Cultural Visit to Cordova (2)

8/14/2019 Cultural Visit to Cordova (2)

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Cultural Visit to

Cordoba

Presented by the Secondary School Institution S. Catalina de Alejandra

Fall 2008

Jan, Andalusia, Spain


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The city of Cordova has its home on the right-hand bank of the River

Guadalquivir. In the year of 716 Cordova became of the capital of the

Moorish empire of Al-Andalus. Later, in the year 929, Cordova became the

capital of the caliphate and reached a population of about 250,000 people

composed of Muslims, Jews, and Christians. From the convergence of these

diverse cultures and peoples many vestiges have remained in Cordova,

parts of which we will visit today in order to learn something of the way of

life in that time and, above all, to see the artistic achievement and legacy

that left behind still graces the city today.

We begin with the Palace of Medina Azahara (Palacio de Medina

Azahara). The Islamic palace unites the two functions of family home and

administrative center which attracted to it a large number of families and in

turn created within the palace a number of veritable small cities. Abd al-

Ramn IIImandated the construction of the medina outside the limits of the

city of Cordova on the skirt of a mountain. Protected and fortified by a

double rampart, the medina measured about 1 million square meters. It has

three distinct levels; on the highest level were situated buildings of

administrative capacity, while on the second were located the throne roomas well as various gardens and on the third level the mosque and housing of

the medinas population. By the 11th century the palace had been

abandoned and had become a ruin. Today, it is one of the most important

archeological impressions left behind by medieval Islamic culture.

Medina Azahara has a rectangular floor plan of approximately 1500

by 750 meters in an octagonal shape with a net of sewers and a excellently

planned water supply.

Currently only about 10% of the site has been excavated, of which

deserves special mention is the rich lounge or lounge of Abderramm III

(salon rico o salon de Abderramm III) used in the past to receive important

ambassadors as well as to celebrate the annual breaking of the fast (the end

ofRamadan). This salon has marble reliefs that decorate the base of its

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pedestals and its columns alternate shafts of blue and pink marble and

have typical caliphal wasps nests capitals from which the characteristic

horseshoe arches take off, made of alternating red and white voussoirs.

On the bottom level of the medina the Moorish quarters mosque can

be found. Laid out in a rectangular shape, the mosque has a southeastern

orientation (directed toward the Islamic pilgrimage site of Mecca in Saudi

Arabia toward Muslims across the world direct their daily prayers) and has

typical elements such as a courtyard, prayer room and minaret.

The throne room ofAbderramm III

The door to a living situation in theMedina Azahara

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The Mosque of theMedina Azahara

Capitals from columns in theMedina Azahara

The Fortress of the Christian Kings (El Alczar de los Reyes Cristianos) is a

building of military character that King Alfonso XI of Castile had built in

1328. Altogether the building has a sober feeling exterior and a sumptuous

interior replete with magnificent gardens and courtyards that exhibit

Mudjar inspiration. Crowned by four towers (Paloma: Dove,Leones: Lions,

Homenaje: Homage, and Inqusicin: Inquisition), the fortress has a semi-

square shape. The principal room of the building is known as the Hall of the

Mosaics where one can admire the impressive mosaics as well as an 3rd

century sarcophagus. Beneath the present-day floor it is still possible to find

the remains of what are thought genuine baths used by dignitaries of the

Islamic period. The former Orchard of the Fortress (Huerta del Alczar)has

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been transformed into a striking space of 55,000 square meters of gorgeous

gardens of Cypresses, Palms and Orange and Lemon trees that surround

elegant fountains and reservoirs.

The Fortress of the Christian Kings

Next we move on to the Jewish quarter. It can be found toward the

North West when directed from the mosque and is known in Spanish as el

Barrio de la Judera. Important archeological traces of Hebrew inhabitants

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have been found in this part of Cordova proving a significant medieval

Jewish presence. The neighborhood forms a beautiful network of winding

sinuous and narrow streets with small plazas defined by white homes

constructed about courtyards filled with flowers, and its where you can

discover one of the most important religious monuments of Cordova: the

Synagogue.

The Synagogue, a courtyard and street of the Jewish quarter

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The Mosque of Cordova is the place where Muslims pray. Every Friday

members of the Islamic religious community unite to pray together.

Construction began on the Mosque as of the 8 th century on what was a

Visigoth basilica, continued with further amplification under the caliphate

and during the Christian re-conquest of Cordova converted the mosque into

a Catholic Cathedral.

From the Door of Pardon (La Puerta del Perdn), made in mudejar

(SP?) style, begins the Courtyard of the Oranges (El Patio de los Naranjos)

which receives its name from the rows of Orange and Palm trees that line it

and in which is found the Fountain of the Ablutions ( Fuente de las

Abluciones), surrounded by typical horseshoe arches. Next to the Door

stands the minaret.

Exterior view and floor plan of the Mosque of Cordova

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From the Courtyard of the Oranges, the Door of The Palms (La Puerta

de Las Palmas) gives access to the interior of the mosque: a forest of about

850 marble and granite columns that support 375 white and red horseshow

arches. The Mihrab is the holy site the signals the southern direction and

not that of Mecca. Its construction consists of marble, stucco and Byzantine

mosaics

brilliantly

colored above a

base of gold.

Courtyard of the Oranges

The construction of the Mosque of Cordova began under the first emir

of Cordova, Abderramm I, in the year 786. The Courtyard, Fountain,

Minaret and a covered area for prayer were built first; this building consists

of 11 longitudinal naves with an orientation toward the River Guadalquivir,

which shares an identical width with each nave except for the central one,

which leads to the Mihrab, and the two at each end. The central nave is

slightly wider and each one on the end slightly narrower than the others. To

stabilize the high ceiling the architects of the mosque gave recourse to a

system of doubled arches of which the lower controls the stress of the

weight in a horseshoe shape while the superior one supports the ceiling in a

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middle point shape. Aside from the brilliant chromatic alternation created

by the alternating red brick and yellow limestone voussoirs in this system,

its the most significant aspect of the building. The result: an enormous

forest of double-arched columns that recall a Palm grove.

The interior of the Mosque: horseshoe, half point and interlace arches

In the first half of the 9th century Abderramm II amplified the

Mosque by extending the naves of the prayer room. With Abderramm III

the amplification was to make the Courtyard larger and build a second

minaret.

Coinciding with the Golden Age of the Caliphate, during the 10th

century the most extensive amplifications to the Mosque would be carried

out. The intervention of Alhakn II resulted the most rich and beautiful: the

wall of the quibla fell to amplify the prayer room and to improve the

illumination four chandeliers with cupolas were built.

After the macsura new interlaced arches appeared as did columns of

alternating pink and blue shafts and leaf capitals, which resembles an

abstraction and schematization of the Corinthian capital.Other additions include the double wall of the quibla that permits the

mihrab to open up beyond a simple recess into a small octagonal room

covered by a shell-shaped cupola. The faade of the mihrab as well as of the

cupolas have been covered in mosaics.

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The mihrab of the Mosque

The mihrabs cupola

Given the ever-growing population of Cordova the caliph Almanzor

decided to give the mosque its most expansive extension so far, enlarging

each part of the mosque from the Courtyard to the hall of prayer. However,

unlike previous expansions of the Mosque this one cannot take place toward

the south, since the River Guadalquivir impedes any further construction in

that direction. It would take place toward the east. Eight new naves were

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built with a chromatic alternation of red and yellow, however, of the same

limestone material in the arches resembling, though differing, from

previous construction.

Almanzors extension

After the Christian re-conquest of Cordova in 1236 King Fernando III

converted the Mosque into a Cathedral which involved sustaining a diverse

set of alterations that resulted in the present-day Cathedral of Cordova,

which placed inside of the mosque a new area

in accord with the canons of the rebirth.

Interior of the Catholic Cathedral of Cordova

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The outside develops from a rampart crowned by turrets and fortified

by square towers in between which open the various doors of the building.

The capitals are of an extraordinary variety: Ionic, Corinthian and hybrids;

nearly all of these are left behind from Roman and Byzantine times,

originating in large part from the former basilica of Saint Vincent.

Typical elements of a mosque:

-Alminar: tower from which the faithful are beckoned to prayer.

-Courtyard and Fountain of Ablutions: situated before the prayer room

where the fountain is found to realize the ablutions (where people wash

before entering the prayer room).

-Prayer room: place where the faithful pray simultaneously.

-Quibla: wall oriented toward Mecca, toward which the faithful must pray

(the wall at Cordova faces south and not toward Mecca).

-Mihrab: arch or recess situated in the center of the wall of the quibla. It is

very sacred and toward it the faithful direct their prayers.

-Mimbar: elevated place from which an Imam directs the prayers and gives

sermons on Fridays.

-Macsura: enclosure reserved for the caliph and his retinue.

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Activity: Cultural Visit to Cordova

Medina Azahara

- Where is the Palace of the Medina Azahara located?

- How are its components constructed?

- At the entrance there is an exhibition gallery. Describe the remains

inside of that gallery.

- A general map: color red the House of the Military, in green the door

to the entrance of the Alczar, in yellow the Mosque and in blue the

throne room.

-

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- The first access point on the north wall is an elbow access point.

Can you explain reason of this design?

The Mosque

- The Mosque is a result of various extensions, color in yellow the early

Mosque, in red the extensions made by Abderramn II & III, in blue

the extension of Alhakn II and in green the extension Almanzor.

On the map also signal the following elements: the Fountain of the

(TRANSLATE abluciones), the wall of the quibla, mihrab and the minaret.

- Can you explain the system of construction utilized in the Mosque?

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- Draw the kinds of arches used in the Mosque.

- The mihrab is the most decorated area of the Mosque. What is the

cupola like? How is the door decorated? What colors were used? What

function does the mihrab have?

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Documents

Cultural Visit to Cordova (2)