Cordoba

Photo Bomb, I'm dropping:
I'll comment on a couple of them but mostly just look and enjoy. This is Cordoba, a once thriving city in the center of southern Spain. It is pretty much just a tourist trap now, or that is the impression I got. At its height it was the capital of the Iberian Muslim caliphate, circa mid 10th century.

 Working Roman water transportation system in the outdoor plaza adjacent to the mosque/cathedral.

There is Christian artwork adorning many of the walls within the old mosque as per it status as a Cathedral after the reconquest of Cordoba in 1236 by king Fernando III. The columns and the arches are the original Muslim design.

One of the best parts of the Muslim influence lies in the fact that they have always felt--more acutely now than ever--that representation of the Prophet or God is blasphemous. Thus their artwork and architecture is understated but no less elegant. Simplicity and function above ornamentation. It is refreshing compared to the uber-catholic gaudiness present in the cathedral section.

This is a section of flooring you can see from above of the original christian church that the mosque was built on top of. Here's the quick breakdown:

• 5th Century A.D. Roman Christians built a small church.
• The Visigothic kings, also Chrisitan, use the site as a place of worship and for governmental functions.
• Starting just after 800 A.D. the Muslims built the first mosque on the spot.
• After declaration of his status as Caliph, Abd Al-Rahman III had additions built onto the mosque in 955 A.D. These additions will take more than a hundred years to complete.
• As aforementioned, the Christians retake the city in the early 1200's, and to their credit, instead of just leveling the mosque and building in its place which would have been much easier structurally and more cost effective, they keep part of the structure intact and build around it.

So Roman Christians, Visigothic Christians, Muslims, Christians again. Spain's ancient history in a nutshell.

These are burial plots in the floor of the cathedral. Much like elsewhere in medieval Europe, having one's remains interred in the cathedral was an honor reserved for those who made lots and lots of money in their lifetimes. The coolest part is many of these are from the 1300's and if your spanish is good or even just decent you can read them.

Listing of priests who were killed during the Spanish civil war.

Christ on the crucifix beneath some of the most beautiful Muslim arch work.

These are the kind of things Christians added later. They look almost fake.

This chandelier was made out of 200 KG of stolen Latin American silver. It's good to be the christian conqueror in a land of savages.

Roman columns dotted the gardens circa 200 B.C.