{"id":75268,"date":"2023-04-27T14:08:39","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T12:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/visitanddo_1790.test\/?p=75268"},"modified":"2026-10-29T19:49:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T18:49:12","slug":"architecture-of-the-mosque-of-cordoba-history-and-characteristics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/architecture-of-the-mosque-of-cordoba-history-and-characteristics\/","title":{"rendered":"Architecture of the Mosque of Cordoba"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Mosque of C\u00f3rdoba is not a single building: five buildings fit together<\/strong>, constructed over eight centuries<\/strong> without demolishing what came before.<\/p>\n

Who built each part, in what style and in what order.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The timeline, in order<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Exterior
The exterior, featuring layers of alterations spanning eight centuries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Date<\/th>Developer<\/th>What did he do?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
785<\/strong><\/td>Abderram\u00e1n I<\/td>He founded the mosque on the site of the Visigothic basilica of Saint Vincent<\/td><\/tr>\n
793<\/strong><\/td>Hisham I<\/td>Finish the courtyard and build the first minaret<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>\n
833-855<\/strong><\/td>Abderram\u00e1n II<\/td>1st extension:<\/strong> eight sections heading south<\/td><\/tr>\n
951-952<\/strong><\/td>Abderram\u00e1n III<\/td>Extend the garden and build a new minaret<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>\n
961-966<\/strong><\/td>Al-Hakam II<\/td>2nd extension:<\/strong> twelve sections, 45 metres to the south<\/td><\/tr>\n
987<\/strong><\/td>Almanzor<\/td>3rd expansion:<\/strong> eight bays to the east<\/td><\/tr>\n
1236<\/strong><\/td>Fernando III<\/td>Conquer C\u00f3rdoba and preserve the building<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>\n
1372<\/strong><\/td>Henry II<\/td>Royal Chapel<\/strong>, Mudejar<\/td><\/tr>\n
1523<\/strong><\/td>Hern\u00e1n Ruiz I<\/td>Renaissance cross<\/strong> in the centre<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A point that often causes confusion:<\/strong> there was three extensions to the prayer room<\/strong> \u2014Abderram\u00e1n II, Al-Hakam II and Almanzor\u2014. As for Hisham I and Abderram\u00e1n III, it was courtyard and minaret<\/strong>, not a hall.<\/p>\n\n

Why is the building still standing?<\/h2>\n

This is the fact that explains everything else.<\/strong> When Ferdinand III conquered C\u00f3rdoba in 1236, he ordered all the city\u2019s mosques destroyed<\/strong> to replace them with churches.<\/p>\n

He made an exception in this case.<\/strong> He was impressed by the building and decided to preserve it, using it only the entrance dome to the extension of Al-Hakam II<\/strong>, which was renamed Villaviciosa Chapel<\/strong>. The rest remained intact.<\/p>\n

That is where the overlap comes from:<\/strong> the Christians did not rebuild the building, they settled there<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The arches: the feature that defines the interior<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Two-tone
The double arch: the solution that adds height to the whole structure.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The problem that needed to be solved was the height.<\/strong> The reused columns were short, and they were not tall enough to reach the height required for the building.<\/p>\n

The solution was the double arch:<\/strong> one lower horseshoe-shaped<\/strong> and another one above it half-round<\/strong>, supported by pillars that extend the column upwards. This allows for greater height without compromising on the use of reused materials.<\/p>\n

And the colour isn\u2019t just there for decorative purposes:<\/strong> the voussoirs alternate red brick and yellow limestone<\/strong>. The contrast sets the rhythm of the archway and enhances the sense of depth.<\/p>\n

This is what is known as a hypostyle design:<\/strong> a forest of columns supporting the roof, with no internal walls to divide the space.<\/p>\n\n

Where do the columns come from?<\/h3>\n

From Roman and Visigothic buildings.<\/strong> Shafts and capitals of different origins were cut down or raised to bring them to the same height.<\/p>\n

With one important exception:<\/strong> the extension of Al-Hakam II<\/strong> no longer reused material. New pieces were carved in pink and blue marble<\/strong>, with stylised leaf capitals<\/strong> simplifying the classical orders. This identifies the area:<\/strong> coloured marble marks the 10th-century section.<\/p>\n\n

The Al-Hakam II area: the technical leap forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mihrab
The mihrab, in the extension built by Al-Hakam II.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is the most technically advanced part of the complex<\/strong>, and where it is worth pausing:<\/p>\n