Cultural Tourism Eleven must-see treasures of Al-Andalus in Spain
Date of publication 09/12/2022
THE GREAT MOSQUE (CÓRDOBA)
During the 8th Century up to 1492, present day Spain was a vast medieval territory ruled by Muslim emirs. Throughout the Iberian Peninsula, Al-Andalus was brimming with a culture and architecture vastly different than what we see today such as this mosque. Prince Abd al-Rahman I escaped from his native Damascus to Córdoba, bearing orange trees and a new era of Islamic rule to the Iberian Peninsula. He rebuilt the Great Mosque of Córdoba to rival the grandeur of Baghdad and Mecca, using recycled Roman marble, jasper and onyx to make the 856 columns with patterns that were inspired by the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The famous gilded Mihrab prayer room faces Mecca, and remains a masterpiece of architectural art.
SHAWN MOKSVOLD I 13/12/2017
Photography by Cordon Press and Javier Zori del Amo