Sunday, March 25, 2007
Cordoba, Spain, 22-23 Feb 2007: La Mezquita y la Sinagoga
Moslem Marvel And Jewish Jewel
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| While the rest of Europe was still mired in the Dark Ages, Cordoba was a medieval centre of religious learning and splendid cultural flowering. Under her tolerant Moslem rulers, Cordoba's Christians and Jews enjoyed relative religious freedom. Some, like Maimonides, even achieved prominence. Art, science, mathematics, medicine, philosophy fluorished. La Mezquita is the epitome of mosque architecture. A forest of over 800 marble pillars - salvaged from Roman and other ruins - support airy delicate double horseshoe arches that are decorated with alternating red and white stripes. An optical illusion multiplied several hundred times, the effect is mesmerizing. After Christian conquest, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V (yes, him again), commissioned the erection of a cathedral in the middle of the Mosque, against the wishes of the Christian city council. Doubly disappointed and dismayed by the meretricious result, he lived to regret his decision. |
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| At the south wall of the Mezquita is the mihrab - a niche that symbolizes the gateway to Mecca. Unusually, this mihrab is not exactly aligned to Mecca, being oriented to the south instead of southeast. The mihrab and the dome above are beautifully decorated with gold mosaic tiles and lovely calligraphy. At her zenith, thousands of Moslem faithful would gather in the Mezquita for prayers. All faced the mihrab, rising and prostrating in unison to the exaltations of Quranic verses that reverberated solemnly throughout the vast grand space. Nowadays, Moslem worship is expressedly proscribed by Cordoba's Catholic bishop. |
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| The Synagogue is one of three to survive the Spanish Inquisition. It is located in the heart of Cordoba's Juderia (Jewish Quarters)- a claustrophic labyrinth of narrow alleys and cul de sacs - a short walk from the Mezquita. Easily missed, its humble entrance is nearby a statue of Maimonides. The synagogue consists of a small square room with an upper level for women. On the walls are remains of ornate carvings of geometrical patterns and ribbons of exquisite arabesque calligraphy - surprisingly revealed to be Old Testament Hebrew verses. |
Labels: architecture, art, Cordoba, museum, religious site, Spain
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These are the 30 countries that I have ever set foot on. Airport stopovers don't count!
