Cultural Visit to

Cordoba

Presented by the Secondary School Institution S. Catalina de Alejandría

Fall 2008

Jaén, Andalusia, Spain

 The city of Cordova has its home on the right-hand bank of the River
Guadalquivir. In the year of 716 Cordova became of the capital of the
Moorish empire of Al-Andalus. Later, in the year 929, Cordova became the
capital of the caliphate and reached a population of about 250,000 people
composed of Muslims, Jews, and Christians. From the convergence of these
diverse cultures and peoples many vestiges have remained in Cordova,
parts of which we will visit today in order to learn something of the way of
life in that time and, above all, to see the artistic achievement and legacy
that left behind still graces the city today.
We begin with the Palace of Medina Azahara (Palacio de Medina
Azahara). The Islamic palace unites the two functions of family home and
administrative center which attracted to it a large number of families and in
turn created within the palace a number of veritable small cities. Abd al-
Ramán III mandated the construction of the medina outside the limits of the
city of Cordova on the skirt of a mountain. Protected and fortified by a
double rampart, the medina measured about 1 million square meters. It has
three distinct levels; on the highest level were situated buildings of
administrative capacity, while on the second were located the throne room
as well as various gardens and on the third level the mosque and housing of
the medina’s population. By the 11th century the palace had been
abandoned and had become a ruin. Today, it is one of the most important
archeological impressions left behind by medieval Islamic culture.
Medina Azahara has a rectangular floor plan of approximately 1500
by 750 meters in an octagonal shape with a net of sewers and a excellently
planned water supply.
Currently only about 10% of the site has been excavated, of which
deserves special mention is the rich lounge or lounge of Abderramám III
(salon rico o salon de Abderramám III) used in the past to receive important
ambassadors as well as to celebrate the annual breaking of the fast (the end
of Ramadan). This salon has marble reliefs that decorate the base of its

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pedestals and its columns alternate shafts of blue and pink marble and
have typical caliphal wasp´s nests capitals from which the characteristic
horseshoe arches take off, made of alternating red and white voussoirs.
On the bottom level of the medina the Moorish quarter’s mosque can
be found. Laid out in a rectangular shape, the mosque has a southeastern
orientation (directed toward the Islamic pilgrimage site of Mecca in Saudi
Arabia toward Muslims across the world direct their daily prayers) and has
typical elements such as a courtyard, prayer room and minaret.

The throne room of Abderramám III

The door to a living situation in the Medina Azahara

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The Mosque of the Medina Azahara

Capitals from columns in the Medina Azahara

The Fortress of the Christian Kings (El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos) is a
building of military character that King Alfonso XI of Castile had built in
1328. Altogether the building has a sober feeling exterior and a sumptuous
interior replete with magnificent gardens and courtyards that exhibit
Mudéjar inspiration. Crowned by four towers (Paloma: Dove, Leones: Lions,
Homenaje: Homage, and Inqusición: Inquisition), the fortress has a semi-
square shape. The principal room of the building is known as the Hall of the
Mosaics where one can admire the impressive mosaics as well as an 3rd
century sarcophagus. Beneath the present-day floor it is still possible to find
the remains of what are thought genuine baths used by dignitaries of the
Islamic period. The former Orchard of the Fortress (Huerta del Alcázar) has

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been transformed into a striking space of 55,000 square meters of gorgeous
gardens of Cypresses, Palms and Orange and Lemon trees that surround
elegant fountains and reservoirs.

The Fortress of the Christian Kings

Next we move on to the Jewish quarter. It can be found toward the

North West when directed from the mosque and is known in Spanish as el
Barrio de la Judería. Important archeological traces of Hebrew inhabitants

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have been found in this part of Cordova proving a significant medieval
Jewish presence. The neighborhood forms a beautiful network of winding
sinuous and narrow streets with small plazas defined by white homes
constructed about courtyards filled with flowers, and it’s where you can
discover one of the most important religious monuments of Cordova: the
Synagogue.

The Synagogue, a courtyard and street of the Jewish quarter

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 The Mosque of Cordova is the place where Muslims pray. Every Friday
members of the Islamic religious community unite to pray together.
Construction began on the Mosque as of the 8 th century on what was a
Visigoth basilica, continued with further amplification under the caliphate
and during the Christian re-conquest of Cordova converted the mosque into
a Catholic Cathedral.
From the Door of Pardon (La Puerta del Perdón), made in mudejar
(SP?) style, begins the Courtyard of the Oranges (El Patio de los Naranjos)
which receives its name from the rows of Orange and Palm trees that line it
and in which is found the Fountain of the Ablutions (Fuente de las
Abluciones), surrounded by typical horseshoe arches. Next to the Door
stands the minaret.

Exterior view and floor plan of the Mosque of Cordova

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 From the Courtyard of the Oranges, the Door of The Palms (La Puerta
de Las Palmas) gives access to the interior of the mosque: a forest of about
850 marble and granite columns that support 375 white and red horseshow
arches. The Mihrab is the holy site the signals the southern direction and
not that of Mecca. Its construction consists of marble, stucco and Byzantine
mosaics
brilliantly
colored above a
base of gold.

Courtyard of the Oranges

The construction of the Mosque of Cordova began under the first emir
of Cordova, Abderramám I, in the year 786. The Courtyard, Fountain,
Minaret and a covered area for prayer were built first; this building consists
of 11 longitudinal naves with an orientation toward the River Guadalquivir,
which shares an identical width with each nave except for the central one,
which leads to the Mihrab, and the two at each end. The central nave is
slightly wider and each one on the end slightly narrower than the others. To
stabilize the high ceiling the architects of the mosque gave recourse to a
system of doubled arches of which the lower controls the stress of the
weight in a horseshoe shape while the superior one supports the ceiling in a

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middle point shape. Aside from the brilliant chromatic alternation created
by the alternating red brick and yellow limestone voussoirs in this system,
it’s the most significant aspect of the building. The result: an enormous
forest of double-arched columns that recall a Palm grove.

The interior of the Mosque: horseshoe, half point and interlace arches

In the first half of the 9th century Abderramám II amplified the

Mosque by extending the naves of the prayer room. With Abderramám III
the amplification was to make the Courtyard larger and build a second
minaret.
Coinciding with the Golden Age of the Caliphate, during the 10th
century the most extensive amplifications to the Mosque would be carried
out. The intervention of Alhakén II resulted the most rich and beautiful: the
wall of the quibla fell to amplify the prayer room and to improve the
illumination four chandeliers with cupolas were built.
After the macsura new interlaced arches appeared as did columns of
alternating pink and blue shafts and leaf capitals, which resembles an
abstraction and schematization of the Corinthian capital.
Other additions include the double wall of the quibla that permits the
mihrab to open up beyond a simple recess into a small octagonal room
covered by a shell-shaped cupola. The façade of the mihrab as well as of the
cupolas have been covered in mosaics.

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The mihrab of the Mosque

The mihrab’s cupola

Given the ever-growing population of Cordova the caliph Almanzor

decided to give the mosque its most expansive extension so far, enlarging
each part of the mosque from the Courtyard to the hall of prayer. However,
unlike previous expansions of the Mosque this one cannot take place toward
the south, since the River Guadalquivir impedes any further construction in
that direction. It would take place toward the east. Eight new naves were

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built with a chromatic alternation of red and yellow, however, of the same
limestone material in the arches resembling, though differing, from
previous construction.

Almanzor’s extension

After the Christian re-conquest of Cordova in 1236 King Fernando III

converted the Mosque into a Cathedral which involved sustaining a diverse
set of alterations that resulted in the present-day Cathedral of Cordova,
which placed inside of the mosque a new area
in accord with the canons of the rebirth.

Interior of the Catholic Cathedral of Cordova

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 The outside develops from a rampart crowned by turrets and fortified
by square towers in between which open the various doors of the building.
The capitals are of an extraordinary variety: Ionic, Corinthian and hybrids;
nearly all of these are left behind from Roman and Byzantine times,
originating in large part from the former basilica of Saint Vincent.

Typical elements of a mosque:

-Alminar: tower from which the faithful are beckoned to prayer.
-Courtyard and Fountain of Ablutions: situated before the prayer room
where the fountain is found to realize the ablutions (where people wash
before entering the prayer room).
-Prayer room: place where the faithful pray simultaneously.
-Quibla: wall oriented toward Mecca, toward which the faithful must pray
(the wall at Cordova faces south and not toward Mecca).
-Mihrab: arch or recess situated in the center of the wall of the quibla. It is
very sacred and toward it the faithful direct their prayers.
-Mimbar: elevated place from which an Imam directs the prayers and gives
sermons on Fridays.
-Macsura: enclosure reserved for the caliph and his retinue.

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 Activity: Cultural Visit to Cordova
Medina Azahara

- Where is the Palace of the Medina Azahara located?

- How are its components constructed?

- At the entrance there is an “exhibition gallery.” Describe the remains

inside of that gallery.

- A general map: color red the House of the Military, in green the door
to the entrance of the Alcázar, in yellow the Mosque and in blue the
throne room.

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 - The first access point on the north wall is an “elbow access point.”
Can you explain reason of this design?

The Mosque

- The Mosque is a result of various extensions, color in yellow the early

Mosque, in red the extensions made by Abderramán II & III, in blue
the extension of Alhakén II and in green the extension Almanzor.

On the map also signal the following elements: the Fountain of the
(TRANSLATE abluciones), the wall of the quibla, mihrab and the minaret.

- Can you explain the system of construction utilized in the Mosque?

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- Draw the kinds of arches used in the Mosque.

- The mihrab is the most decorated area of the Mosque. What is the
cupola like? How is the door decorated? What colors were used? What
function does the mihrab have?

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