Mezquita - details and images

Mezquita, the Great Mosque of Cordoba, was the epicenter of religious life of Moorish Spain is an incredible place and still today. Mezquita is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Cordoba, which was at one time the second largest mosque in the world. This mosque was built over a church in Visigoth period (fifth century) and was used after the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors. In 786 Abd al-Rahman I of St. Vincent and the church demolished, reusing most of the material church, raised the first section of the Great Mosque. As new and qualified emir came to power, more additions were made mosque, making it more elaborate and spectacular. It reached its final form in d.Hr 987, 200 years after construction.

Great Mosque of Cordoba is one of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world. Its specialty is the huge prayer hall, after the last building from the time of al-Mansur, had an area of ​​14,700 square meters, including more than 1200 columns. Graceful columns and arches are a testament to its historical splendor of Cordoba. Moreover, these columns were and still are brand Mezquita mosque grandeur.

Torre del Alminar, minaret in the past used to call the faithful to prayer, has a baroque bell tower. You can climb on top for a panoramic view of Cordoba and its surroundings. Also, in the heart Mezquitei mihrab is where believers gather for ritual prayers. Surrounded by carved stucco sculptures adorning the walls of the Qur'an and upper mihrab was holy sanctuary where they keep the Koran.

Mezquita of Cordoba is most notable for its giant arches and its forest of over 1,000 columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite. Treasure it has many priceless objects from the fifteenth century until the twentieth century, coming mostly from the workshops in Cordoba. The most spectacular work of art is Enrique's ark of harps.

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