Mezquita of Cordoba

Why the Mezquita of Cordoba is special
It is of both historical and architectural interest, in a significantly eclectic way.

Mezquita of Cordoba tips and 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).

Chistians 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).

Location in Spain