Maqsura decoration, Cathedral-Great Mosque, Cordoba

Detail of kufic script and vegetal motifs in tesserae (glass mosaic with gold or coloured backing), in the dome above the maqsura, a richly decorated ribbed vault with small dome in front of the mihrab, redecorated under Al-Hakam II in 961, in the Cathedral-Great Mosque of Cordoba, in Cordoba, Andalusia, Southern Spain. The ceiling is decorated with kufic script, floral motifs, and a sunburst radiating from a tiny central star, with light coming from 8 latticed side windows. The first church built here by the Visigoths in the 7th century was split in half by the Moors, becoming half church, half mosque. In 784, the Great Mosque of Cordoba was begun in its place and developed over 200 years, but in 1236 it was converted into a catholic church, with a Renaissance cathedral nave built in the 16th century. The historic centre of Cordoba is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture by Manuel Cohen

Picture No

13434029

Media ID

45135701

Size

5906px x 3967px (11.6MB)

Credit

Manuel Cohen / Mary Evans

Source

Photograph by Manuel Cohen