Mezquita of Cordoba

The Mezquita: What Happens When a Cathedral Grows Inside a Mosque

The Mezquita-Catedral of Cordoba is architecturally confusing in the best possible way. The original mosque, begun in 784 CE by Abd al-Rahman I, was expanded four times over the following two centuries until it covered 23,000 square metres and could accommodate 25,000 worshippers. When Ferdinand III reconquered Cordoba in 1236, he converted the building to a cathedral. In 1523, work began on inserting a full Renaissance nave directly into the mosque’s interior. The two building traditions now occupy the same space simultaneously.

This is not comfortable architectural harmony. It is a collision. Walking from the forest of 856 marble columns supporting red-and-white horseshoe arches into the 16th-century Christian nave, with its barrel vaults and carved choir stalls, produces a genuine sense of dissonance. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who approved the nave’s construction, reportedly said on seeing the completed cathedral inserted into the mosque: “They have destroyed something unique to build something ordinary.”

The visit

Entry costs EUR 13 for adults (2024 pricing, book online to avoid queuing). Free entry is available Monday to Saturday between 08:30 and 09:30, which is the only time it makes sense to visit in July or August without a pre-booked timed ticket.

The site is large and can be walked in 90 minutes if you keep moving. Two hours gives time to stop and actually look at things. The mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) in the southern wall is the most refined element of the original mosque; the craftsmanship of the Byzantine-influenced tile and mosaic work around it is extraordinary and the gold tesserae are original. The double-arched columns throughout the main prayer hall use Roman columns as bases - taken from earlier buildings - which gives the forest of columns an unusual variety of heights, patched with purpose-built extensions.

The orange courtyard (Patio de los Naranjos) at the northern entrance is pleasant and worth walking through before entering the building.

Cordoba beyond the Mezquita

The Juderia (Jewish Quarter) immediately west of the Mezquita is a dense residential area of narrow whitewashed lanes. The 14th-century Synagogue on Calle Judios is one of only three surviving pre-expulsion synagogues in Spain (entry EUR 0.30, genuinely worth seeing for the Mudejar plasterwork). The nearby Casa de Sefarad museum covers the history of Sephardic Jews in Spain.

The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (entry EUR 5) is a 14th-century royal palace with substantial Roman mosaic collections and formal gardens. More interesting than its description suggests.

Eating in Cordoba

Salmorejo - a thick cold tomato puree garnished with hard-boiled egg and cured ham - is the local cold soup, different from gazpacho in texture and slightly richer. Every restaurant in Cordoba serves it and every version is slightly different. At Taberna Salinas on Calle Tundidores (founded 1879), the salmorejo and the oxtail (rabo de toro) are both worth ordering. A full lunch costs EUR 20-30 per person. Avoid the tourist restaurants on the lanes immediately around the Mezquita, which charge double for half the quality.

Cordoba is best visited April-May or September-October. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C and the old city’s narrow streets retain heat ferociously.