Alhambra and Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba: Architecture
The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is the result of four stages of construction. It serves as a prayer room for believers and consists of 514 columns. The columns from the time of Abderrahman I varied in material, including marble and granite, resting on pedestals that differ in height and type of molding. Their stems are smooth or fluted, vertical or spiral. To provide the necessary height and lightness, picture rails with scrolls rolled up on themselves (roll modillions) are placed on the columns.
On the first floor are the columns, and on the second floor are the pillars. Both columns (1st floor) and pillars (2nd floor) are connected by arches: horseshoe arches on the first level and semicircular arches on the second. The overlapping arches are based on Roman aqueducts. The exterior features buttresses that receive discharges from the arches. The roof of the building rests on the arches and was believed to consist of horizontal wood panels on cross beams over the superimposed naves.
Through the superposition of media (column and pillar) and double arches, a second height is achieved. The remaining outdoor arches achieve a dynamic, light, and bright feel, which is further enhanced by the bichromy of the voussoirs: white and red.
In successive enlargements, the internal organization was maintained: Abderrahman II extended the haram by eight sections, built a new mihrab, and completed the front with horseshoe arch doors framed by an alfiz. Alhaquen II added 12 more sections, keeping the mihrab but enriching it with mosaics of Byzantine origin and creating the Maqsurah, introducing the vault of intersecting arches. Mansur added eight more naves to the east, decentering the mihrab and leaving the final plan with 19 naves.
Mihrab of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
Rating: Religious building (mosque).
Materials: Stone, brick, plaster, marble.
Architect: Unknown.
Promoters: Abderrahman I, II, III; Alhaquen II; Hisham II.
Chronology: Between 8th-10th centuries.
Style: Islamic art.
Analysis: The Mihrab is the sacred place where the Quran is stored. It is octagonal, and its facade has a large central arch inscribed in a double horseshoe arch with an alfiz. The arch rests on two attached pillars. On either side of the jambs of the arch are two large marble slabs. The caliphal arch consists of long, toothed voussoirs decorated with stylized plant motifs and bounded by an archivolt. The alfiz is also formed by epigraphic mosaics and marble friezes carved with ataurique decoration. The atauriques were painted red. The spandrels are made of marble and covered with reliefs with floral themes.
In the second body, a series of lobed arches can be admired, supported by slender columns, whose voussoirs alternately present ataurique decoration. The octagonal space is covered with a thick ribbed dome supported on a ledge. These ribs do not cross in the middle but leave a central space covered by mosaics.
The Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions) in the Alhambra
Materials: Brick, mortar, stucco, plaster, marble, ceramic.
Architect: Various.
Chronology: 12th-15th centuries.
Style: Hispano-Muslim art.
Analysis: The Patio de los Leones is the second-largest court in the Alhambra, and the private area, or harem, was situated around it. It was built in the late 14th century. It has a rectangular shape surrounded by four porticoes formed by slender marble columns, resting on canted arches and decorated plasterwork, providing access to four pavilions.
In the middle is a fountain supported by 12 lion sculptures that, due to their nature, predate the construction of the courtyard. Four channels (representing the four rivers of Paradise) flow out from the fountain, reaching the adjoining halls and rooms.