Córdoba

14-Oct-23

Throughout this trip, I'm fascinated by the fact that, historically, Europeans honored/respected (not sure what the right word is) previous cultures' zoning choices & continued building similar structures in the same location century after century. Obviously not in all cases, but in many, even if they razed the previous structure to display power/wealth/dominance, if a piece of land formerly served as a religious/military/royal function, the new structure would tend to do the same under new rulers. As if: once sacred soil, always sacred soil. This is something we don't really see in the Americas - whether destroyed by European colonizers or 'domestic powers', rarely is there a sense that the new building confirm to what was previously there. Different historical context/priorities, I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️

Puente Romana

Triunfo de San Rafael

We took a quick side trip to Córdoba to see another stunning example of Moorish & Christian architecture. This time, however, the jewel of a mosque was not destroyed during the Reconquista. The Mezquita (Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba) has continued to make additions, rather than subtractions, throughout its 1500 years of existence.

Puerta de Santa Catalina & Courtyard

Bell Tower (former minaret) & Puerta del Perdón

Archeological preservation area of the Visigoth Basilica de San Vicente

The Visigoths first erected a Christian temple here in the 6th century, off of which the Moors built a mosque in the 8th century, that they continued to expand upon for 200 years. When the Catholics took over in the 13th century, they began building chapels, altars, & adding choir stalls within the naves of the mosque, turning it into the massive cathedral we have today. The one thing that finally put a halt to centuries of construction was the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. In the 19th century, all efforts focused on restoration & the continued preservation that allows it to be a functional, opulent place of worship to this day.

Original Mosque Area

Mihrab (prayer room)

Chapels

Transept

Choir Stalls

Main Altarpiece

Outer wall restoration: before (left) & after (right)

Córdoba also has an Alcázar that, sadly, pales in comparison in both size & grandeur to what we just saw in Seville. 🫤 the small gardens were nice though & we got to see the tail end (pun intended) of an Arabian horse competition!

Fortified wall of the Alcázar