Ibn Khaldun stated that history typically discusses the past, yet our connection to it lies in comprehending the future. In this context, it can be argued that civilizations exist with the legacies they leave behind, shaping the future with those same legacies. Similar to a business card, they depict their eras, periods, and ideologies through their works. The Caliphate of Córdoba, in addition to the hundreds of works it left behind, imbued Spain with its own character through the Great Mosque of Qurtuba. Among the many words used to describe Andalusia, the most notable are education, science, culture, and art. According to narrations, the history of Andalusia begins with a commander who burned his own ships to eliminate the possibility of his army’s retreat, declaring, “There is an enemy like the sea behind us and the sea like the enemy in front of us, there is no turning back now”. Under the command of Tariq ibn Ziyad, the conquering army established its dominance over the Iberian Peninsula, leading to centuries of civilization.
Andalusia not only served as an Islamic state but also played a significant role in shaping the course of history. Its conquest had a profound impact on science, art, culture, and civilization, influencing world history to the present day.
Andalusia’s exceptional history is characterized by the construction of mosques, madrasas, inns, baths, libraries, palaces, and scientific studies. The list encompasses a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, astronomy, paper, printing, silk, astrolabe, history, geography, art, architecture, philosophy, logic, language, literature, music, fiqh, kalam, hadith, tafsir, tasawwuf, medicine, chemistry (including surgery, and pharmacy), zoology, and botany (including the cultivation of rice, sugarcane, and cotton).
Muslims, adhering to the principle of emulating the Prophet’s example, continued the tradition of building mosques first in the territories they conquered. The Great Mosque of Qurtuba stands as a testament to this practice, being the first building constructed following the conquest. Furthermore, they undertook the reconstruction of cities that still bear their names today, with thousands of works completed during their period of dominance. The Andalusians governed for 88 years in Barshalunah (Barcelona), 776 years in Maliqah (Malaga), 431 years in Lixbuna (Lisbon), 212 years in Majrit (Madrid), and 780 years in Gharnata (Granada), during which they built a civilization rich in material and meaning. They established cities, neighborhoods, roads, bridges, castles, fortresses, walls, hospitals, dams, implemented advanced technical agriculture, undertook landscape architecture, and established industrial sites across the Iberian Peninsula.
After 525 years of Andalusian rule, the first building in Qurtuba (Córdoba), the Great Mosque of Qurtuba emerged as one of the masterpieces of Islamic civilization, renowned for its colossal dimensions, monumental impact, and unprecedented ornamentation. Modeled after the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, it not only rivaled but also surpassed its inspiration in both architectural grandeur and decorative intricacy. This magnificent edifice steeped in history, epoch, purpose, and legacy, stood as a spiritual beacon and a pinnacle of Islamic aesthetics during its era. It exuded scholarly sophistication, prosperity, majesty, elegance, aesthetics, power, and solidity, epitomizing the attributes befitting a sacred sanctuary. Moreover, functioning as a madrasa, it nurtured countless scholars. Prominent scholars such as al-Qurtubi, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Ibn Hazm, Ibn Arabi, and Ibn Tufayl received their education in this great mosque. The intellectual contributions of these luminaries emanated from the dome of the madrasas, disseminating across lands and seeding innovations that continue to enrich humanity to this day. Despite being converted into a church eight centuries ago, the Great Mosque of Qurtuba has retained its awe-inspiring majesty, a testament to its enduring architectural and cultural significance.
The construction of the sacred sanctuary, initiated by Abd al-Rahman I in 786 during the Caliphate of Córdoba, commenced on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, traversing the heart of Córdoba. Although begun under Abd al-Rahman I’s reign, it was Hisham I who oversaw its completion. However, its ultimate form evolved over two hundred years through successive expansion projects undertaken by numerous sultans.
The mosque, which is characterized by relative simplicity in terms of its exterior, has magnificent splendor in its interior decoration. The harmony and majesty added by hundreds of columns, calligraphy, geometry representing infinity, and the array of colors in the decorations seem like a gateway to other realms. Its rows of arches, built with elegant architecture, resemble an orchard of date palms. Andalusian architecture, including the mosque’s design, showcases a clear, pure, and almost otherworldly beauty. The dense geometric ornamentation demonstrates the unity of intertwined motifs in connection with the infinite.
The mosque has the appearance of a fortress with its high walls and quadrangular shape, and the crown gates with the most magnificent ornamentation are located on the east and west facades. The mosque has a single minaret, which stands at 68 meters tall and is decorated with kufic writing and lines. Most of the minaret was demolished and turned into a bell tower, and its original form was largely covered. With 860 columns, 110 of which were brought from Istanbul (Constantinople as it was known then) by ship, it is the mosque with the most columns in the world. It has nineteen gates in total. The edifice pushes the boundaries of scale with its impressive features, boasting 360 arches strategically positioned to allow sunlight to permeate throughout the structure year-round. Additionally, it boasts 113 chandeliers, the largest of which accommodates 1000 oil lamps, illuminating its vast expanse. The construction also utilized a staggering 320 tons of mosaic, adding to its opulence and grandeur. Covering an area of 22 thousand square meters, it can accommodate up to 30 thousand worshippers at once. Its mihrab, which is the first example in terms of being in the form of a room, is decorated with floral patterns and kufic writing with a mosaic technique on a gold background. With its octagonal structure, magnificent dome in the shape of an oyster shell, and extraordinary acoustics, the mihrab is the seal of the Great Mosque of Qurtuba. In the inner courtyard, which is decorated with orange trees, there are fountains (shadirwans) that have been transformed into ornamental pools today. Orange trees, which were introduced with the conquest, were planted all over Córdoba and have since become the symbol of the city. This exceptional masterpiece, which functioned as a mosque for approximately five hundred years, underwent a transformation into the Cathedral of Córdoba following the demolition of 63 columns and closure to Muslims after the fall of Andalusia from Muslim rule.
In 1984, the Great Mosque of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Qurtuba, was officially recognized as a “UNESCO World Heritage Site”, along with the entire historic center of Córdoba. This prestigious designation highlights the cultural and historical significance of this architectural marvel, affirming its place as one of the most important landmarks not only in Spain but also in the Muslim world as the third largest mosque.
