Years ago, when I first saw photos of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba its vast array of columns that remind of a forest mesmerized me. I was very fortunate to be able to visit it and, although short, my stay there really was as magical as I expected.

The building is very unusual in that it was built both by Christians and Muslims, and its architecture is hard to comprehend until one reads about its history. Let me quote Wikipedia’s:

“The site was originally a small temple of Christian Visigoth origin, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins. When Muslims conquered Spain in 711, the church was first divided into Muslim and Christian halves. This sharing arrangement of the site lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir ‘Abd al-Rahman I, who then proceeded to demolish the original structure and build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. Córdoba returned to Christian rule in 1236 during the Reconquista, and the building was converted to a Roman Catholic church, culminating in the insertion of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the 16th century.”

The Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba is very deservedly a World Heritage Site, and it is the focal point of a visit to the Andalusian City of Córdoba. I will make a post about the city soon and I recommend you to visit it if you travel to Spain.

 

 

Have you been to Córdoba too?