WORDS: JAMES WILLIAMS PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES60 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK S EP T E M B ER 2019
ARCHITECTURE
One of the most important examples of Islamic architecture in the
West, the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, located in the city centre
of the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, is a dazzling mix of
Eastern and Western styles – an icon for religious and architectural
pilgrimage alike. Constructed, extended and redesigned over the
centuries, the building has been altered by numerous architects
and artists, each imbuing its walls with their own style.
A small Roman temple first occupied the site, with a church erected
in its place in 572. That remained for more than a century, until,
when Syrian Prince Abd al-Rahman I conquered Córdoba in 756, he
demanded the construction of a grand Islamic place of worship. The
one-time church then became the second-largest mosque in the
world. Smaller only than that at Mecca, it stood until the city returned
to Christian rule in 1236. Consecrated as a cathedral two years later,
the building then underwent a slower transformation, with Gothic,
Renaissance and Baroque flourishes added. The rectangular complex
now comprises a number of lavish spaces decorated in Moorish
motifs, beautifully landscaped orange and lemon gardens and ornate
domes covered in gold mosaic. Its most memorable sight is the
magnificent prayer hall, beautifully crafted from onyx, marble and
granite, and crowned by a tent-like canopy of red and white arches
(above). Constructed from alternating brick and stone, they are
poised on 856 columns of granite, marble and other fine materials.
In 1984, the complex became a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It’s a fitting tribute for an example of religious and architectural
differences working in harmony. mezquita-catedraldecordoba.esARCHITECTURAL ICON
MOSQU E-CATHEDR A L OF CÓRDOBA, SPAIN
The beauty of this centuries-old place of worship lies in its uniting of religious and architectural differences