Córdoba - Mosque-Cathedral

(Local Name: La Mezquita-Catedral) The Córdoba's outstanding monument is the Cathedral, formerly the principal mosque of western Islam and still known as the Mezquita, one of the largest mosques in the world and the finest achievement of Moorish architecture in Spain, comparable in beauty and size with the great mosques of Mecca and Damascus, the El-Azhar Mosque in Cairo and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The site on which the mosque stands was originally occupied by a Visigothic church, which the Moors used after the conquest as a mosque, though at first leaving part of it to the Christians. This part was acquired by Abderrahman I, and the building of the present mosque began in 785, with eleven aisles open to what is now the Court of Orange-Trees and the mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) at the end of the central aisle, which was larger than the others. Building material from Roman and Visigothic buildings was used in the construction. During the reign of Abderrahman II, between about 830 and 850, the aisles were increased in length; in 951 Abderrahman III built the minaret (which has been altered since his time); and Al- Hakam II enlarged the mosque still further to its present length of 179m/587ft. In the course of this extension the unique ''third mihrab'' and the maqsura (enclosure for the Caliph) were added. Finally Almansor increased the width of the mosque, bringing it to its present dimensions, by building on eight additional aisles along the whole length of the structure, so that the prayer hall now has no fewer than nineteen aisles. After the return of the Christians the mosques underwent little change for many years: Alfonso X replaced the mihrab of the second building phase by the Capilla Villaviciosa, and that was all. During the reign of Charles V, however, one of the most drastic changes in the mosque was carried out. In 1523 the decision was taken to build a large cathedral within the Muslim prayer hall. The city council of Córdoba recognized the danger and threatened death for anyone who sought to destroy the Moorish buildings; but on Charles V's orders the rebuilding went ahead under the direction of an architect named Hernán Ruiz. When, some years later, Charles came to Córdoba to inspect the work he is said to have remarked to the canons of the cathedral: ''If I had known what you gentlemen had in mind I should not have permitted it; for what you have built can be seen everywhere, but what you have destroyed had not its like in the world.'' The building of the Cathedral was for all practical purposes completed by 1599, and about that time work began on the alteration of the minaret.