Córdoba, or Cordova in English, is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. It is the largest city in the province, 3rd largest in Andalusia, after Sevilla and Málaga, and the 12th largest in Spain. It was a Roman settlement, taken over by the Visigoths, followed by the Muslim conquests in the eighth century and later becoming the capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba. The city served as the capital in exile of the Umayyad Caliphate and other emirates. During these Muslim periods, Córdoba was transformed into a world leading center of education and learning, producing figures such as Averroes, Ibn Hazm, and Al-Zahrawi, and by the 10th century it had grown to be the second-largest city in Europe. It was conquered by the Kingdom of Castile through the Christian Reconquista in 1236.
The Mozarabic Rite, officially called the Hispano-Mozarabic Rite, and in the past also called the Visigothic Rite or the Hispanic Rite, is a liturgical rite of the Latin Church once used generally in the Iberian Peninsula (Hispania), in what is now Spain and Portugal. While the liturgy is often called 'Mozarabic' after the Christian communities that lived under Muslim rulers in Al-Andalus that preserved its use, the rite itself developed before and during the Visigothic period. After experiencing a period of decline during the Reconquista, when it was superseded by the Roman Rite in the Christian states of Iberia as part of a wider programme of liturgical standardization within the Catholic Church, efforts were taken in the 16th century to revive the rite and ensure its continued presence in the city of Toledo, where it is still celebrated today. It is also celebrated on a more widespread basis throughout Spain and, by special dispensation, in other countries, though only on special occasions.
The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, officially known by its ecclesiastical name, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and located in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Due to its status as a former Islamic mosque, it is also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba, or the Mezquita.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the adjoining Alcázar palace complex and the General Archive of the Indies. It is the fourth-largest church in the world as well as the largest Gothic church.
Spanish architecture refers to architecture in any area of what is now Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings which were constructed within the current borders of Spain prior to its existence as a nation, when the land was called Iberia, Hispania, Al-Andalus or was divided between several Christian and Muslim kingdoms. Drawing from many different sources, Spanish architecture demonstrates great historical and geographical diversity. Spanish architecture tended to develop along similar lines as other architectural styles around the Mediterranean and from Northern Europe.
The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca is a museum and former synagogue in Toledo, Spain. Erected in 1180, according to an inscription on a beam, it is disputably considered the oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing. It is now owned and preserved by the Catholic Church.
Cuenca Cathedral is a Gothic cathedral in the city of Cuenca, located in the Province of Cuenca in the Castile-La Mancha region of south-eastern central Spain. The building is one of the earliest Spanish examples of Gothic architecture, built at a time when the Romanesque style predominated in the Iberian Peninsula. In particular, the cathedral is characteristic of the Norman and Anglo-Norman architecture of the 12th century, of which Soissons Cathedral, Laon Cathedral and Notre-Dame de Paris are representative examples.
Saints Justa and Rufina (Ruffina) are venerated as martyrs. They are said to have been martyred at Hispalis (Seville) during the 3rd century.
Moorish architecture, is a style within Islamic architecture which developed in the western Islamic world, which included al-Andalus, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The term "Moorish" comes from the Western European designation of the Muslim inhabitants of these regions as "Moors", which itself comes from Latin "Mauri", originally a designation of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Mauretania. Some scholars also use the term Western Islamic architecture or "architecture of the Islamic west" for this subject.
The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz is a former mosque in Toledo, Spain. It is the one of the ten that existed in the city during the Moorish period. The edifice was then known as Mezquita Bab-al-Mardum, deriving its name from the city gate Bab al-Mardum. It is located near the Puerta del Sol, in an area of the city once called Medina where wealthy Muslims used to live.
Mozarabic art refers to art of Mozarabs, Iberian Christians living in Al-Andalus, the Muslim conquered territories in the period that comprises from the Arab invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (711) to the end of the 11th century, adopted some Arab customs without converting to Islam, preserving their religion and some ecclesiastical and judicial autonomy.
Santa María de Melque is a church in the province of Toledo in Spain. It has been described as the biggest fully vaulted early medieval church still standing in Western Europe. It is located in the municipality of San Martín de Montalbán, equidistant from the towns of La Puebla de Montalbán and Gálvez, between the brook Ripas and the river Torcón, a tributary of the river Tagus.
The Colegio de Doncellas Nobles is a former girls' school in Toledo. It was founded in 1551 by the archbishop of Toledo and cardinal Juan Martínez Silíceo. The project, which had as its patron the king Philip II as well as the archbishop, had as its object the education of young women to be good mothers. Some came from humble families and others from noble families from all over Europe. They were expected to be of "clean blood". Funding was provided for the dowries of former pupils.
The horseshoe arch, also called the Moorish arch and the keyhole arch, is the emblematic arch of Moorish architecture. Horseshoe arches can take rounded, pointed or lobed form.
San Sebastian is a redundant church in Toledo, Spain. The building was originally a mosque and was converted for use as church after the Reconquista. It is protected by the heritage listing Bien de Interés Cultural.
The Mezquita de las Tornerías is a Moorish former mosque in Toledo. It was built in the middle of the 11th century on the foundations of Roman architecture, located in the old Muslim neighborhood Arrabal de Francos. Currently it houses the "Center Foundation of Promotion of the Crafts", that can be visited and hosts temporary exhibitions.
The Iglesia de El Salvador is a church in Toledo, Spain completed in 1159.
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, otherwise Toledo Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church in Toledo, Spain. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo.
The Church of San Bartolomé is a medieval building in Toledo, in Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is located in the southern part of the walled city, at the corner of calle San Bartolomé and calle Cristo de la Para, a few hundred meters south-west of the Cathedral of Santa María.
The Convento de las Carmelitas Descalzas de San José of Toledo is a monastic building dating from the second half of the 16th century.
