I am not converting to Islam, but mosques are cool

I went to Cordoba, Spain just to see the great mosque that was begun in the 10th century.  Little did I know that that mosque was inside the medieval walls of an amazing city that has been there since Roman times (totally dorking out on history here).

View of medieval wall that separates old Cordoba from new Cordoba.

There are intricate old streets that weave their way though a city that has a history that includes some of the most important Jewish and Islamic scholars in history.  

 

Medieval street with perfect drainage (I am totally a nerd for observing these things, but the Muslims were so precise with their engineering that every, single stone in the street is diagonal to promote the fast flow of water away from living quarters).

The leaders of Cordoba built a large fortress to protect the city.  The Alcazar of Cordoba keeps watch for invaders.

View out over the fortress (it was a beautiful day).

Of course the Christians came and overtook the town, but in the case of Cordoba, they altered very little of the already existing monuments.  They made themselves known though.

 Statues of Ferdinand and Isabela giving Columbus the power to "discover" the New World in the garden of the Cordoba Alcazar.

Next is the mosque.  I have been teaching this building for the past 8 years and I was so excited to finally see it in person.  I was truly moved at how much history the building has.

 

 Partial exterior of the mosque.  It is so decorated because it is made to make you feel like you are entering heaven on earth.

Entering into the mosque you make your way to the Mihrab, which is like the altar of a church.  The endless, towering columns, overwhelm you and make you feel like you have entered into another world.

The Mihrab is a gold and glass tile and is perfectly radially symmetrical.  There are no images of god, yet it represents his presence through the writing of his name in calligraphy, Allah.  It towers over the viewer by 20 feet.

In the Christian era the king did not have the heart to tear down this beautiful building (like so many other mosques in reconquista Spain), so he built his cathedral in the center of the mosque.  Even though there is a cathedral at the center the rest of the structure, like the colonnade (seen above), is not considered part of the cathedral. 

 

16th century Renaissance cathedral emerging out of a 10th century mosque surrounded by 17th century paintings and sculptures; this is an art historical dream!

Oh yeah, and we were there when the town was celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation in all of their flamenco finery (two adorable girls dressed up in the courtyard of the mosque/cathedral).  What an amazing combination of things!

Now your boring history lesson is done.  Don't worry, I'm drinking too much wine and dancing to house music every night too.

Hasta luego Cordoba.