Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: weltkulturerbe

The richly gilded ‘mihrab’ (prayer niche) is commonly considered being the juwel in the crown of the Mezquita. The mihrab - a horseshoe arch supported by two marble columns - is a masterpiece of architectural art, with geometric and flowing designs of plants and ornamented in stucco, gold leaf and tile. The present mihrab came into being during the expansion of the mosque in the year of 961 !! Traditionally the mihrab of a mosque faces in the direction of Mecca, which would be east-southeast, but the mihrab of the Mezquita in Córdoba unusually points south. (during the expansion a number of domes with skylights over the area in front of the mihrab were built for extra light; didn’t make shooting perfect images easier for me)

Decorations above one of the entrance gates - Puerta de la Concepción Antigua - of the Mezquita in Córdoba.

Construction of the Great Mosque of Córdoba started in 798 by Abd al-Rahman I. The building is considered being the most beautiful expression of Islamic art in Spain. It was the place of worship for the rulers of the western Islamic empire Al-Andalus. The so called Mezquita is a jewel of Hispano-Islamic art with its 850 columns, double arches and Byzantine mosaics. In the year of 1236 Córdoba was conquered by Fernando III and the mosque was consecrated as a cathedral. The cathedral canons ordered in 1523 the center of the mosque pulled down to make way for a gothic transept and apse, later embellished with renaissance decorations and in the mid-18th century baroque choir stalls and pulpits.