Exploring the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba

Embark on a captivating journey through the centuries as we unveil the mesmerizing Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. Witness the seamless fusion of Islamic and Christian influences in this architectural marvel, where two worlds collide in harmony. Delve into the rich tapestry of history, art, and spirituality as we explore the significance and cultural legacy of this iconic landmark.

Sources/Recomended Reading:

Ebstein, Michael (2014). "Mysticism and Philosophy in al-Andalus: Ibn Masarra, Ibn al-Arabi and the Isma'ili Tradition". Brill.

Kennedy, Hugh (2016). "Muslim Spain and Portugal: a political history of al-Andalus". Routledge.

Menocal, Maria Rosa; Raymond P. Scheindlin & Michael Sells (ed.) (2000). "The Literature of al-Andalus". Cambridge University Press.

Stroumsa, Sarah & Sara Sviri (2009). "The Beginnings of Mystical Philosophy in al-Andalus: Ibn Masarra and his Epistle on Contemplation". JSAI 36. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Wymann-Landgraf, Umar F. Abd-Allah (2013). "Malik and Medina: Islamic Legal Reasoning in the Formative Period". Brill.

#andalucia #islam #christianity

[gigagorilla]

i love your unbiased and rich view of religion and the massive respect you have for different faiths

[sariahmarier]

Whenever I see such glorious architecture, I think of all the artists, artisans, craftspeople, and laborers who collectively collaborated to bring about these marvels.

[Reedanimzthestupe]

Dude you are literally one of the most unbiased religious teacher I've ever seen and heard about. I'm a Muslim and the way u refuse to put neither religions in a bad light is just really refreshing to see as their are a lot of scholars out their that prefer to attack other religions than teach their own ☹️. God bless you either way dude.

[ultramet]

I have visited this mosque several times. One of my tour guides informed me that, apparently, when the Christians took over they initially didn’t do much to the Mosque. However, in the 16th century they asked Charles V for his permission to insert a new Renaissance nave and transept. He gave his permission. Years later when he finally visited the new Cathedral he basically was a bit annoyed as he believed the mosque was much more beautiful/majestic than the inserted cathedral. I am not of the Islamic faith but admit that that original mosque is so much more beautiful than the Renaissance cathedral structure. In any event, if you haven’t, you must visit this majestic structure in person. It is stunning.

[lerneanlion]

In my view, al-Andalus is one of the most exciting periods and places in human history. And the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba are one of its greatest legacies!

[kfz]

I took my family to Spain few years back. We went to Cordoba and Granada, and visited the mosque and Alhambra. I must say for me both the mosque and Alhambra were absolutely amazing!!

[Lawarch]

Its pretty interesting that often times when different faiths and religions subsume others they tend to adopt or transform existing places of worship. I remember you talking about this with one of your early videos looking at how there was a church built close to or on top of an existing sacred place related to Norse Paganism. I guess an interesting example of the opposite of Cordoba happening can be seen with the Hagia Sophia where an older church was transformed into Mosque and was so successful it became the model for many other Ottoman mosques later on.

[stephenparathath]

I visited in 2023.A gorgeous piece of Christian and muslim art works monument

[michelepineau]

I loved visiting this fascinating building as well as the Alhambra while touring Spain.

[cheri]

We all who love you on your expertise of all religions and especially your music leaves wanting more.Thank you, Filip❤

[yahsadaud]

Another blending faiths story is in Jakarta, there is a mosque that design by non-muslim and on front of mosque is cathedral church that design by a muslim. The mosque is called Istiqlal Mosque

[ReynaSingh]

a beautiful example of unity across faiths

[userahmed]

دائماً أرى تعصب الناس للأديان المختلفة و هذه القناة هو الملجأ الوحيد اللذي لا يوجد فيه سوى الإحترام ، شكراً لك ❤

[sandokanpetrolis]

Im from Córdoba and since centuries, the mosque/catedral is a catholic temple. The name mosque is only for commercial/ touristic marketing to attrack visitors.
Apart from that, the building is fantastic and it deserves a visit in depth and discover its history as well as the rest of the monuments spread through the city. Regards !

[richardmccombs]

If you believe in one God, then everyone who worships God is praying to the same God. The path to get to God is what changes and also must be watched to make sure the path is pure. Blessings

[MocheBenMaimon]

I've been here twice in my life, I had to come back to see it again because of how amazing it is. I've told so many people about it and to me, as a Jew, the Mosque-Cathedral is a really impressive testament of what it means to have respect for your fellow's religion instead of hate. Córdoba was the home of one of our most famous Rabbis in the Sefardi tradition, Rambam (Maimonides) and there are many interesting Jewish monuments to see in the city. It's one of my favorite places in Europe just because you can see the layers of Jewish, Christian and Muslim history blended together in harmony.

[bongo]

I was there in December and one cool thing is that many of the columns you see are actually of Roman origin! Repurposed by the original mosque builders. That place is truly a mix of cultures and histories and civilizations.

[kesorangutan]

This reminds me of Parthenon. It was a temple for Athena then a church then a mosque. Yes, Parthenon was used as a mosque. It even had a minaret lol.

Also I'm from Tarsus and there's a place called "tomb of Daniel" in here. Basically tomb was under a riverbed where they built a bridge. Then muslims came and built a mosque above the bridge. Now I don't know if Daniel really lies there because there's another tomb of Daniel in Iran but i still find it very interesting how people remember holy places even if it is under a riverbed.

[modern-hestia]

I will be visiting Cordoba and Seville this summer so watching your videos a lot. Thank you so much for the wonderful explanations

[MrPlito]

One interesting thing about the Mosque-Cathedral is that it illustrates a very interesting point of history and urbanism, which is "buildings change, but uses usually dont". Before the cathedral, there was obviously a mosque. Before the mosque, there was a church or a cathedral built by the Goths, and before that it was moat likely a place of cult and prayer for some pre-christian religion, maybe the Romano-Hellenic religion, or some religion native to the region. Point being, for milennia, that same place, that area of the city, has been THE place for religious practices no matter who owned the city or which gods were praised. Its almost as if it was an obligation to do it there, something mystical force needs to be theorized and praised there, regardless of how the people of each time decide to represent it.