The Catedral de Córdoba was formerly the Great Mosque of Córdoba, or the Mezquita. It has long been on my list of places to visit (and photograph). With its 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite it did not disappoint! Although the temperature was almost 100F when we visited on September 11th, it was a place that took my breath away.
Built in the 700s by the Moors, it was taken over by Catholic monarchs in the 1200s. Rather than tear it down, as had been done in Toledo and Seville, they built a Baroque cathedral right in the center of it leaving a treasure of architecture and art for future generations.
Tomorrow we are back in Paris.
I'd weep if something as magnificent as this was even considered for tearing down. Your photos took my breath away, Genie.
ReplyDeleteAnd mine! Worth venturing out in any weather for photos like these. I'm quite happy to go "beyond" with you today!
ReplyDeleteThank you Genie for sharing your beyond! wow x
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing. My shutter button finger is quivering at the thought.
ReplyDeleteV
Shell -- I think that in 1200AD it was not much of a concern. The cathedral which was built (1500s?)inside the forest of columns is also rich and a beauty in its own right.
ReplyDeleteAlexa -- All the photos I had seen prior to going did not prepare me for the enormity of it all -- amazing construction!
Sooz -- It won't be too long before you are in Paris "and beyond" with DD.
Virginia -- You are too funny and yes, I did take many, many (okay, an obscene number) of photos. The groupings of arches looked different in the shadows and in the filtered light.
Holà Genie,
ReplyDeletei'm so glad you liked Cordoba. for me, it's really the gem of Andalusia, ok with Granada...
yes, you should try Mama Shelter on your next trip and tell me what you think !
Hasta luego ! :-)
Lala
What a jewel. Spain is also on my 'places I want to visit' list.
ReplyDeleteHolà Lala (alliteration at its best!) -- You know that I had to wait and wait to have only one tiny tourist in the shot. We enjoyed a delightful café and tapas with the locals. It was in a quiet square with a fountain among the trees -- lovely!
ReplyDeleteLoree -- You and your family would enjoy exploring this area of Spain and Lala (above) would have many ideas for a trip to Andalusia.
What a magnificent structure!!! We are very fortunate indeed that they chose not to destroy it back then and that Genie captured such lovely photos to share with us!! I'd love to see the cathedral in the middle of all this...I can't even imagine it!!!
ReplyDeleteI love that top shot! What a great angle...
ReplyDelete'Tess -- You walked through this "forest" of red/cream arches and found yourself in a high-ceilinged richly ornamented and bright cathedral. Merci, Chieftess!
ReplyDeletePaul -- As a photographer yourself you know that there are times when you choose an angle to avoid "the tourists" but in this case I was clicking just to try to take it all in. I have just about every angle possible and will be deleting many photos, but it's not like you can just run back tomorrow if you don't have just the right shot.
Superb patterns in your picture. Interesting facts to add to it
ReplyDeleteVerdaderament bella! Genie, these photos are amazing -- I so wish I could have been there to translate for you -- maybe next time you'll take your interpreter with you :-)
ReplyDeleteBeyond words ...
"Less is more" does not apply to photographers! I live in fear of missing that one fab shot in Paris and thinking I won't get the chance again. Keep them all so you can remember this glorious place.
ReplyDeleteV
Mo -- Thank you for your kind comments! Please visit again.
ReplyDeleteM -- I really needed an interpreter. You know how I love to talk and they did not understand French either. I was reduced to a few words and vowed to do better the next time. I actually did better in Greece with the language, probably because I was worried that without the key phrases I would starve (and thirst) to death!
Virginia -- I agree and am so very thankful that it is a cheap medium (4 Gig, 6 Gig, etc.) and not a film camera -- hah! I am only deleting the "fuzzy" ones.
Lucky you Genie! That is stunning. I am so amazed by the things you get to see.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots! I think this was one of my favorite places on the trip there many years ago. Funny - the engineer in me was fascinated at the irrigation system in the courtyard too!
ReplyDeleteWow! Good for you. I absolutely fell in Love with France and the French language... I'm still stuck in Texas and my beautiful French continues to fade each year! I do Love to visit though...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blog Love!
Beatriz.
Randy -- I feel lucky to have been there. That's one of the wonderful things about blogging and the internet. You can take me to Santa Fe and I can transport you to Paris (and Cordoba). I promise that neither one of us will get jet lag either!
ReplyDeleteHolly, my artistic, macaron-baking, traveling engineer -- Wish you had been with us this time!
Beatriz -- Listen to French radio on-line. If you speak French, don't lose it! Glad that you stopped by and made a comment.
Ah, yes. The Caliphate of Córdoba which ruled the Iberian peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa from 929 to 1031. It was before and during that period that the Grand Mosque was built, on the foundation of an old Christian Church. The structure is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
ReplyDeleteYour picture of the great forest of pillars is breathtaking. The intricacy of the work truly amazing.
Thank you.
Rob -- I can see that you might be my "go to" person for research and historical details. I also read that they used materials (some of the columns) from an old (hah!) Roman temple that originally was on the site.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post!
Starman, it is amazing. I hope that your travels will take you there.
ReplyDeleteI like the repeating patterns and arches. Spain seems like a wonderful place but 100f is way too hot for moi. :)
ReplyDeleteJames -- Most of the time it is not that hot. The average high temp in October is 25C/77F. July and Aug are the hottest months and we just hit an unusually "warm" day in September!
ReplyDeleteHa! Here's a good link!
ReplyDeletehttp://mainzdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/08/paul-haenlein-woz-here-1082.html
I was a history major in university, and for the last 30 years I've been writing the "rough draft of history" as a journalist. So this all comes pretty naturally.
ReplyDeleteBut the pictures that bring the history alive, in the present tense — that's part of the beauty of your pictures. Thank you so much for sharing that.
Rob, thank you for your comments. My travel journal and the photos keep my history alive and serve as a reminder to me of the wonderful opportunities I have had to travel and to share the experiences with friends, old and new.
ReplyDeleteMerci,
Genie
JB -- I saw your original post but had forgotten the connection to Cordoba. Merci!
This is a wonderful place and your photos do it justice.
ReplyDeleteJM -- Thank you and although Portugal is near it was not close enough for this trip and deserves a dedicated look-see of its own.
ReplyDeletexx
Genie