Travel Bunny: [SPAIN] Cordoba - Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba

Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba is the top attraction in Cordoba. The Great Mosque known as as the Mezquita, was originally built by Abd. Ar-Rahman, who was a great believer in religious tolerance. It is interesting to know that few hundred years later, chapels and a cathedral was added and build within the mosque. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984, it was what convinced me to visit Cordoba during my travel in Spain in the first place.

Getting here:

Bus stop "Puerta del Puente". You can't miss this monumental gate in front of the Roman bridge.

How to enter the Mezquita for free:

Free entry for morning mass from 8:30am-9:40am only. However, this is for individual tourists only. Groups must pay and can only enter after 10am. You will be asked to leave at 9.40am. By 9.50am, the Mezquita will be cleared. I visited the Mezquita early in the morning. Already there was a line of people waiting to get in.

Patio de los Naranjos

Entering the mosque-cathedral through the gateway, I immediately found myself in the Patio de los Naranjos, a courtyard full of orange trees around a pool. The pool was where the faithful washed ritually before praying.

This is the gallery at the edge of the courtyard.

Bell Tower

The bell tower used to be open for climb for EUR 2 but unfortunately, it is currently closed. The bell tower was originally built as the Mezquita's minaret. It was later encased in a strengthened outer shell and heightened by the Christians in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Mezquita's Interior

Once inside the Mezquita, the striking terracotta and white striped arches immediately caught my attention. I quickly lost my sense of direction wandering inside as the arcades seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance.

The mosque was extended a few times to an area of nearly 14,400 square meters, making it one of the biggest mosques in the world.

The beautiful decorated cupolas also worth admiring.

Mihrab and Maqsura

Photo source from Ruggero Poggianella, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Make sure you see the mihrab, or sacred prayer niche, with its amazing mosaic arch and stone cupola shaped like a shell and don't miss like I did. The walls was filled with gold and glass mosaics. This was what gives the mihrab portal its glitter. The arches of maqsura (an area reserved for the emir or caliph during prayer) are the most intricate arches in the mosque with its intersecting horsershoe and polylobed design.

Cathedral

This is the cathedral within the mosque. The former mosque was converted into a Christian cathedral since 1236 when Cordoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile. The cathedral destroyed part of the original building and it took nearly 250 years to complete. This section was not opened during my visit. Please be reminded to remain silent and behave respectfully if a mass is being held.