The Great Mosque of Cordoba or Mezquita

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Initial design
Design Structure of the Mosque
Interior Design
Exterior view
Conclusion
References

Introduction

As mentioned earlier, the Cordoba mosque, also known as Mezquita, stands tall as a representative of the medieval Islamic civilization located in Spain. It is believed that the ground breaking of the mosque began in the Sixth Century AD as a Christian Visigothic church. The Mosque was, however, completed much later, in the year 987 AD, and shared for use between the Muslims and the Christians.

Beginning 784 AD, an Islamist prince called Abd ar-Rahman, acquired the structure from the Christian fraternity and began refurbishing it as a Muslim worship centre. The mosque underwent a lot of ”structural changes and interior design repair” (Savory 1976). This was meant to fit the mosque into the “Islamic design”. The purchase of the cathedral by the Muslims also meant that it would be refurbished to “rid it of the “Christian characteristics”(Ching and Prakash 2011).

The magnificent building is outstanding with the huge arches and numerous columns that exceed 1,000 in number (Savory 1976). The columns consist of various valuable stones such as Jasper, Onyx and marble that have been artistically modelled to provide the artistic countenance that the mosque has.

The mosque had a turbulent moment in the year 1236 when it was captured from the moors and used again by the Christian fraternity by King Ferdinand three. The proceeding kings that followed later redesigned the mosque according to the Christian beliefs and design (Ching and Prakash).

Initial design

During the re-designation period of the mosque, the most outstanding and notable reconstruction activity involved the construction of the Reconnaissance cathedral in the middle of the structure, courtesy of a Spanish king Carlos who was a Christian by then (Savory 1976).

The Mezquita, or the Cordoba, mosque had different measurement during the initial construction. In terms of the area, it measured a total of 73m square. Out of this area, half was a forecourt (Trachterberg 2002). Later, during the reconstruction periods, there was a need to enlarge the total area and this led to the addition of an extra 65 square miles making the total area to stand at 138 square miles.

During the first construction, the worshipping hall increased two folds at the end of the 9th century and the length widened to a total length of approximately 138m. Proceeding kings that followed later redesigned the mosque according to the Christian beliefs and design (Trachterberg 2002).

Design Structure of the Mosque

Arches

The arches, throughout the structure, have a common shape that is referred to as “the horse shoe form” (Savory 1976). This style is described as being very predominant with the architectural design of the Visigoths, i.e. the inhabitants of the area where the mosque is situated before the arrival of the Islamic population called the Umyyads from North Africa (Ching and Prakash).

The horse shoe form was assumed to be very strong and durable by the medieval architectures other than the fact that they offered very flowery aesthetic finishing, when used in various structures and buildings, all the arches within the cathedral are oriented towards the horse shoe design template borrowed from the Visigoths.

The dome

The dome is located right above the mihrab or the maqrub. It depicts a large structure, of course dome shaped as the name suggests, but carries with itself numerous artistic drawings and calligraphy on the inside. The dome was constructed through an act of crisscrossing those components that form the pointed arches in the building. In the mosque, they are largely decorated in pure gold in a more or less radial and regular pattern (Ching and Prakash).

The dome was constructed during the construction of the cathedral and historians argue that during the construction of this dome, a total number of sixteen columns were demolished and ejected from the main prayer hall to allow a space for the erection of both the cathedral and the dome.

Simultaneously, the cathedral construction was purely based on the early Christian architectural designs. One can easily feel and see the outstanding cocktail of both Christian and Islamic designs standing side by side to depict the history of civilisation of these two contrasting yet marvellous designs.

It is important to note the structure of the double arches that have been used in the building. These greatly assist in the support of the immense weight that the ceilings high above insert on the columns and further prevents the roof from falling off. These arches were conveniently designed with a lower horse shoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch whose role is to offer adequate base for the support of these arches (Ching and Prakash 2011).

The arches along the passages of the mosque consist of several layered segments that run in lines which consist of red bricks and white stones piled in an alternating manner, thus, creating a spectacular pattern of stripes along the arcade, the space is large enough to permit visibility across the arcade (Ching and Prakash 2011).

General Dimension

The Mosque is approximated to measure a total of six hundred and twenty feet ft in length across the North-South orientation (Trachterberg 2002). In terms of the breadth, from the West to the East cardinal points, the mosque measures a total length of four hundred and forty feet. The shape of the mosque is considered to be rectangular inferring that it has four sides and four angles in general. Historians have always argued that the mosque initially had a total of twenty one doors when it was originally constructed. However, the number has so far reduced to only five following various reconstruction procedures by the Christians when they took it over from the Muslims.

External dimension

Two hundred and ten feet out of the total length from South to North, a court was effectively erected and a modern gate installed for accessory purpose. Nineteen aisles that measure three hundred and fifty feet in length by fourteen in breadth ran parallel from the Northern portion to the Southern end through the interior building that forms the central structure (Ching and Prakash 2011). The aisles have a large number of columns with a spectacular arrangement

Elevation of the Mosque

Each of the four fronts of the structure presents a perfectly designed wall that is crowned with crenulations all through. There is a varying difference between each of these fronts in terms of their heights and decorations. Each arch presents a beautiful and well curve horse shoe form that effectively makes a reference of the widely used Moorish architecture through which the whole building is set upon

Interior Design

Columns

The columns in the mosque presently stand at a total of eight hundred and fifty and are made out of granite and jasper together with other precious rocks. Columns display myriad splendid colours. The unique scenery formed by this creativity has been described as “majestic” by some historians (Ching and Prakash 2011).

These columns have an equivalent length which stands at nine feet from the base. The shaft too, of the existing columns, reflects equivalency in terms of the size and measures approximately seventeen inches in terms of the diameter. The Chapiters on the other hand, support the arches that emanate from one column to the other where they perfectly form a horse shoe form (Ching and Prakash 2011).

The beams of the mosque are extremely huge in diameter for the sole reason of offering support to the structure. The beams are numerous in number and the cross beams have been well decorated with paint to provide the aesthetic magnificent sight they possess (Ching and Prakash 2011).

One of the most stunning features of the mosque is the maqsura or rather the prayer space for the ruler (Trachterberg 2002). This space was specifically preserved for the King. It was personally commissioned by the caliph himself in the 12^th century.

The space is separated from the rest of the prayer section by alternating arcades that possess several lobes that offer a distinctive horse shoe form. It was then decorated using marble that were well curved together with various other precious stones like the stucco and the mosaics too (Ching and Prakash 2011)

The Mihrab

The interior portion of the mosque is the house of the Maqsura which is, perhaps, one of the landmark features in any Islamic worshiping centre. The Mihrab refers to a designated area on the wall of a mosque that is used to depict the direction Makka, the holy city of Islam (Trachterberg 2002). By the use of a horse shoe form arch, the architecture adorned the Mihrab in the mosque using some of the most precious gems and metals.

The mihrabb is encapsulated it in a more or less rectangular frame that house numerous verses that have been keenly selected from the Muslim holy book of Koran. The writings used are indeed very artistic and clearly pointing out to the origin and development of the Islamic calligraphy. One can never miss the great manifest of the Islamic art at every point of the building either within the structure, or outside the structure (Trachterberg 2002).

The choir loft in the cathedral is coated with wood carvings that offer it a magnificent finish. The space around the loft has overleaped ceilings together with large domes that rise above the main altar. There exists an open and easy to see difference between the chapels of the cathedral and the normal conventional chapels. The cathedral chapels are not situated around the major cathedral area but rather, the chapels occupy the area around the primary cathedral area (Trachterberg 2002).

There has been a raging debate though on the reason as to why the mihrab is not facing Makka, the Islamic holy city,yet, conventionally, all the mosques belonging to the Muslim worshippers have erected the mihrab facing Makka. Now, various historians have put forth their arguments on the same but the most agreeable version is that the initial inhabitants of the structure were not Muslims and during the construction of the structure, there were no intentions of using it as a mosque in the future.

This argument is very valid and easily accepted since the presence of any Muslim during the construction would have led to the proper orientation of the Mihrab towards their holy city, Mekka. All in all, it is a popular version of the story that the Muslims acquired the structure after its full construction but yet did a few modifications to fit it into the Muslim definition of a “worship place”

The hypostyle hall

This is the most spacious area within the Mosque (Ching and Prakash 2011). The hall is essentially filled with numerous columns that support the huge roof above it. It is called the hypostyle hall to refer to the large number of columns that stand regularly arranged around the hall (Ching and Prakash 2011).

This large and expansive prayer hall appears unusually very wide due to the mirage formed by the presence of repeated geometry, an aspect of gothic design that was essentially meant for decorative purpose and also to instil support in different structures.

The repeated geometry has been widely applied in the decoration of the prayer hall. The hall is believed to have been constructed using refurbished columns that were excavated from the Roman structures (Ching and Prakash 2011). The columns are modified into a combination of two symmetrical horse shoe form arches that are formed from red brick and the stones. This distinct the arches out as well decorated and adorned to radiate immense beauty and magnificence.

The Roofing

The roofing of the structure was skilfully done to accommodate the large columns of the structure (Trachterberg 2002). The roof is artistically done using selected species of cedar together with pine wood. These are some of the strongest species of timber known and are conceived to remain unaffected by seasons or insects for the longest time possible. The timber is “sandwiched” with lead in a fine precision that brings out the artistry applied.

Exterior view

The external walls are fortified with utmost ingenuity depicting the strength of the structure. The walls are intermittently supported by buttresses which make it appear like a legion of towers (Trachterberg 2002).

Below the bell tower, lies a courtyard with orange trees together with a fountain that is specifically used for lavation purposes.

Cathedral

The cathedral is located right in the middle of the mosque. This cathedral was constructed after the Christians acquired the structure from the Muslim believers during the reign of king Carlos of Spain. It is postulated that the cathedral must have been constructed in the sixteenth century. To the left hand side of this cathedral lies the Capilla de Villacios building that was constructed by the Moorish craftsmen earlier by King Alfonso.

The Cathedral boasts of a gothic architectural style that was introduced by an archictect Hernan Ruiz who worked on the structure transforming it into a gothic design which essentially refers to an architectural design of the medieval era.

The bell tower

The bell tower is perhaps the longest structure in the whole building. It was never part of the original building when it was still inhabited by the Muslims. However, during the reign of King Carlos and the restructuring period, the Architects designed a long tower for the purpose of erecting the bell.

The tower is approximated to be ninety three metres in height and is constructed together with winding stairs that leads up to the top. The bell tower is referred to as the Torre de Alminar. From the bell tower, it is possible to have a view of the whole mosque aerially.

The mosque has a total tally of three gates that are all designed using different architectural designs for accessory purposes.

Conclusion

The mosque describes the artistry and displays some of the characteristics of Islamic civilisation. The design represents one of the last remaining representatives of the Moorish architecture. The paper has sought to highlight the outstanding features of this design and relate it to Islamic civilisation (Trachterberg 2002).

The antique appearance of the structure has helped to unfold various historical issues in as far as the ancient civilisation is concerned. The structure has, in itself, revealed numerous historical facts and phenomenon that has opened up debate for critical study of the architecture of the prehistoric era, it is my submission therefore that this paper has adequately helped tie the ends by exploring these historical phenomena

The mosque has had a fair share of its challenges since the Christians took over from the Muslim users. A number of violent episodes have been witnessed where some radical Islamic groups has invariantly attacked and injured several other Christian worshippers in their demand to repossess the mosque, or worship in turns with the Christians.

The Spanish Muslims have been lobbying the Spanish Catholics to allow them use the cathedral, however, this has been severally rejected by the Vatican city and the Spanish Catholic administrators. This was followed by violence by a few Muslim tourists who assaulted the guards at the cathedral.

References

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Prakash Vikramaditya. A global history of architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.

Savory, Roger. Introduction to Islamic civilisation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976. Print.

Trachtenberg, Arvin, Hyman. Architecture: From Prehistory to Post modernity, 2nd edition, Pearson; 2002. Print.

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