The Mezquita and Tortillas

Well folks, I finally did it!

Katherine’s visit to Córdoba was infinitely successful, in my opinion.  We ate, drank, and went sightseeing to our hearts’ content.  One of our first stops was the Mezquita, which we went to see on Friday morning.  Admission is free if you enter the site before 10AM on weekdays, so we enjoyed a chilly but delightfully solitary morning in the mosque-cathedral.

arches in the entryway

Arab-style screen

chandeliers

ceiling in the prayer hall

me inside the prayer hall

ornate doorway

For those of you who don’t know much about the Mezquita, you should really just click over here.  However, my abbreviated version of the fascinating history that surrounds this landmark is as follows: the original building was built by Christians around the year 600, but was only used as a church until the Ummayad Caliphate overthrew the Christian Visigothic kingdom in 715.  At that point, Abd al-Rahman purchased the building from the Christians (because he allowed the citizens of Al-Andalus to practice whatever religion they pleased, and in turn encouraged the Christians to rebuild their churches that had been damaged in the war) and in 784 began to remodel it into a mosque.  For three centuries, this mosque was an extremely important religious and symbolic site for Muslims living in Al-Andalus.  Its open prayer hall full of red and white arches and columns is referenced in countless literary and theatric publications from the time period.  However, after the Reconquista led by King Ferdinand III in 1236, the mosque was seized and once again made into a Christian church.  A cathedral now sits smack-dab in the middle of the building, complete with two organs and ornate altars.  Other alterations include the walls and doors around the building, which enclose the formerly open-air prayer hall, and a Christian bell tower instead of an Islamic minaret.

entryway

ceiling in the cathedral

mosque meets cathedral

altar

courtesy of a Portuguese tourist

Here’s what’s bizarre to me though: when you’re walking through the Mezquita, you feel like you’re in a mosque.  The Christians left the terracotta arches and Arab tile work, which are still the main symbol of the Mezquita.  However, the walls around the prayer hall are small chapels with Christian paintings and altars.  The building is quite dark until you walk into the center, where the cathedral sits beneath several skylights.  Mass is held there regularly, although Spanish Muslims aren’t allowed to worship in the Mezquita.

Essentially, fusion architecture is bizarre, and the Mezquita is the epitome of this phenomenon.  It is truly awe-inspiring, and I feel really lucky to be living so close to such an amazing monument!

bell tower

in Patio de las Naranjas

The rest of my Friday with Katherine consisted of eating the famous tortilla de patatas from Bar Santos (the best part of this stop is sitting on the steps of the Mezquita while you eat) and walking around Córdoba’s most beautiful streets.  Later that evening, we met up with Becky and Hugh for a game of darts and a lovely dinner at my piso.

Calle de las Flores with the view of the Mezquita

so quaint

the woman who took this picture told me my Spanish was "preciousa"

Becky with her darts

dinner party

On Saturday, we spent the afternoon with Jess and her parents, who were visiting from Boston.  Her mom and step-dad, Lisa and Rick, took us out for tapas and regaled us with the story of their adventure to Morocco.  Afterwards, Katherine and I attempted our own tortilla de patata, which came off quite well (and with enough for breakfast the next day).  We spent our evening watching the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona futbol match in a bar full of boisterous fans!

the lovely chef

scrambling

almost done!

finished product

On the whole, it was a truly lovely weekend and I’m so glad to have a friend from home living so close to me here in Spain.  It’s wonderful to be only a (five hour) bus ride away from someone who really knows you!