A tourist sits by the wall of the Mezquita facing Calle de Torrijos, perhaps to ease sore feet or to find respite from the grueling rays of the summer sun.
Huge metallic doors like this one and arches reminiscent of structures
in the Islamic world characterize this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Mezquita, inarguably the gem of Cordoba, is one landmark that
shouldn’t be missed when you are in Andalucia in south of Spain.
What is so fascinating about this place is that this used to be a
mosque sometime in the 8th century. Well actually, the site has gone through a lot for the faithful Cordobese -- a
worship place for pagans, a Visigothic Christian church, and then a
mosque, and then a Catholic church after King Fernando reclaimed the Moorish
parts of Spain sometime in the 1200s.
Locals told me during my visit during the Summer of 2010 that even
after the Spanish reconquista, the Christians found the mosque to be too beautiful to
be destroyed. Then known as the Great Mosque of Cordoba, which was said to be
very much similar to the Great Mosque of Damascus, the place was given importance in
Andalucia during the reign of the moors. And so when the Christians took over, it was decided to just build a
Christian church while preserving some of the elements of the mosque.
Now, the Mezquita-Catedral (Mosque-Cathedral), is known as the Cathedral of the Our Lady of the Assumption (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Spanish).
But even after the reconquista, European
moors have made appeals to the Catholic church to allow them to pray there,
only to be rejected for several times. And in April 2010, just a couple of
months before I went to Cordoba, I was told that two Muslim tourists were
arrested for praying inside the Cathedral!
The beauty of the Mezquita is evident from the outside, with the walls that form the fortification of the church being lined
with arches that can only be seen in the Islamic world (something
similar to those that I’ve seen when I went to Morocco in the same year).
Inside the cathedral, halls are lined with arches with red and white
stripes supported by jasper and marble pillars, which locals said are patterned
after the towering palm trees in the Middle East.
Take note that these kind of arch can also found in other churches in
Europe, like the ones at the duomo of
Santa Maria Assunta in Pisa, Italy (which, as the suggests, is also dedicated
to the Our Lady of the Assumption), and the walls facing the via degli Avelli
side of the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy (although this
has nothing to do with Islamic art BUT probably influenced).
It could be really overwhelming inside while walking along the arch-lined
halls of the church, but don’t forget to check out the main altar with the high
ceiling and the retablo with
Renaissance paintings.
Some arches also have frescoes as in other Baroque churches in Europe
and in the Philippines, perhaps an assertion that the place is already owned by Christians.
At the patio of the church, visitors can relax by the fountains in the
middle of orange trees and savor the fresh air before continuing their walk by
the Guadalquivir River.
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| Arches inside Mezquita-Catedral of Cordoba painted with frescoes. |
- The Mezquita is just a walk going to Rio
Guadalquivir and the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge).
-
Entrance to the Mezquita costs around 8 euros
for adults and 4 euros for kids. I think it’s worth the fee, since you really
go to Cordoba mainly for this. Entrance to the courtyard with the orange trees,
Patio de los Naranjos, is free.
-
There are souvenir shops around the Mezquita,
but I think there are more choices that can also be cheaper at La Judaria
(Jewish Quarter).
-
And oh, when at the Judaria, don’t forget to
sample Cordobese delicacies!
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