Mezquita-Cathedral of Córdoba: History & Architecture
Mezquita-Cathedral of Córdoba: Construction Phases
At the top, we have three arches, and between them, there are plaques carved with plant motifs. An overhang topped by battlements and supported on toothed roll corbels. The side streets are identical. A vain and blind to the lintel, lintels voussoired, just above the extrados is staggered through the provision of recessed blocks. Decorated with vegetal elements in size to bevel as palms, volutes (plasterwork) deeply rooted in the Visigoth world. The decoration is carved on the outside of ashlar. This will only happen in the 8th century. In the side streets, there are only 2 floors. Lattice carved in stone with a very simple geometric design. It ends with a discharge arch. It is believed that there was a door for each of the facades. The Deanes Gate is located on the western side of the wall. The outside is very poor. Inside is a lintel and voussoired vain. About him, a discharge arch with the cutting of brick voussoirs and stone. Arch Visigothic trend. It might be Abd-al Rahman I.
On the death of Abd-al Rahman I in 788, the works were not finished, and it will be his son Hisham I who shall continue between 788 and 796. Thanks to the literary sources, we know that Hisham I made some constructions:
- Gallery of women in the northern
- Chamber or ablutions fountain called MIDD
She incorporated the minaret, attached to the north wall on the outside and slightly off to the west. The minaret is square, but the elevation was not known how. It is suspected that it might be a ladder or balcony minaret to call to prayer. It would be a tower. There are remains of the foundation, which is an inscription on the floor.
Abd-al Rahman II’s Expansion (833-848)
When Hisham I dies, Abd-al Rahman II comes to power. Cordova is currently experiencing a great moment, which is manifested in the increase of population, which implies that the mosque became too small to accommodate so many followers. He decides to extend it in the ninth century between 833 and 848, the year in which it ends and begins to use. It is performed in a southerly direction towards the Guadalquivir River. He took down the old wall of the qibla, although it retained some fragments that serve as a transition between the two sectors. Extends the prayer hall, with 8 more arches. Eliminate the blinds separating the aisles. Repeat the same structure of arches.
New or modifications:
- Gone are the bases
- Groundwork run – problems of stability
- Ask them to fill the ground and raise the floor, trimmed without bases to give homogeneity.
In the expansion of Abd-al Rahman II, the supports are reused. Both the shafts and the capitals are Visigoth and Roman period mostly. Corinthian trend. Designed and carved capitals found in Hispano-time in the Emirate period, which are conserved. It was one of the worst affected areas when building the cathedral since the arches are removed, disassembled to take them along with their capitals, museums, and libraries. We observed a different aesthetic, as the acanthus leaves lose their naturalism and becoming more abstract. Another characteristic feature is the replacement of the roll corbels by smooth and convex torus.
Mihrab and Al-Hakem II’s Expansion
It is likely that the mihrab, which occupied the qibla wall of the housing, had a character. The mihrab was destroyed in the expansion of Al-Hakem II, but not entirely because they retain two pairs of columns that should sustain the arc. 2 matching appear to 2. They are polychrome marble, with dark and light colors. Degeneration of the Corinthian capital with a development of acanthus leaves.