The Great Mosque of Córdoba | Quizlet

Hispania Romana (218 BC - 476 AD)

Roman rule over the Iberian Peninsula which was divided in 5 provinces; Cordoba was the administrative capital of the province Betica.

Roman Empire split (395 AD)

Divided into the weaker West Roman Empire (capital: Rome) and stronger East Roman Empire (Byzantine, capital: Constantinople).

Germanic Invasions (378 AD - 439 AD)

Cold weather sparked mass migrations south, leading to the fall of the West Roman Empire.

Visigoths (415 AD - 711 AD)

Germanic tribe that ruled Spain; their capital was Toledo, and they initially followed Arian Christianity before converting to Roman Catholicism.

Muslim Rule in Al-Andalus (711 AD - 1492)

8 centuries of Islamic rule after defeating the Visigoths, influencing Spanish culture and language.

Fall of Visigoth Empire

disputed succession led Count Julian to seek help from Muslims army to help recover the throne.

Ṭāriq Bin Ziyad

Leader of North African Muslim army invited by Visigothic Count Julian to only help regain Visigothic control, but Muslims easily took over the disorganized and weak Spain; Visigothics only held strongholds in the north.

Umayyad Dynasty in Al-Andalus (756-1031)

Abd al-Rahman I, fleeing the Abbasid Revolution in Damascus, established a dynasty in Spain. Cordoba became the capital.

Asturian Kingdom (718 AD - 910 AD)

First Christian kingdom in Spain after Muslim conquest, founded by Visigoth Pelagius.

Caliphate of Cordoba (929-1031 AD)

Abd al-Rahman III declared himself caliph, uniting religious and political power. The caliphate eventually fractured into smaller taifa kingdoms.

Emirate

a territory ruled by an emirs. Emirs were only monarchs or high officeholders, not caliphs → emirates were smaller than a caliphate.

Caliphate

an Islamic form of government in which political and religious leadership is united and the head of the State, the Caliph, is a successor to the Prophet Muhammad.

Caliph

the highest ruler in both politics and religion in a Muslim kingdom. al-Rahman III was the first Caliph of Cordoba.

End of the Caliphate of Cordoba

Infighting between the descendent of caliph Hisham II ended the caliphate → fractured into several independent Muslim taifas.

Conquest of Cordoba (1236)

Ferdinand III's conquest and marriage of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon unified Spain.

Cordoba's Importance

Chosen as the Roman capital due to its proximity to the River Guadalquivir, rich mineral resources, and fertile land.

Construction Period & Purpose of the Great Mosque of Córdoba

8th-10th century construction that was built to rival great mosques of the East.

Sahn

Courtyard for ritual cleansing with ablution basins, often containing trees. The Great Mosque's sahn has orange trees.

Zulla

Rectangular prayer hall with naves; divided by columns of double arches and reflects standing prayer ritual.

Nave

Central space in a basilica, flanked by aisles and reflects sitting prayer ritual.

Qibla Wall

Wall facing Mecca, toward which Muslims pray. The Great Mosque's faces south.

Mihrab

Niche, usually in the middle, of the qibla wall where the Imam leads prayer.

Minaret

Tower used for calling people to prayer.

Maqsura

Enclosed prayer space for authorities.

Period 1 (785 AD - 786 AD)

Abd al-Rahman I established the mosque's original layout, including sahn and zulla. He introduced unique double arches.

Period 2 (833 AD - 852 AD)

Abd al-Rahman II expanded the mosque by demolishing the qibla wall in the south; later he rebuilt the qibla wall and mihrab.

Period 3 (929 AD - 976 AD)

Abd al-Rahman III enlarged the minaret. His son, al-Hakam II, expanded the mosque south by demolishing and rebuilding the qibla wall, and refined the mihrab and adding lavish details.

Period 4 (987 AD)

Al-Mansur expanded the mosque by adding seven naves to the east but did not alter previous work. The mihrab became off-center due to the expansion.

Double arches

Arches perpendicular to the qibla wall with lower arches supported by columns, upper by pillars. Influenced by Roman aqueducts and the Great Mosque of Damascus.

Columns

Reused building materials from the previous period when the site was a Roman temple and Visigothic church.

Base

Architectural element of which a column rests. Some of the columns have a base and some do not.

Horseshoe Arch

Signature Islamic arch, present in the lower arches of the Great Mosque. Originated with the Visigoths.

Roman Arch

Semicircular arches, used in the second row of arches in the Great Mosque.

Voussoir

Wedge-shaped stones used in arch construction. The red clay and yellow limestone stones in the mosque were inspired by the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Thicker & Thinner Arches

Inverts the design of the arches in the Great Mosque of Damascus to hold 9-meter thick ceiling; thicker arches are at the top and thinner ones are at the bottom.

Mihrab Expansion

al-Hakam II expanded and refined the mihrab into a proper room, using new materials and importing artisans from the East Roman Empire.

Mihrab Entrance

Horseshoe arch with colorful voussoirs decorated with Islamic vegetative motifs.

Mihrab Door

Framed with decorative Kuffic writing, featuring religious praises and Quranic verses.

Stucco Baseboard

Carved plaster used heavily due to economic constraints, offering an inexpensive but attractive finish (commonly used in the Alhambra).

Dome of the Mihrab

simpler compared to the three lavish domes in the maqsura.

Purpose of Maqsura

Lavish enclosed area for the Caliph and his family to pray, located directly in front of the mihrab.

Maqsura Materials

Constructed with plain stone and carved marble.

Arches Design

Crisscrossed intricate polylobed and Roman arches, alternating between voussoirs and more intricate designs and combining into larger arches at the top.

Maqsura Columns

Alternating columns made of luxurious marbles, with blueish and pinkish colors.

Mosaic Definition

decoration using small pieces of glass, stone, or marble set in a matrix.

Maqsura Domes

Three domes in front of the maqsura, decorated with mosaics.

Mosaic Materials

Extremely luxurious stones, with artisans imported from Syria, Byzantine, and Constantinople by al-Hakam II.

Islamic Art

Characterized by vegetal motifs, geometric designs, and Arabic calligraphy, often featuring verses from the Quran.

Later Christian Modifications of Gothic cathedral (1489)

Christians demolished parts of the mosque to create a cathedral in the center, breaking the architectural harmony but preserving the mosque from destruction.