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Candid tips & insights
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Why the
Mezquita of Cordoba
is special
It is of both historical and architectural interest, in a significantly eclectic way.
Mezquita of Cordoba
tips & insights
History
in brief
The site of La Mezquita originally bore a church. Then, after the Moors conquered Cordoba in the 8th century, they demolished the church and built the Mezquita (mosque). Five centuries later, the Christians regained ownership.
During
the
Moor period
The Mezquita of Cordoba was enlarged and enhanced into a vast, magnificent house of worship.
Multiple
architectural styles
The Moors creatively used a variety of architectural styles including Persian, Mid Eastern Islamic, Roman and Gothic that together helped define Moorish architecture.
The
arches
One of the most striking design elements of La Mezquita is the double-tiered "candy stripe" arches supported by sculptured pillars (see photo).
Christians
regain control
The Christians rewon Cordoba in the 13th century and promptly consecrated the edifice as a church but left much of the superb Moor-erected architecture intact. Their major alteration was building a cathedral within the mammoth mosque.
Today
The building is peacefully divided between Muslims and Catholics (who use the bizarrely situated cathedral).
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