The Mosque of Cordoba in Spain underwent four stages of expansion and renovation over centuries. It began as a small mosque built by Abd al-Rahman I in the 8th century, and grew significantly under later Umayyad rulers. Key additions included doubling the number of naves, enlarging the courtyard, and building new minarets and mihrabs. In the 16th century, after the Reconquista, the mosque was converted into a cathedral but still retains many of its original Islamic architectural features like arched columns and horseshoe arches.

1. Mosque
of
Cordoba
By Lluc Floris and
Pol Fuster
Pol

2. Introduction
The Mosque of Cordoba (Patrimoni de la humanitat des de 1984) is the most important monument
of the Islamic West, one of the most amazing mosque in the world and the most important
monument of Al-Andalus art. These mosque is divided into 4 stages: Mosque of Abderraman I, the
first enlargement (821-852), the second enlargement (Xth century), the third enlargement
(987).
Pol

3. Mosque of Abderraman I
The original temple of Abderrahman I, was started to build on 785 and was finished at 788
more or less, was formed by eleven ships longitudinal north-south direction.
Pol

4. Architecture of the first mosque
Novel element is the use of the horseshoe arches from the Visigothic art. The arcades that divide
the ships are double height. The above, a horseshoe arch, and the below a stilted semicircular
arch. This double arcade provides greater lift the cover and better interior lighting.
Pol

5. The first enlargement (821-852)
Abderrahman II (822) expand the prayer room in eight more parts face to the south. Mohamed I
definitely da Puerta de San Esteban, that we don’t know the origin. Abderraman I was succeed to Al-
Mundir and Abd-Allah. Al-Mundir built the treasure room. Abd-Allah build the secret corridor or sabat
that connect Alcazzer with the mihrab.
Pol

6. The second enlargement (Xth century)
In 929 starts the construction of the second enlargement, Abderraman III the only thing that
made was a new minaret and enlarge the courtyard.
Hakam II adds new twelve sections, coming closer to the course of the Guadalquivir, in the
Qibla, is located the mihrab
Pol

7. The third enlargement (987).
Alhakam II, son of Abd al-Rahman III, did the
third enlargment of the mosque. He transported
all the richness of Medina Azahara to the
mosque.
Pol

8. Parts of the mosque
Cathedral
Tower
Courtyard of the
Orange Trees
Oratory
Lluc

9. The prayer room
The prayer room is
made up of nineteen
naves with 856
columns with shafts
of all imaginable
colours and forms.
And 365 bicolour
arches.
Lluc

10. The Mihrab
This is the present
appearance of the
Mihrab, built by Al-
haken II. The
mihrab is a small
room in the kiblah
where the Koran is
kept.
Lluc

11. The Minaret
The minaret built by
Abderrahman III is preserved
with the current bell tower.
The architect was Hernán Ruiz
II, in 1593.
Lluc

12. The Kiblah
The Kiblah is the wall where the imam and the prayers
must be orientated to when they pray. The kiblah faces
toward Meca.
Lluc

13. The Orange Tree Courtyard
One of the most important parts of the Mosque is The Orange Tree
Courtyard, whose last expansion was carried out at the time of Abd al-
Rahman III. In the Islamic period it was used as a place for public activities.
The arches of the oratory on the courtyard were open.
Lluc

14. 1.0 The Cathedral
In the XVI century the Bishop Carlos Manrique V get
the permissions for build the catedral inside the
Mosque.
On 1523, was designed and started by Hernán Ruiz
After the Death of the architect the catedral was
continuing the build of the building for her son,
and his grandson Juan Ochoa.
Construction was nearly to the two centuries
of architectural evolution.
Lluc

15. 1.1 The
Cathedral
Lluc