Paper presented at the International Medieval Congress (IMC 2017), University of Leeds

1. Christian Approach to Non-Christian Religious Buildings in the Middle Ages
The Reuse of Mosques and Synagogues during the Reconquista
Esther Dorado-Ladera
doradoladera@gmail.com
@estherDoLa

2. Seville Cathedral and Giralda

3. San Juan Church, Córdoba

4. Santiago Church, CórdobaSanta Clara Convent, Córdoba

5. San Sebastián Minaret, Ronda, Málaga

6. Almería Old Cathedral, currently San Juan Church

7. Almería Old Cathedral, currently San Juan Church
Photograph by TORRES BALBÁS, L.,”La mezquita mayor de Almería”, Al-Andalus, vol. XVIII, 1953, pp. 412-430

8. Excavations in Tudela Cathedral's Square, Navarra
Photograph by MARTÍNEZ, B., BIENES, J.J., MARTÍNEZ, J.M., NAVAS, L., “Excavaciones en la Plaza Vieja de Tudelala Mezquita Mayor”,
Trabajos de arqueología Navarra, 11, 1993-1994, pp. 137-139

9. Magdalena Church, Jaén
Photographs by BERGES, L., “La iglesia de La Magdalena (Jaén). De mezquita islámica a templo cristiano”, Arqueología y territorio
medieval, 14, 2007, pp. 69-102

10. Synagogue of Samuel ah-Levi, Toledo
F. Pérez Bayer, De Toletano Hebraeorum Templo, 1752, photograph by Biblioteca Nacional de España (MSS/9296), http://bdh.bne.es

11. Santa María la Blanca Synagogue, Toledo

12. Synagogue of Samuel ah-Levi, Toledo

13. Synagogue of Samuel ah-Levi, Toledo
Photograph by Jean Laurent, 1855-1886

14. Santa María la Blanca Synagogue, Toledo
Photograph by Alexander Lamont Henderson, 1860-1907

15. Santa María la Blanca Church, Sevilla

16. Santa María la Blanca Church, Sevilla
Photograph by GIL DELGADO, O., “Una sinagoga desvelada en Sevilla: estudio arquitectónico”, Sefarad , 73:1, Jan-Jun 2013, pp. 69-96

17. Peter I of Aragon's endowment of Huesca Cathedral on the day of its consecration, 1097
Photograph by Cabildo Catedralicio de Huesca (doc. ES/ACHU – P02/0741), http://dara.aragon.es/opac/doma/index.jsp
* MONTANER, A., “La Historia Roderici y el archivo cidiano: cuestiones filológicas, diplomáticas, jurídicas e historiográficas”,
e-Legal History Review, 12, 2011
Transliteration: *
ršm by rh bn š nǧhṭ ˀ ˀ
Translation: *
Sign of Pedro, son of Sancho
Petro episcopo, dedicari ecclesia feci.
ipsa Sarracenorum temporibus
mezchita possederat.

18. “ecclesiam majorem eiusdem que mesquita saracenorum esse
consuevit […] statu in quo erat tempore saracenorum”
Privilege of Jaime I to Huesca Cathedral, 1273
“ecclesia Toletane, que in forma mezquita a tempore Arabum
adhuc stabat”
De rebus Hispaniae, Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, 1243
“eglesia de Sancta Maria de Toledo en forma et a manera de
mezquita del tiempo de los alaraues”
Estoria de España, 13th
cent.

19. “After the city was returned to Alfonso, it was cleansed of
all Mohammedan contamination. All of the defilement of the
infidels in the city and in the temple was wiped out. A church
was dedicated there in honor of Saint Mary and all the saints.
They consecrated as bishop a pious man whose name was
Navarro. The city thus returned to its former state when an
episcopal seat had been there during the time of Archbishop
Ildefonso and King Recaredo.”
Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, 1153-1157
Translation by LIPSKEY, G.E., The Chronicle of Alfonso the emperor: a translation of the Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, with study and notes,
Northwestern University, 1972

20. “[Fue] echada fuera la suziedat de Mahomad, çercaron a
derredor toda aquella mezquita, esparziendo agua bendicha
por ella como deuie; et otras cosas annadiendo y que el derecho
de sancta yglesia manda, restolaronla desta guisa et restolarla
es tanto como conbralla a seruiçio de Dios ...”
Estoria de España, 13th
cent.
“... fo aguisat l’altar, nos lo faem guarnir gran matí ab la
roba de nostra capella, e molt honradament, e nobla
apparellas... E ab postres creus e ab image de Nostra Dona
sancta Maria moguem de l’albergada on nós estàven em la host,
e a peu venguem e entram per la vila entro em l’església que
haviem edificada de nostra dona sancta Maria.”
Libre dels feyts, 13th
cent.

21. “Assí estes dous leaes / lealdade fez amar,
ca el sempre a servía / e a sabía loar;
e quand' algũa cidade / de mouros ía gãar,
sa omagen na mezquita / põía eno portal.”
Cántigas de Santa María
Cántiga 292
13th
cent.

22. Seville's Cathedral and Great Mosque, plans superposition

23. Zaragoza's Cathedral, superposition of archaeological remains
Photograph by HERNÁNDEZ VERA, J.A., "La mezquita aljama de Zaragoza a la luz de la información arqueológica", Ilu. Revista de ciencias
de las religiones. Anejos, 10, 2004, pp. 65-92
Present Cathedral
Great Mosque
Romanesque period, 1121
Romanesque period, end 12th
cent
N

24. Santiago Shrine, Fiñana, Almería

25. “Over dwellings emptied of Islam that were first vacated and are
now inhabited by unbelief;
In which the mosques have become churches wherein only bells
and crosses may be found.” (2)
Lament for the Fall of Seville, Abū l-Baqā’ al-Rundī, 1267
“The toll of church bells should be abolished in the Islamic territory
because they should ring just in the lands of infidels”(1)
Hisba Treatise, 196, Ibn 'Abdūn, 12th
cent.
(1) Based on Spanish translation by BOSCH, J., Historia de Sevilla. La Sevilla islámica 712-1248, Universidad de Sevilla, 1984, p. 186
(2) Translation by MONROE, J.T., Hispano-Arabic Poetry, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974, pp. 332-334

26. Santo Domingo Church, Arévalo, ÁvilaYamur found in Alcolea, Córdoba
Archaeological Museum of Córdoba

27. Anonymous Drawing of the City of Córdoba, 1752
Archivo de la Catedral de Córdoba. Colección Vázquez Venegas, vol. 260/1-2, p. 1a

28. “Postquam autem reddita es ciuitas imperatori, mundata
est ab immunditia barbarice gentis et a contaminatione
Mahometis et, destructa omni spurcitia paganorum ciuitatis
illius et templi sui, dedicauerunt ecclesiam in honore sancta
Marie semper uirginis et omnium sanctorum.”
Chronica Adefonsi imperatoris, 1153-1157

29. View of Toledo by Georg Braun & Frans Hogenberg, 1572-1590
Photograph by The Shapell Digitalization Project (Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Jewish National and University Library),
http://historic-cities.huji.ac.il

30. “Este palatio fuera de antiguo banno de los moros, et auie
en ell tres casas: et en la primera casa fizieron el primero altar
a onrra de sancta Maria, et en la segunda casa fizieron otro
altar a onrra de sant Johan Baptista, et en la tercera casa
fizieron altares a onrra de los martires et de los confessores. Et
en estos altares dichos puso el rey uestimientas et aras et
cruzes et ciriales et ymagenes cubiertas de oro et de plata et
todas las otras cosas que y conuinien.”
Estoria de España, 13th cent.

31. Year of consecration and demolition of the most relevant great mosques in the Iberian Peninsula
Crown of Aragón Crown of Castille Kingdom of Granada

32. Thank you
doradoladera@gmail.com
@estherDoLa