Llegué a la conclusión de que es imposible exagerar la belleza de la Gran Mezquita de Córdoba. En el tour nocturno en nuestra primera noche en Córdoba, nuestro grupo pasó por el patio de la Mezquita y quedó claro por qué la Mezquita fue considerada el corazón y el foco central de la ciudad. Aún así, el interior notablemente sereno de la mezquita, a pesar de la gran cantidad de turistas que están presentes, fue deslumbrante y no solo desafía cualquier expectativa que uno pueda formar mientras está afuera en el patio, sino que también desafía cualquier descripción adecuada de su belleza.
La construcción de la Mezquita, un gran símbolo de la ciudad de Córdoba, comenzó durante el siglo VIII bajo de las órdenes de Abd ar-Rahman I (Abderramán I en español). El objetivo de Abd ar-Rahman I era erigir un templo que compitiera con la magnificencia de los templos en Jerusalén, Bagdad y Damasco. La primera fase de construcción se completó en un año con una variedad de materiales reciclados (creo que podríamos aprender una lección o dos de estos arquitectos), mientras que otras tres extensiones quintuplicaron el tamaño de lo que ahora se conoce como uno de los mejores obras de arquitectura islámica para permitir que más de veintitrés mil musulmanes razan al mismo tiempo. Dos elementos comunes de una mezquita son el mihrab o el altar que marca la dirección en la que se debe completar la oración, así como el minarete o la torre en la que se gritaron las oraciones. Se dijo que el minarete original en Córdoba se parecía mucho a la Giralda en Sevilla (como se vio en el blog previo), porque la torre de Sevilla era prácticamente una copia de la de Córdoba. Además, el mihrab es sin duda la parte más bella e intrincadamente decorada de la mezquita, y la decoración de oro con forma de motivos florales e inscripciones coránicas es lo que le da al mihrab su brillo mágico incomparable. Curiosamente, el mihrab de la mezquita generalmente se dirige en dirección a La Meca, por lo tanto, al mirar al mihrab durante la oración, los adoradores rezan hacia La Meca. Sin embargo, el mihrab de esta mezquita inusualmente apunta al sur y nunca se corrigió durante ninguna reconstrucción posterior.
Después de la reconquista cristiana de Córdoba en 1236, la mezquita se usó como catedral y, finalmente, se modificó con el permiso del rey Carlos V para incorporar una capilla o catedral dentro de la mezquita. Sin embargo, cuando Carlos V visitó la catedral terminada, se sintió disgustado y horrorizado con el resultado, señalando que los artesanos y arquitectos habían destruido algo exclusivo del edificio por algo tan común como una catedral. El espacio interior consiste de arcos rojos y blancos (inspirados en la Cúpula de la Roca) y un bosque de columnas, que le dan un fuerte efecto cromático y muestran una hermosa mezcla del estilo omeyano de la construcción islámica y del gótico, renacentista, y barrocos estilos de la construcción cristiana de la Catedral. El edificio fue revolucionario en su momento y fue construido como un espacio para que el espíritu pueda vagar y comunicarse fácilmente con Dios. Para elevar el techo lo suficientemente alto como para crear una sensación de franqueza, se promulgó una construcción de arco de dos niveles con columnas más altas como un base y columnas cortas en la parte superior. El marfil, el jaspe, el oro, la plata, el cobre y el latón se utilizaron como decoración, aún se exhiben maravillosos mosaicos, y las columnas de jaspe, ónix, mármol y granito son un diseño exclusivo de esta mezquita.
Existe la creencia común de que el sitio de la Mezquita-Catedral fue una vez una iglesia cristiana que fue dividida y compartida por los musulmanes y los cristianos después de la conquista islámica del Reino Visigodo. Una exhibición arqueológica en la Mezquita ahora muestra una pequeña sección de un edificio visigodo, lo que sugiere que puede haber sido terreno de un edificio episcopal, en lugar de una iglesia dividida entre las dos religiones. Ahora, la mezquita insinúa, con toda su decoración brillante, en una época refinada en la que judíos, cristianos y musulmanes convivieron en paz y enriquecieron su ciudad con una rica interacción de cultura diversa y vibrante. Qué hermoso concepto.
English Translation:
I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to overemphasize the beauty of the Great Mosque of Córdoba. On the night tour we completed our first night in Córdoba, our group passed through the patio of the mosque and it quickly became clear why the Mosque was once considered the heart and central focus of the city. Even still, the remarkably serene interior of the mosque, despite the slew of tourists present, was dazzling and not only defies any expectation one may gather while outside in the courtyard, but also defies any proper description of its beauty.
The construction for the Mosque – a grand symbol of the city of Córdoba – began during the 8th century under the orders of Abd ar-Rahman I (Abderramán I in Spanish). Abd ar-Rahman I’s goal was to erect a temple that rivaled the magnificence of Jerusalem, Baghdad, and Damascus. The first stage of construction was completed in one year with an array of recycled materials (I think we could learn a lesson or two from these architects), while three later extensions quintupled the size of what is now known as one of the world’s greatest works of Islamic architecture in order to allow for over twenty-three thousand Muslims to pray at the same time. Two common elements of a Mosque are the mihrab or the altar that marks the direction in which the prayer should be completed, as well as the minaret, or the tower in which the prayers were shouted. The original minaret in Córdoba was said to have looked very similar to the Giralda in Sevilla (seen in the previous post), as the bell tower in Seville was practically a copy of Córdoba’s. Additionally, the mihrab is undoubtedly the most beautifully and intricately decorated part of the mosque, and the gold decoration shaped into flower motifs and Quranic inscriptions is what gives the mihrab its unmatched magical glitter. Interestingly, the mihrab of the mosque generally faces in the direction of Mecca, therefore, by facing the mihrab during prayer, worshipers pray towards Mecca. However, the mihrab of this mosque unusually points south and was never corrected during any further reconstructions.
Following the Christian re-conquest of Córdoba in 1236, the mosque was used as a cathedral, and eventually was altered with the permission of King Charles V to incorporate a chapel or cathedral within the mosque. However, when Charles V visited the completed cathedral, he was displeased and horrified with the result, noting that the artisans and architects had destroyed something unique to the building for something so commonplace such as a cathedral. The interior space consists of red and white arches (inspired by the Dome of the Rock) and a forest of columns, giving a strong chromatic effect and showing a beautiful blend of both the Omeyan style of the Islamic construction as well as the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles of the Christian construction of the Cathedral. The building was revolutionary for its time and was constructed as a space for the spirit to be free to roam and communicate easily with God. To raise the ceiling high enough to create a sense of openness, a two-tier arch construction using taller columns as a base and short columns on top was enacted. Ivory, Jasper, gold, silver, copper, and brass were all used as decoration, marvelous mosaics are still displayed, and columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite are a design unique to this mosque.
It is also commonly believed that the site of the Mosque-Cathedral was once a Christian church which was divided and shared by the Muslims and Christians after the Islamic conquest of the Visigoth Kingdom. An archaeological exhibit in the Mosque now displays a small section of a Visigoth building, suggesting that it may have been grounds of an episcopal complex, rather than a church divided between the two faiths. Now, the mosque hints, with all of its lustrous decoration, at a refined age when Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived side by side in peace and enriched their city with a rich interaction of diverse, vibrant culture. What a beautiful concept.
The construction for the Mosque – a grand symbol of the city of Córdoba – began during the 8th century under the orders of Abd ar-Rahman I (Abderramán I in Spanish). Abd ar-Rahman I’s goal was to erect a temple that rivaled the magnificence of Jerusalem, Baghdad, and Damascus. The first stage of construction was completed in one year with an array of recycled materials (I think we could learn a lesson or two from these architects), while three later extensions quintupled the size of what is now known as one of the world’s greatest works of Islamic architecture in order to allow for over twenty-three thousand Muslims to pray at the same time. Two common elements of a Mosque are the mihrab or the altar that marks the direction in which the prayer should be completed, as well as the minaret, or the tower in which the prayers were shouted. The original minaret in Córdoba was said to have looked very similar to the Giralda in Sevilla (seen in the previous post), as the bell tower in Seville was practically a copy of Córdoba’s. Additionally, the mihrab is undoubtedly the most beautifully and intricately decorated part of the mosque, and the gold decoration shaped into flower motifs and Quranic inscriptions is what gives the mihrab its unmatched magical glitter. Interestingly, the mihrab of the mosque generally faces in the direction of Mecca, therefore, by facing the mihrab during prayer, worshipers pray towards Mecca. However, the mihrab of this mosque unusually points south and was never corrected during any further reconstructions.
Following the Christian re-conquest of Córdoba in 1236, the mosque was used as a cathedral, and eventually was altered with the permission of King Charles V to incorporate a chapel or cathedral within the mosque. However, when Charles V visited the completed cathedral, he was displeased and horrified with the result, noting that the artisans and architects had destroyed something unique to the building for something so commonplace such as a cathedral. The interior space consists of red and white arches (inspired by the Dome of the Rock) and a forest of columns, giving a strong chromatic effect and showing a beautiful blend of both the Omeyan style of the Islamic construction as well as the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles of the Christian construction of the Cathedral. The building was revolutionary for its time and was constructed as a space for the spirit to be free to roam and communicate easily with God. To raise the ceiling high enough to create a sense of openness, a two-tier arch construction using taller columns as a base and short columns on top was enacted. Ivory, Jasper, gold, silver, copper, and brass were all used as decoration, marvelous mosaics are still displayed, and columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite are a design unique to this mosque.
It is also commonly believed that the site of the Mosque-Cathedral was once a Christian church which was divided and shared by the Muslims and Christians after the Islamic conquest of the Visigoth Kingdom. An archaeological exhibit in the Mosque now displays a small section of a Visigoth building, suggesting that it may have been grounds of an episcopal complex, rather than a church divided between the two faiths. Now, the mosque hints, with all of its lustrous decoration, at a refined age when Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived side by side in peace and enriched their city with a rich interaction of diverse, vibrant culture. What a beautiful concept.
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