Presentation Slides

1. MOSQUE-CATHEDRAL
OF
CÓRDOBA
PREPARED BY: Rebecca Marie Tanduba (0322757)
MODULE: Effective Public Communication
LECTURER: Ms Persis Rodrigues
SESSION: Tuesday, 4 PM
SEMESTER: September 2015

2. ALTERNATE NAMES:
-CATHEDRAL OF CÓRDOBA
-GREAT MOSQUE OF CÓRDOBA
-CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION
“MOST ACCOMPLISHED MONUMENT OF MOORISH ARCHITECTURE”
-MEZQUITA DE CÓRDOBA

3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

4. THE CITY has been inhibited since at least 300, 000 B.C.
ROMANS
VISIGOTHS
MOORS
KING FERDINAND III
ADVENT RULES OF:
• founded near pre-existing Tartesic Cordoba
(capital of Baetica)
• acquired great importance during the
period of Augustus
• built a temple dedicated to Janus
• defeated the Romans in 572 A.D.
• replaced the temple and built a
Catholic Church dedicated to St.
Vincent
• Ab-dur Rahman I (an Umayyad prince) captured Córdoba
• in 756 A.D., declared it as his capital, Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba
• bought a portion of the church compound to build a mosque
• in return, he allowed Catholics to rebuild their ruined churches (St. Marcellus, St. Januaries, St. Faustus)
• construction of mosque began in 786 A.D.
• Ferdinand III (later declared a saint),
captured the city in 1236
• he converted the Great Mosque into a
cathedral
• reinforce fortifications around the city

5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS

7. STRUCTURE & LAYOUT

8. Aerial and plan view of the Mosque-Cathedral
first construction in 785 A.D. - mosque measures up to 73 m square (half of which was a forecourt)
end of 9th century - worship hall enlarged in length to 138 m
early 10th century - enlarged to 186 m
end of 10th century - an area of 136 m x 138 m, with no less than 600 columns

9. 1. ALMINAR - current bell tower that stands over the original minaret of the mosque
2. PATIO DE LOS NARANJOS - classic ablutions where Islamic worshippers wash before
entering the Great Mosque
3. ALJIBE - water source for Moorish baths
4. CHRISTIAN CATHEDRAL - location in the very centre makes it the “new” focus
5. SALA DE LA ORACIÓN - 800 columns built on former Visigothic church
6. LA SALA DEL MIHRAB - prayer room built with marble walls and covered in mosaic

10. The exteriors of the
mosque-cathedral

11. ORNAMENTATION
&
MATERIALS USED

12. The Hypostyle Hall The Mihrab
• salvaged from the Roman and
Gothic buildings
• two-tiered arcade
• marble columns
• pillars are made of onyx,
granite and jasper
• red-and-white stripes formed
by white stone and red brick
• impressive carvings on the
capitals are from the ancient
Visigothic basilica
• bordered by Koranic
sculptures
• carved stucco adorned the
upper walls
• scallop-shaped domes
• richly decorated with
b e a u t i f u l l y - c o l o u r e d
mosaics and gilded tiles
*Horseshoe-shaped arches

13. Capilla Villaviciosa
• famous landmark of
Andalusia: the exterior
wall with great door
• made of stone
• p a n e l s o f
mahogany
and scented
w o o d s
grouted to
t h e w a l l s
w i t h g o l d
nails

14. • main altar
of Córdoba
• g e o m e t r i c a l
craftsmanship and
decoration on the
cathedral’s ceiling
• contains Hispano
a n d F l e m i s h
influences
• a l t a r p i e c e w i t h
m o n s t r a n c e ( p l a c e
where the
• consecrated host is kept)
• flanked by paintings of
martyrs from Córdoba
• above - painting of the
Virgin Mary
• flanked by paintings of
two other martyrs from
Córdoba

15. INTERESTING FACTS
• inscribed in World
Heritage list in 1984
• declared by UNESCO as
the Historic Centre of
Cordoba
• evolution of “Omeya” style
in Spain is found in the
history of the mosque-
cathedral
• combined with the Roman,
M o o r i s h , G o t h i c ,
Renaissance and Baroque of
Christian architecture
styles
• architectural metaphor for the
tensions between Christians
and Muslims in Spain
• mosque is low-slung, conveying
architectural humility
• cathedral (Gothic exterior,
Renaissance interior) rises
upwards, its flying buttresses
anchored solidly on the roof of
the mosque
• Spanish Muslims
are still lobbying
with the Vatican
for a right to pray
in the complex.

16. REFERENCES
(n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2016, from http://www.thousandwonders.net/Mosque–Cathedral of
Córdoba
Historic Centre of Cordoba. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2016, from http://whc.unesco.org/en/
list/313/
History of the Mosque. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2016, from http://
www.mezquitadecordoba.org/en/history-mosque-cordoba.asp
Kassam, A. (2014, December 5). Córdoba’s Mosque-Cathedral in name-change row. Retrieved
January 16, 2016, from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/05/cordoba-mosque-
cathedral-name-change-row-andalusia
Khan Academy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://www.khanacademy.org/
humanities/art-islam/islamic-art-early/a/the-great-mosque-of-cordoba
THE MEZQUITA in Cordoba, Spain. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2016, from http://www.ne.jp/
asahi/arc/ind/2_meisaku/06_cordoba/cor_eng.htm
The Strange Story of Cordoba's Disputed Cathedral - Regina Magazine. (2015, April 6). Retrieved
January 18, 2016, from http://reginamag.com/the-strange-story-of-cordobas-disputed-cathedral/

17. THANK YOU