Page 488 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

486  SOUTHERN SP AIN

Córdoba: the Mezquita

Córdoba’s Great Mosque, dating back
12 centuries, embodied the power of Islam
on the Iberian Peninsula. Abd al Rahman I
(see pp56–7) built the original mosque
between AD 785 and 787. The building
evolved over the centuries, blending
many architectural forms. In the
10th century al Hakam II made some
of the most lavish additions, including
the elaborate mihrab (prayer niche) Patio de los Naranjos
and the maqsura (caliph’s enclosure). Orange trees grow in the courtyard where
the faithful washed before prayer.
During the 16th century a cathedral
was built in the heart of the
reconsecrated mosque, part of
which was destroyed.

KEY
1 Puerta de San Esteban is set
in a section of wall from an earlier
Visigothic church.
2 The Puerta del Perdón is a
Mudéjar-style entrance gate, built
during Christian rule in 1377.
Penitents were pardoned here.
3 Torre del Alminar, a bell tower
93 m (305 ft) high, is built on the
site of the original minaret. Steep
steps lead to the top for a fine
view of Córdoba.
4 Capilla Mayor
5 The cathedral choir has
Churrigueresque stalls carved by
Pedro Duque Cornejo in 1758.
6 Capilla Real

Expansion of
the Mezquita
Abd al Rahman I built the
original mosque. Extensions
were added by Abd al Rahman
II, al Hakam II and al Mansur.

Key to Additions
Mosque of Abd al Rahman I
Extension by Abd al Rahman II
Extension by al Hakam II
Extension by al Mansur
Patio de los Naranjos

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp572–4 and pp598–602

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