Mosque of

Cordoba

By Lluc Floris and Pol Fuster

Pol

IntroductionThe Mosque of Cordoba (Patrimoni de la humanitat des de 1984) is the most important monument

of the Islamic West, one of the most amazing mosque in the world and the most important monument of Al-Andalus art. These mosque is divided into 4 stages: Mosque of Abderraman I, the first enlargement (821-852), the second enlargement (Xth century), the third enlargement

(987).

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Mosque of Abderraman I The original temple of Abderrahman I, was started to build on 785 and was finished at 788

more or less, was formed by eleven ships longitudinal north-south direction.

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Architecture of the first mosque

Novel element is the use of the horseshoe arches from the Visigothic art. The arcades that divide the ships are double height. The above, a horseshoe arch, and the below a stilted semicircular arch. This double arcade provides greater lift the cover and better interior lighting.

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The first enlargement (821-852)

Abderrahman II (822) expand the prayer room in eight more parts face to the south. Mohamed I definitely da Puerta de San Esteban, that we don’t know the origin. Abderraman I was succeed to Al-Mundir and Abd-Allah. Al-Mundir built the treasure room. Abd-Allah build the secret corridor or sabat that connect Alcazzer with the mihrab.

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The second enlargement (Xth century)

In 929 starts the construction of the second enlargement, Abderraman III the only thing that made was a new minaret and enlarge the courtyard.

Hakam II adds new twelve sections, coming closer to the course of the Guadalquivir, in the Qibla, is located the mihrab

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The third enlargement (987).Alhakam II, son of Abd al-Rahman III, did the third enlargment of the mosque. He transported all the richness of Medina Azahara to the mosque.

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Parts of the mosque

Cathedral

TowerCourtyard of the Orange Trees

Oratory

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The prayer roomThe prayer room is made up of nineteen naves with 856 columns with shafts of all imaginable colours and forms.

And 365 bicolour arches.

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The MihrabThis is the present appearance of the Mihrab, built by Al-haken II. The mihrab is a small room in the kiblah where the Koran is kept.

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The MinaretThe minaret built by

Abderrahman III is preserved with the current bell tower.

The architect was Hernán Ruiz II, in 1593.

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The KiblahThe Kiblah is the wall where the imam and the prayers must be orientated to when they pray. The kiblah faces toward Meca.

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The Orange Tree CourtyardOne of the most important parts of the Mosque is The Orange Tree

Courtyard, whose last expansion was carried out at the time of Abd al-Rahman III. In the Islamic period it was used as a place for public activities. The arches of the oratory on the courtyard were open.

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1.0 The Cathedral

In the XVI century the Bishop Carlos Manrique V get the permissions for build the catedral inside the Mosque.

On 1523, was designed and started by Hernán RuizAfter the Death of the architect the catedral was continuing the build of the building for her son, and his grandson Juan Ochoa.Construction was nearly to the two centuries of architectural evolution.

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1.1 The Cathedral

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