Side Chapels and Treasury

For the first two centuries, the Christians restrained themselves to pretty much adapting the existing space. Often this meant creating smaller chapels under the arches, usually on the east and west sides of the building, but in this case, near the center.

Soon after the Christian conquest in 1236, side chapels sprung up inside the mosque, especially on the western wall added by al-Mansur where many of them remain today. Typically these were funded by families who then used them as mausoleums. Usually these would not raise the roof as the early Christian conquerors respected the Mosque as a significant part of Iberia's heritage. Above is one of the most elaborate chapels honoring the Holy Spirit who appears in the iconography at all 3 levels.

Bi-religious decorating schemes

Many of these chapels, such as the one honoring San Antonio above, show Christian statues amid Arabic-patterned screens.

This chapel to St. John the Baptist seems to have a classic Andalusian gold retable.

Not quite facing Mecca

Many of these chapels have been removed as later restorations tried to recreate the Mosque interior during the Moors' days. Above is one of the earliest extant maps of the cathedral showing the number of family tombs/chapels which lined the periphery in 1741. 

Most of the chapels that remain are along the east wall (shown at the top of the map) and the west wall at bottom.  Note the Christians orientated their cathedral perpendicular to the Moors main axis (with its mihrab is at right.) Because of how the Romans laid out the original town parallel to the river, a north-south line would nearly cut a diagonal across this rectangle with the mihrab facing the southeast.

The Treasury

The second largest dome to penetrate the Mosque roof is that of the Treasury also called the Cardinal’s chapel. It's positioning is a bit peculiar -- it's not in the center of the south wall where it would naturally flow from the transept of the cathedral. Rather it seems to abut the west side of the elegant mihrab of al-Hakam.

The entrance (pictured above) transitions us from Mudejar to Baroque through this marble arch with voussoirs of alternating colors reminiscent of the hundreds of stone-and-brick horseshoe arches. The abstract pattern of the wooden door itself suggests Arabic non-figurative art.

Inside the walls are redolent with the precious paraphernalia of cathedral worship.

Enrique de Arfe's Monster Monstrance

Above left is a view of the central dome over the cathedral’s signature piece -- an 8.5 foot tall monstrance weighing over 400 pounds and built in the shape of a 12-sided Gothic cathedral in the 16th century by Enrique de Arfe. (A monstrance holds the host at its center when the Eucharist is displayed). Enrique de Arfe. Born in Cologne, Germany, Enrique specialized in these gold monstrances including one every bit as elaborate in the cathedral at Toledo. He started a family tradition: his son created less important monstrances, but his grandson Juan Villafane and Arfe is arguably the greatest Spanish goldsmith. He also left behind a substantial body of writing to guide future artists – and secure his family’s reputation. One of his treatises criticized the excessive decoration of the Mannerists. (As is obvious from this monstrance, Grandpa Enrique, who died 10 years before Juan was born, didn’t read it).

The museum within the mosque

Tourist traffic flows through the treasury and into this space used as a museum. 

Parish of the Tabernacle

Continuing along the south wall, we find the Parish of the Tabernacle, an elaborate chapel in the southwest corner which projects a small rectangular extension through the mosque roof. Note Trompe-l'œil effects and the Mudejar arches smartened up with Christian lipstick. Al Mansur’s columns, once put up on a budget, seem to have been replaced with more expensive marble capped with gilded capitals. Altogether, this is a pleasant and intimate worship space in the cavernous mosque. Would that the 16th century bishop who raised the roof for his cathedral had settled for something like this.

The “statues” of Peter and Paul on either side of the tabernacle (pictured left below) are more Trompe-l'œil. The scenes on the gold tabernacle are of the Passion.

The Moors’ horseshoe arches appear to be plastered over and frescoed with all kinds of abstract patterns and figurative mannerist paintings such as this dyspeptic angel.

Thanks for visiting this extraordinary building with us. If you haven't seen enough of this place, click here to see 200 supplemental pictures.

The only Moorish building in Spain to rival this Mosque is Alhambra in Granada. It’s a secular palace and so completely different from this site. Check out our pictures and commentary of that jewel by clicking here.  Or see all of our travel pictures. 

Please join us in the following slide show to give Córdoba the viewing it deserves by clicking here.

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