Cordoba Mosque: Mihrab, Sabat, and Treasury Architecture
Architectural Divisions of the Great Mosque
On either side of the wall, two distinct spaces were created:
The Sabat: Passage to the Caliph’s Palace
Turning right (west) led to a passage towards the Alcazar or the Government Palace. This Sabat function allowed the Caliph to enter the Maksura without having to go outside the complex.
The Treasury: Safeguarding Mosque Riches
Turning left (east) was intended to house the mosque’s treasure. This included money, jewelry, gold, and especially the minbar. This area was discovered in the sixteenth century.
These divisions also led to the creation of three decorative facades.
The Mihrab: A Masterpiece of Islamic Architecture
The Mihrab stands out architecturally within the mosque as it is the first preserved example of its kind in Islamic architecture.
It utilizes seven meters of the wall, with the remaining two by two meters forming a solid, polygonal shape.
Mihrab Interior: Sacred Space Details
At the bottom, a plinth of veined marble panels, smooth and uncut, is visible.
Above these are two inscriptions referring to the necessity of purification before prayer (ritual ablution).
Further up, blind trefoil arches, supported by columns, are surrounded by carved stucco panels with acanthus decoration. Originally, these blind arches may have been decorated. The interior culminates with another inscription of verses from the Koran. The coating is achieved through a dome-shaped plaster shell.
Signatures of the artists are found inside the Mihrab. These same signatures are repeated in the Salón Rico (Rich Hall) of Medinat al-Zahara, indicating the involvement of the same artisans.
Mihrab Exterior: Ornate Caliphate Design
The exterior design is structurally inspired by the façade of the Puerta de San Esteban.
The entrance features a horseshoe arch, increasingly canted, characteristic of the Caliphate period.
There is a tendency for the base and bottom to be eccentric, as they are not parallel.
Alfices, with their overlapping boxes, resemble Kufic inscriptions. Above, a gallery of trefoil blind arches features alternating voussoirs.
At the bottom, a pedestal displays profusely carved, thick marble panels with acanthus motifs.
The decoration adheres to aniconism, yet depicts the tree of life. These motifs are identical to those of Medinat al-Zahara, confirming the same artists.
Blue and pink marble columns, two of which originate from the old Mihrab of Abd al-Rahman II, are present. The Corinthian capitals are characteristic of the period.
The spandrels of the arch and the arch ring itself are decorated with stucco (plaster carving). This evokes palm leaves or ‘pai-pai’ decoration, also found in Medinat al-Zahara.
The most splendid feature is the decoration of glazed tile mosaics covering the entire façade.
Byzantine Mosaic Art and Its Influence
This type of decoration was not new; it emulates the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, built by the Umayyads in the eighth century with Byzantine influence, similar to the Mosque of Damascus, which also follows this pattern of parietal mosaics.
Given this tradition, Caliph Al-Hakam II wrote to Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, requesting an expert in mosaics. These experts were known as mosaicists.
The emperor not only sent a mosaicist but also kilos and kilos of tiles for the work. The mosaicist stayed long enough to establish a school of local artists in al-Andalus.
The work was completed by these Spanish artists, and different hands are discernible, indicating a collaborative effort.
It was not fully completed until the year 971.
The Byzantine mosaic technique offered diverse decorative options, including epigraphic, plant, and geometric elements.
The colors used were green, blue, red, and gold.
Facades of the Sabat and Treasury
These facades also feature mosaic decoration, though it is less extensive than that of the Mihrab.