The Great Mosque of Cordoba also known as the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba is considered one of the most impressive examples of Moorish architecture in the world. Originally built as a Catholic Church it was divided into Christian and Muslim halves in 711 when the Muslims invaded Spain. In 784 Caliph ‘Abd al-Rahman the first, purchased the Christian half of the church, demolished it and built the Grand Mosque. Because of the back and forth ownership between Muslims and Christians the Mosque is a hodge-podge of additions and add-ons that display multiple styles of architecture. Most of the pillars in the prayer hall are actually re-used Roman pillars taken from the area.
In the prayer hall of the Cordoba Mosque is a Mihrab (used in mosques to signify which wall faces Mecca). The Mihrab of the Mosque of Cordoba is shaped in a large horseshoe bordered on three sides by Islamic Calligraphy with multiple Qur’anic verses as well as words about Al-Hakam, the second Caliph of Cordoba who ruled from 961-976 CE.
Quranic Verses on the Mihrab of the Grand Mosque of Cordoba:
Bowing Down in Worship (Al-Sajda)
“Such is He who knows all that is unseen as well as what is seen, the Almighty, the Merciful” (32:6)
The Forgiver
“He is the Living One and there is no god but Him, so call on Him, and dedicate your religion entirely to Him. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.” (40:65)
The Gathering [of Forces] (Al-Hashr)
“He is God: there is no god other than Him, The Controller, The Holy One, Source of Peace Granter of Security, Guardian over all, the Almighty, the Compeller, The Truly Great; God is far above anything they consider to be His partner.” (59:23)
The Heights (Al-A’raf)
“We shall have removed all ill feeling from their hearts; streams will flow at their feet. They will say, ‘Praise be to God, who guided us to this: had God not guided us, We would never have found the way. The messengers of our Lord brought the Truth.’ A voice will call out to them, ‘This is the Garden you have been given as your own on account of your deeds.'” (7:43)
Repentance (Al-Tawba)
“[Prophet], never pray in that mosque. You should rather pray in a Mosque founded from its first day on consciousness of God: in this mosque there are men who desire to grow in purity-God loves those who seek to purify themselves. Which is better, the person who founds his building on consciousness of God and desire for His good pleasure, or the person who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice that will tumble down into the Fire of Hell, taking him with it? God does not guide the evildoers.” (9:108-109)
Other Resources:
The Meaning of The Great Mosque of Cordoba in the Tenth Century
Historic Centre of Cordoba-UNESCO World Heritage Site
Khan Academy-The Grand Mosque of Cordoba
THE REVELATION IN ARCHITECTURE 