Mezquita, Cordoba

The Mezquita-Cathedral  in Cordoba also known as the Great Mosque of Cordoba is regarded as one of the great monuments of Islamic architecture. The mosque was started in 785 , soon after the Moor’s initial inroads into Southern Spain, under the orders of Abd ra-Ahmen I  and was expanded upon up several times up to the late 10thC with the addition of a minaret and the stunning Mihrab. It was then converted in to a cathedral after the reconquista in 1236 by Christian forces and then a major building project in the 16th century inserted a new Renaissance cathedral nave and transept into the centre of the building. The Mezquita is a major tourist attraction in Spain and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.