architectural art, with geometric and flowing designs of plants. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and orange tree courtyard. Polished jasper pebble, one inch (2. ... This article is about the mineral. ... For other uses, see Marble (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see granite (disambiguation). ... Events Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, crowned King of France Kukulcan conquers Chichen Itza Births Deaths May 21 King Louis V of France Categories: 987 ...

Patio de los Naranjos, inside the Mezquita

The year (1236) that Cordoba was recaptured from the Moors, by King Ferdinand III of Castile and rejoined Christendom, the mosque was reconsecrated a Christian church. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the structure of the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features: Enrique II rebuilt the chapel in the 14th century. Image File history File links Mezquita_Orange_Tree_Courtyard. ... Image File history File links Mezquita_Orange_Tree_Courtyard. ... // Events May 6 - Roger of Wendover, Benedictine monk and chronicler of St Albanss Abbey dies. ... United arms of Castile and León which Ferdinand first used. ... This T-and-O map, which abstracts the known world to a cross inscribed within an orb, remakes geography in the service of Christian iconography. ... Alfonso X and his court. ... Henry of Trastamara (January 13, 1334 Sevilla - May 29, 1379 Santo Domingo de la Calzada) (Enrique de Trastámara), was the illegitimate son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonora de Guzman, and half brother to Pedro I the Cruel (or the Lawful, depending on who wrote the history). ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

The most significant alteration was the construction of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the structure. It was constructed by permission of Carlos V, king of united Spain. Its reversion to a Christian church (officially the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin) may have helped to preserve it when the Spanish Inquisition was most active. Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are also found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... For the Carlist claimant King Carlos V, see Infante Carlos, Count of Molina. ... Cathedral of the Dormition, Moscow, in winter The Cathedral of the Dormition or Cathedral of the Assumption (in Russian, Uspensky Sobor (Успенский Собор)) is the name of several cathedrals in the world. ... This article is about one of the historical Inquisitions. ...

Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Gallery

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2704x1353, 766 KB) Summary The Mezquita, Córdoba, Spain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 1044 KB) Summary The Mezquita, Córdoba, Spain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2848x2136, 1202 KB) Summary The Mezquita, Córdoba, Spain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2007x2716, 1633 KB) Summary The Mezquita, Córdoba, Spain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x578, 284 KB) interior of Mezquita, Córdoba ; from w:de:Bild:Cordoba moschee innen1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x599, 86 KB) interior of Mezquita, Córdoba ; from w:de:Bild:Cordoba moschee innen2. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x661, 102 KB) interior of Mezquita, Córdoba ; from w:de:Bild:Cordoba moschee innen3. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x607, 119 KB) interior of Mezquita, Córdoba ; from w:de:Bild:Cordoba moschee innen4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,272 × 1,704 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x668, 153 KB) dome of Mezquita, Córdoba ; from w:de:Bild:Cordoba moschee innen5. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x661, 199 KB) front of Mezquila, Córdoba ; from w:de:Bild:Cordoba_moscheefassade. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1822 KB) Summary Picture of Cordoba (Spain) featuring Guadalquivir river, Roman bridge and Mezquita taken by me on august 8th 2005. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1619 KB) Summary Picture of Patio de los Naranjos of Cordoba (Spain) mezquitas taken by me on august 8th 2005. ...

Visiting Information

Entrance: open daily to visitors. Entrance fee 28.12.2006 - 8€

See also

• Alhambra in Granada is a palace built by the Moors, also with Renaissance reforms ordered by Charles V.
• Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was a church turned into a mosque by the Turks. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made it a museum in 1934.
• Timeline of Islamic history
• Islamic architecture
• Islamic art
• List of mosques

The Alhambra (Arabic: الحمراء = Al-Ħamrā; literally the red palace) is a palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, in southern Spain (known as Al-Andalus when the fortress was constructed), occupying a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada. ... For other uses, see Granada (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hagia Sophia (disambiguation). ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ... There is much more to Muslim history than military and political history; this particular chronology is almost entirely of military and political history. ... The interior of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. ... The Taj Mahal, Agra. ... A list of notable mosques around the world: // Id Gah Mosque in Kabul Kabul Masjid Masjid Jumuah Herat Rawze-e-Sharif Pul-e Khishti Mosque in Kabul Al Fateh Mosque is Bahrains largest mosque Khamis Mosque believed to be the first mosque in Bahrain Baitul Mukarram Binat Bibi...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mezquita

• Mezquita (Great Mosque) of Cordoba
• Mezquita in Cordoba Independent article and photographs of this great Cathedral built within the older Moorish Mosque
• Cordoba Mezquita - Mosque
• Mezquita de Cordoba
• The Great Mosque of Cordoba
• Mezquita (Great Mosque) of Cordoba at Google Maps

• Photos of the Mezquita

Coordinates: 37°52′45.1″N, 04°46′47″W Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...