The Trip: Cordoba Part 2

Cordoba was an ancient Roman city, but the height of its glory came under the Muslims. It became the seat of the Umayyid caliphate after they were kicked out of Damascus in the 800´s by the Abbasids. In the 900´s it was the biggest city in Europe other than Constantinople. It was a place of vibrant artistic, architectual and intellectual activity. One of the people who makes my top ten smartest people in history list was born there during this period. If you can guess who it was I´ll give you a dollar.

The crown jewel of this period is the mezquita (Spanish for mosque, not mosquito). It is a classic example of the simple elegance in architecture practiced by early Muslims. You walk into the patio del los naranjos, a courtyard dotted with the orange tree native to Southern Spain (yes its name is naranjo, not naranja) laid out in a grid like pattern, watered by an interconected series of small ditches in the pavement that are in turn fed by the fountain in the middle.

The interior of the mosque itself is supported by hundreds of pillars (at one point there were more than 1200) that support a series of arches. Each arch is made of alternating red and white stone. It gives the impression of walking into a forest. The lighting is ingeniously done so that it comes through windows and lights up certain areas

The mihrab is perhaps the most elaborate I have seen, with a horsesho arch and a dome going up above it. And the ceilings are made of carved wooden beams.

When the Christians conquered the city in the 13th century they used it as a church, but did little to change the interior. In the 16th century though, with gold from the new world flowing through Spain, they ripped out the center of the mosque and installed a cathedral replete with soaring gothic arches, gold altarpiece and elaborately carved walnut choir stalls.

Most of the old mosque remains, but the giant Spanish cathedral in the middle destroys much of the simple elegance of the original design.