Al-Andalus · a Light

Cordoba's double arches made short columns carry a high roof

Abd al-Rahman I began the mosque of Cordoba in 785 on the site of a church, which the sources say was first shared and then bought. His builders had a supply of Roman and Visigothic columns that were too short for the height they wanted, so they stacked two tiers of arches on each column, a lower horseshoe and an upper semicircle, banded in red brick and pale stone. It worked, and it was extended three times, ending with around 850 columns. Cordoba fell to Castile in 1236 and the building became a cathedral. In 1523 a Renaissance nave was cut into the middle of the hall. Mass is said there daily, and Muslim prayer in the building is not permitted.

Cordoba · begun 785 CE