Hispano-Muslim Art and the Mosque of Cordoba
Hispano-Muslim Art
The Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem, Umayyad, 7th century) differs from traditional mosques. Built to house a sacred rock, traditionally believed to be the site of Abraham’s sacrifice, it features an octagonal structure and a large Byzantine-style dome, covered in gold, giving it a luxurious and magnificent appearance.
The Mosque of Kairouan
Built in the 9th century (Abbasid era) on the structure of a 7th-century mosque, the Mosque of Kairouan (Tunisia) exemplifies traditional mosque architecture. Its key elements—the sahn (open courtyard), minaret, haram (prayer room), and mihrab on the qibla wall marked by a dome—are clearly visible. Inside, the mosque features aisles separated by columns with Roman-inspired capitals, overlapping columns and pillars, and Moorish arches, all reminiscent of the Mosque of Cordoba.
The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (India, 17th century) showcases the reach of Muslim art into India. Commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife, it blends local Indian art with Muslim architectural features like a bulbous dome, pointed-arch porch, and slender minarets.
Cordoba Stage (8th-10th Centuries)
After the Islamic conquest of Spain, Abd al-Rahman I established the Emirate of Cordoba, independent of Baghdad. His descendants later founded the Caliphate of Cordoba.
Cordoban Architecture
- Repurposed Roman and Visigothic capitals, schematized and low-volume, with non-naturalistic decoration featuring small, deep cavities.
- Frequent use of semicircular and horseshoe arches, often framed within panels.
- Caliphate-style ribbed domes, where the ribs do not intersect at the center.
- Decorative plasterwork and geometric Kufic calligraphy.
The Mosque of Cordoba (8th-10th Centuries)
One of the most iconic monuments of Spanish Islamic art, the Mosque of Cordoba was built in stages throughout the Cordoban period. Abd al-Rahman I began construction, incorporating elements of a Visigothic church. Abd al-Rahman II expanded the mosque southward. Al-Hakam II further expanded it, creating the current mihrab and maxura. Finally, Al-Mansur added more sections to the east. While the early stages are austere, later additions are more sumptuous and decorative.
Exterior
The mosque’s exterior displays attention to detail, with gable roofs indicating the direction of the naves and horseshoe-arched entrance doors framed by alfiz panels and friezes of intersecting and lobed arches. The Gate of St. Stephen is a notable example.
Interior
The Mosque of Cordoba’s interior features overlapping naves separated by columns and pillars supporting horseshoe and semicircular arches, respectively. The arches alternate red and white voussoirs, a Roman influence. The mihrab and maxura area, from Al-Hakam II’s era, is richly decorated with tile mosaics, lobed arch friezes, Kufic calligraphy, and plasterwork, showing Byzantine influence. The mihrab’s interior boasts a Caliphate-style ribbed dome with a central opening. The maxura, marked by an arcade of horseshoe and lobed arches, exhibits the increasing baroque and decorative tendencies of Hispano-Muslim art. The Villaviciosa Chapel, within the maxura, also features a ribbed vault and intersecting lobed arches.