Monday, February 14, 2011

Great Mosque of Cordoba

The Mezquita of Cordoba (Mosque of Cordoba) is a Roman Catholic Cathedral located in Cordoba, Spain. Mezquita is a Spanish word and it means mosque. The Mezquita was built in the 10th century during the ruled of Abd- ar-Rahman III, who was one of the greatest rulers in the history of Islam. During this time, Cordoba was the largest and the most wealthy cities of Europe. In fact, the making of the mosque added more to its majestic beauty.

The place was initially built as a Church, however, when the Muslim ruler took over the place, they started using it as a mosque and extended it till it became the second largest mosque in the entire world. The Mezquita is said to be the most proficient monument of the Cordoba. Once the Spanish took back the site from the Muslims, they once again converted the place from a mosque to a church. Today, the Mezquita is used for the purpose of Church and the normal fee to visit the Mezquita is 6 Euros.

One can enter the Church via the Patio de los Naranjas, which is a typical Islamic courtyard and till date, preserves its orange trees and fountains. During the older days, when the Mezquita was being used as a mosque, all the 19 gates were open while offering prayers, so that they looked like and extension of the trees with sunlight filtering all over. Mezquita is one of the few places in the world consists of two different cultures and definitely worth visiting despite your religion.

Mosque of Cordoba
Mosque of Cordoba
Mosque of Cordoba
Mosque of Cordoba

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