Essay on the Great Mosque of Cordoba

The Great Mosque of Cordoba, which is also known as the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, is a religious facility situated in the Cordoba region, in Spain. The mosque was constructed by Islamic rulers from the 8^th century, where it was used by Muslims to perform their various religious activities. The building was later conquered by the Christianity rulers to turned it into a catholic church under their kingdom. The mosque is constructed in unique architectural designs that fascinate people even today. The structure is still operational today, where it serves various purposes. This paper will discuss the history of this mosque, the level of influence it has had on society and the region, its construction design, and its current condition.

History

The mosque construction began in the 8^th century under the rule of Abd al-Rahman. Catholic owned the area where the mosque was constructed. They had built a Christian church that was devoted to Saint Vincent. The church was partitioned and shared by Christians and Muslims following the Visigothic kingdom conquest by the Islamic leaders. The two factions shared the structure until Abd al-Rahman I, who was the Umayyad ruler between 784 and 786, purchased the site and demolished the original building.[1] The ruler pioneered the construction of the grand mosque, which involved an architect from Syria and thousands of laborers and artisans. Materials used like marbles were obtained from the surrounding quarries and the previous remains of the demolished church. Metal bars were obtained from local factories in Cordoba, which refined metals dug up from the ground. The process led to the construction of a mosque with more than 10,000 meters of area.

Some Islamic leaders realized the need for the mosque to increase its capacity while others made the adjustments to fit their create more religious structures. The expansion took place between the 9^th and the 10^th centuries. Among the rulers who adjusted it is Al-Rahman Abd II, who oversaw the construction of a new minaret. The other adjustment focused on enriching the Mihrab and expanding the building, which was done by Al-Hakam II in the year 961.[2] King Almanzor marked the last alterations by the Islamic leaders. The final adjustments by Islamic involved the creation of a raised walkway to connect to the Caliph’s palace and creation of the outer courtyard and naves, which occurred in the year 987.[3] The extensions enlarged the mosque, making it among the largest holy structures in the Islamic world since the final structure covered approximately 23,000 meters with a capacity of more than 20,000 people.

The interest of the Christian kings for the mosque was growing due to its appealing size and design. Their church was also demolished by the Islamic kings to pave the way for the construction of the mosque. The need for a church prompted the kings to form a strong army to aid in conquering the structure and the kingdom. At this time, the Islamic kingdom rule continued weakening after the construction due to internal divisions and resistance, which made the overall leader unable to control all the units which were disregarding his rule. The division contributed to the conquering of the kingdom and the mosque by Christian rulers in the year 1236.[4] The conquering led to a reversion of the Cordoba region Christian rule under King Ferdinand III. The leader converted the structure building into a Catholic church.[5] The king also ordered the transportation of the lanterns, which were previously used in the mosque to Santiago de Compostela for conversion into bells, for installation in the city’s churches.

Consequent Christian leaders modified and added more than 30 Christian chapels on the sides of the mosque, but they never demolished the original structure, leading to a hybrid building. Some of the modifications by other kings include; construction of the Royal Chapels and Villaviciosa by Alfonso X, which were modified later in the 14^th century by Henry II. The additional adjustment was the addition of a renaissance nave by Charles V in the 6^th century, although he was not happy about the results as the changes were not appealing.[6] Later on, in the years 1523-1766, choir structures and an extended cathedral transept were constructed with baroque abundances and renaissance, which strengthened the building, thus preventing its collapse.

Influence

The mosque had several impacts on the societies both in the region and the entire world. In Cordoba, the mosque had diverse impacts on the Christianity and Islamic religions.[7] The structure led to the growth of the two religions at different times as people were lured into joining the religions and worship in the mosque. Continuous recruitment of people to join the faiths led to the formation of praying culture among individuals who would visit the facility at different times for personal or public worship and prayers. The mosque also influenced different architectural designs around the world. Various religious and residential buildings in Spain and other areas were constructed in designs copied from the mosque. Constructors adopted the aspect of alternating colored stones to make the buildings attractive and using strong reinforcement walls and roofings for security purposes.[8] The bell tower also influenced the formation of security towers across the regions since the security personnel would see enemies approaching from far.

The mosque also influenced political changes in ancient societies during and after construction. Its construction depicted a sign of a strong and stable Islamic kingdom leading to an immediate reaction by the Christian rulers. The response involved the formation of a strong army, which they used to concur with the Islamic territory and the mosque. The structure also had economic influences in the region. Many construction materials factories emerged from the area to supply different materials to aid in construction.[9] The factories continued with their operations even after the end of the construction of the mosque, boosting the economy. Another economic influence was the employment of thousands of individuals as laborers during the construction. The mosque also acts as a tourist site where individuals pay a fee to be allowed to access the building to view its different structures. The tourism activities thus lead to a generation of revenues for use in the economy. Lastly, the mosque influenced society socially by enhancing the integration of different individuals attending different religious functions in the structure. The interaction enhanced strong, peaceful coexistence among individuals.

Design

There are numerous and attractive designs incorporated in this mosque using unique Moorish architecture. First, the structures hall was rectangular and flat with different aisles that were erected vertically to the qibla, the Muslim prayer direction. The walls of the structure were outstanding, forming a hypostyle hall with numerous arches. The structure has over 850 columns of porphyry, jasper, granite, marble, and onyx. Some of these materials were obtained from pieces collected from the original catholic building that was demolished. The materials were also obtained from other catholic structures around the area, such as the Merida amphitheater. The building had double arches, which enhanced the structure to support higher ceilings, which would not have been supported by low columns.[10] The style of constructing the arches was also outstanding. Some were on the upper section of the building, beneath the ceiling where they assumed semi-circular patterns. On the other hand, other arches were beneath the first arch, where they assumed regular horseshoe patterns. Also unique with these arches was their white and red colors, which was a common pattern among other religious buildings that were built in the same period with this mosque. The white and red designs were a result of alternating colored bricks during the construction.

The structure also has a mihrab, which served as a prayer niche. The Mihrab is a unique design art with a flowing style of plants. The roles of the Mihrab were to amplify the voice of the Imam and to show Mecca’s direction. The building also had Sahn or an open court which had arcades around it, colored glass windows, a screen of wood, colorful mosaics, and minarets, making it a unique design. The building also had a 93 meters’ bell tower, which was constructed where the original minaret was located.[11] The tower had staircases where one would go up and ring the bells. Also unique were the entrance gates, which were decorated by Moorish constructors. The mosque also depicts various defensive and fortified designs which include the stretchers and headers erected in an alternating manner, and heavily reinforced and crenelated roofs. The resistance and constant attacks inspired the reinforcement designs; the Islamic kingdom was facing in the region.

Condition and Location

The mosque is situated in a valley near the Guadalquivir River in the suburbs of Cordoba. Currently, the mosque is a Roman Catholic religious facility.[12] The catholic clergymen hold prayer mass on different days of the week, but Sunday is the ordinary day for religious activities. There has been a slight adjustment of the mosque from the modern Catholic Church. However, most of the previous aspects of the building have remained the same. Some of the changes that the Catholic Church recently made is the erection of a Roman arch aimed at adding light in the building as well as other minor structures at the center of the hall.[13] The entrances of the building have remained the same.[14] However, most of the direct gates, which initially allowed individuals to gain access to the mosque from the streets have been closed permanently. There were slight adjustments on the remaining operational entrance gates to accommodate the coat of arms of the Spanish government. Lastly, the mosque also services the role of tourist attraction where individuals pay for tickets at the gate and are allowed in to view different structures in the building.

In conclusion, the building served people of two different religious affiliations at different times. The initial Islamic owners of the building are no longer control the building since Christianity soldiers forcefully conquered it. The building influenced the economic, architectural designs, and religious aspects of the region where people aligned themselves with either religion. The basic designs of the structure include; the style of constructing the Mihrab, the bell towers, hose-shoe arches columns, the alternating stone color walls, and the general layout of the building. Lastly, the mosque is currently used as a catholic church and a tourist attraction center. Therefore, the unique features ranging from the construction design and how two different religious factions worshiped in the same building at different times makes the grand mosque in Cordoba an outstanding structure up to date

Bibliography

Fuentes, Paula. “The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults In The Mosque Of Córdoba”. Nexus Network Journal 21, no. 3 (2018): 441-463. doi:10.1007/s00004-018-0403-y.

King, David A. “”The Enigmatic Orientation Of The Great Mosque Of Córdoba.” Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation”. Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation, no. 33-111 (2019). doi:10.1344/suhayl2019.16-17.2.

Sadeq, Mohammed Moain. “”The Mosque Of Cordoba.” Historia Y Memoria”. Sociology Of Islam 6, no. 1 (2016): 7. doi:10.1163/22131418-00601003.

Sedayu, Agung. “”The Modeling Of Funicular Structure Stability Of The Cordoba Mosque In Spain.” In Proceeding International Conference On Science And Engineering,”. Wawasan: Jurnal Ilmiah Agama Dan Sosial Budaya 2, no. 2 (2019): pp. 275-278.

Tapiador, Francisco J., and Josu Mezo. “Vote Evolution In Spain, 1977–2007: A Spatial Analysis At The Municipal Scale”. Political Geography 28, no. 5 (2009): 319-328. doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2009.07.007.

[1] Paula Fuentes, “The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults In The Mosque Of Córdoba”, Nexus Network Journal 21, no. 3 (2018): 441-463, doi:10.1007/s00004-018-0403-y.

[2] Agung Sedayu, “”The Modeling Of Funicular Structure Stability Of The Cordoba Mosque In Spain.” In Proceeding International Conference On Science And Engineering,”, Wawasan: Jurnal Ilmiah Agama Dan Sosial Budaya 2, no. 2 (2019): pp. 275-278.

[3] Paula Fuentes, “The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults In The Mosque Of Córdoba”, Nexus Network Journal 21, no. 3 (2018): 441-463, doi:10.1007/s00004-018-0403-y.

[4] Agung Sedayu, “”The Modeling Of Funicular Structure Stability Of The Cordoba Mosque In Spain.” In Proceeding International Conference On Science And Engineering,”, Wawasan: Jurnal Ilmiah Agama Dan Sosial Budaya 2, no. 2 (2019): pp. 275-278.

[5] Mohammed Moain Sadeq, “”The Mosque Of Cordoba.” Historia Y Memoria”, Sociology Of Islam 6, no. 1 (2016): 7, doi:10.1163/22131418-00601003.

[6] Paula Fuentes, “The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults In The Mosque Of Córdoba”, Nexus Network Journal 21, no. 3 (2018): 441-463, doi:10.1007/s00004-018-0403-y.

[7] Francisco J. Tapiador and Josu Mezo, “Vote Evolution In Spain, 1977–2007: A Spatial Analysis At The Municipal Scale”, Political Geography 28, no. 5 (2009): 319-328, doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2009.07.007.

[8] David A. King, “”The Enigmatic Orientation Of The Great Mosque Of Córdoba.” Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation”, Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation, no. 33-111 (2019), doi:10.1344/suhayl2019.16-17.2.

[9] Paula Fuentes, “The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults In The Mosque Of Córdoba”, Nexus Network Journal 21, no. 3 (2018): 441-463, doi:10.1007/s00004-018-0403-y.

[10] David A. King, “”The Enigmatic Orientation Of The Great Mosque Of Córdoba.” Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation”, Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation, no. 33-111 (2019), doi:10.1344/suhayl2019.16-17.2.

[11] Paula Fuentes, “The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults In The Mosque Of Córdoba”, Nexus Network Journal 21, no. 3 (2018): 441-463, doi:10.1007/s00004-018-0403-y.

[12] David A. King, “”The Enigmatic Orientation Of The Great Mosque Of Córdoba.” Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation”, Suhayl. International Journal For The History Of The Exact And Natural Sciences In Islamic Civilisation, no. 33-111 (2019), doi:10.1344/suhayl2019.16-17.2.

[13] Francisco J. Tapiador and Josu Mezo, “Vote Evolution In Spain, 1977–2007: A Spatial Analysis At The Municipal Scale”, Political Geography 28, no. 5 (2009): 319-328, doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2009.07.007.

[14] Paula Fuentes, “The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults In The Mosque Of Córdoba”, Nexus Network Journal 21, no. 3 (2018): 441-463, doi:10.1007/s00004-018-0403-y.