Spain has a long and colorful history, in which many civilizations have left their mark. Among them, the Muslim. From its passage and occupation through a good part of the Spanish territory, not only customs but also buildings have remained, and among them, beautiful mosques.
Let's meet today some of the most beautiful mosques in Spain.
The Great Mosque of Cordoba
This religious building is in Andalusia and originally it was a small Visigothic Christian church that was modified when the Muslims arrived in Spain. It was Abd al-Rahman I who ordered its construction in the years 784.There is a lot of documentation about this mosque and that is why it is very special, since of the rest of the mosques in Spain there are not so many records or documents.
Specialists say that Córdoba was a 100% Muslim city at that time, with palaces, baths and more religious buildings of this type. It was then, we are talking about the XNUMXth century, one of the largest cities in the West and perhaps in the entire world.
Of all the mosques that were in Córdoba, they say thousands, only the Great Mosque of Cordoba that you see in the images and the remains of the Minaret of San Juan. It must be said that although the original construction dates back to 784 the building was renovated several times in the three centuries it was the heart of the Islamic community around here.
The construction of this mosque in Córdoba was inspired by the Great Mosque of Damascus, the Dome of the Rock and the Achaean Cathedral. Roman columns were also incorporated into the Gothic structure and other decorative elements that were brought from the territory of the peninsula as gifts to the rulers. There is ivory, tile, gold, silver, jade and bronze and there is no lack of inscriptions from the Koran.
It was Fernando III of Castile who was in charge of converting the mosque into a church, specifically a Catholic cathedral. Over time, chapels and a nave were added to that Christian church, and the minaret became a bell tower.
Abd-al-Rahman is said to be buried under the mosque. She has been named UNESCO World Heritage, as part of the Historic Center of Córdoba in 1984. Muslims are not allowed to pray inside the building, obviously, although the Islamic community has requested it several times.
Opening hours:
- From Monday to Saturday, from 10 am to 6 pm. On Sundays and religious holidays it is open from 9 am to 10:30 am and from 2 to 6 pm.
- There are guided tours for 40 euros per person. You can visit it without a guide for 10 euros.
Mosque of Christ of Light
this mosque It was built in the year 999 and is the only one that has remained unchanged since its construction.. It was originally called the Bab-al-Mardum Mosque. It is located near the Puerta del Sol, one of the gates of the city of Toledo built in the fourteenth century.
It was also built on top of a Visigothic church, measuring 8 meters by 8 meters, with four columns that divide its interior into nine parts. Each part has a unique design concept and the overall style is a mix of Moorish style with local building techniques. It is said that the Caliphate of Córdoba had a lot of influence.
The mosque was converted into a chapel in 1186 and then some distinct features like the wall were lost qibla and the mihrab, especially with the construction of a Mudejar-style apse. Today it also has some Christian decorative elements and murals with the figure of Jesus and others.
Today the church is in use, but Muslims can admire it because an inscription on the facade that speaks about the Muslim origins of the building is preserved.
Schedule
- It opens from Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6:45pm (between March and October 15), and from 10am to 5:45pm.
- General admission is around 3 euros.
The Mosque of Almonaster la Real
this mosque it was built in the XNUMXth century again on the Visigothic origins of an existing building. In fact, on this occasion, on a XNUMXth century basilica. To this day it is one of the few remaining rural mosques in Spain, all stone and bricks. Rare and awesome.
The mosque stands on top of a hill, inside a castle that looks vigilantly at the village of Almonaster la Real, in the province of Huelva. It is really beautiful and very well preserved.
Of course, when the reconquest took place it ceased to be a mosque and became a church. Over the centuries, it had many modifications, but Islamic features are still distinguished, those that it obtained under the reign of Abd al-Rahman III.
It has a trapezoidal shape and three sectors: the prayer hall, the ablution courtyard and the minaret. The prayer room in turn has five naves. The central nave is covered by a half sphere with brick arches.
The ablution court is built into the rock face and most of the minaret has been shaped by additions over the years. The Mihrab, fortunately, still remains although it has lost its color and only the brick and stone are visible.
- 16 graves have been found in the prayer room.
- the mosque is the center of the annual Islamic Culture Days, in October.
- It is a National Monument since 1931
- Open every day from 9am to 8:30pm.
- Admission is free.
The Alcazar Mosque in Jerez de la Frontera
is in Cadiz and it is the only one left in the region of the 18 mosques that once existed. It was built in the XNUMXth century and it was converted into a church in the XNUMXth century, when the Christian reconquest took place.
Since 1931 the mosque and the fortress are World Heritage.
Useful information
- The mosque is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (October to June), Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (July to September), and Saturday and Sunday from 9 :30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- General admission costs 5 euros.
Mosque of Al-Andalus
This mosque is not ancient but modern. It was built in 2008 and is in Malaga. It has 400 square meters and two entrances, one through which women enter and the other through which men enter. The minaret is 25 meters high, there is an auditorium for 200 people, three prayer halls, a library, classrooms and a meeting room.
The mosque in Malaga has capacity for a thousand faithful, so it is one of the largest mosques in Spain. It was built with the contribution of the Consulate of Saudi Arabia, with an interesting contribution of 22 million euros.
Great Mosque of Granada
Here we have another modern mosque. It was built in 2003 and it is the first Muslim religious building to be built in the city since the Christians reconquered it in the XNUMXth century.
Like the previous mosque, it is more of a complex with gardens, a library and a center for Arab studies. From its beautiful gardens you have even more beautiful views of the Alhambra, the Albaicín neighborhood and the Darro Valley. Tourists can visit the place every day from 11 am to 7:30 pm.
We are not going to present them all, one by one, but the truth is that there are several modern mosques in Spain in addition to these two that we have just named. For example, the Central Mosque of Madrid, the Basharat Mosque, the Fuengirola Mosque in Malaga, the Al-Andalus Mosque in the same place, the M-30 Mosque in Madrid or the Muley El Mehdi Mosque in Ceuta, built in 1940.