The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz is a Catholicchapel and former mosque in Toledo, Spain. It is 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.
Built in 999 in Toledo, this mosque is a rarity in that it is in much the same state as when it was originally built.[1] The original patron was Ahmad Ibn Hadidi. The Arabic inscription in Kufic on the building states that Musa Ibn Ali built it.[2] The inscription, written with brick in Kufic script on the south-west façade, reveals these details of the mosque's foundation:
Bismila (in the name of Allah). Ahmad ibn Hadidi had this mosque erected using his own money requesting a reward in paradise for it from Allah. It was completed with the aid of Allah under the direction of Musa ibn Alí, architect and Sa'ada, and concluded in Muharram in 390 (Islamic calendar).[3]
Legend has it that a shaft of light guided the king to a figurine of the crucified Christ that had been hidden for centuries. He left his shield there with the inscription, "This is the shield which the King Alfonso VI left in this chapel when he conquered Toledo, and the first mass was held here".[1] The legend says that King Alfonso VI arrived in Toledo after his victory of capturing the city in 1085 when his horse fell in front of this chapel. The story tells that a candle has been continuously burning in the cracks of the stone wall throughout the entire rule of Muslims, and when the King further explored the place, he discovered a crucifix. The crucifix was moved to the Santa Cruz Museum, in the same city. It is said that the first mass after the King’s victory of Toledo was held here.[2]
In 1186, Alfonso VIII gave the building to the Knights of the Order of St John, who established it as the Chapel of the Holy Cross (Ermita de la Santa Cruz). At this time the mosque was renamed, and the apse was added.[4]
Architecture
The four columns inside the building
The building is a small square structure, measuring roughly 8m ×8m (26ft ×26ft), with a later semi-circular apse added to the east side. The mosque was built mostly from brick and stone.[5] Four columns capped with capitals support horseshoe arches that artfully divide the interior into nine compartments or bays. Covering each of these bays is a vault that with a distinctive design that is unique unto itself. Each vault employs the use of ribs to create the designs that make them unique. Each of these ribs follows the basic ideas of Islamic design. The ribs typically do not cross in the center, an idea that is seen in many Muslim designs. Some of the designs are more rectilinear while others embrace the curved forms of the vault more prominently. Within each one is a piece of their culture and tradition of building.[1] The cupola of the central vault is higher than the other ones and its ribs form a star shape. The columns and the capitals are spolia taken from previous buildings. Three of the capitals are of Visigothic origin.[6]
Interior of the dome
The construction techniques are a reflection of both the local building tradition as well as the influence from the caliphate in Córdoba. The influence of the caliphate can be seen in the brickwork on the façade of the building which resembles those seen at the Cathedral–Mosque of Córdoba. Originally the eastern wall was a continuous stretch of brick and served as the qibla wall for the mosque. Also located along this side would have been a mihrab used for worship. The former mihrab consisted of a niche inside a square section which was slightly larger than the other nine bays of the mosque.[6]
The other three façades are articulated by three-bay arcades. All are similar, but individual in their decoration.[7] The western wall which served as the main entrance is unique in how the arcade is articulated. This façade has a lobed arch, horseshoe arch, and a wider version of a horseshoe arch. Brickwork arches provide the decoration for the façade, which are influenced by the architecture in Córdoba.[8]
In later years, a Mudéjar-style semi-circular apse was added. In the process of the addition the qibla wall and mihrab were lost. The use of the Mudéjar style provided a smooth transition from the original structure to the apse, as the addition uses the same style of decoration and materials as the original. The continuation of the arch motif is an important link between the two sections of the building.[9]
There is a small garden next to the building with a small fountain in the center.[2]
Religious history
The mosque when first built during the Islamic era on behalf of Aḥmad Ibn Ḥadīd, aimed as a spot to practice Muslim beliefs.[10] During the Reconquista while Christian's were attacking Muslims and trying to evict them from the Iberian Peninsula the mosque was taken over.[4] When this happened this caused many of the renovations because of the new religious practices. There are many overlaying Muslim and Christian themes also because of this. It remains a Catholic mosque[clarification needed] to this day.[when?]
1 2 3 Pareja, Antonio (1999). Mezquita de Bab al Mardum, Cristo de la Luz, Toledo 999-1999 (in European Spanish). Spain: Fundacíon Cultura y Deporte Castilla-La Mancha, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha.
↑ Dodds, Jerrilynn Denise, Maria Rosa Menocal, and Abigail Krasner Balbale. The arts of intimacy: Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the making of Castilian culture. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.
Toledo is a city and municipality of Spain, the capital of the province of Toledo and the de jure seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha.
The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, officially known by its ecclesiastical name of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and located in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Due to its status as a former mosque, it is also known as the Mezquita and as the Great Mosque of Córdoba.
The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is a mosque situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan, Tunisia and is one of the largest Islamic monuments in North Africa.
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, or was divided between several Christian and Muslim kingdoms. Spanish architecture demonstrates great historical and geographical diversity, depending on the historical period. It developed along similar lines as other architectural styles around the Mediterranean and from Central and Northern Europe, although some Spanish constructions are unique.
The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, also known as the Ibn Shoshan Synagogue, is a former Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 4 Calle Reyes Católicos, in the historic old city of Toledo, in the province of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Erected in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, it is disputably considered the oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing. The building was converted to a Catholic church in the early 15th century.
Moorish architecture is a style within Islamic architecture which developed in the western Islamic world, including al-Andalus and what is now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Scholarly references on Islamic architecture often refer to this architectural tradition in terms such as architecture of the Islamic West or architecture of the Western Islamic lands. The use of the term "Moorish" comes from the historical Western European designation of the Muslim inhabitants of these regions as "Moors". Some references on Islamic art and architecture consider this term to be outdated or contested.
The Aljafería Palace is a fortified medieval palace built during the second half of the 11th century in the Taifa of Zaragoza in Al-Andalus, present day Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. It was the residence of the Banu Hud dynasty during the era of Abu Jaffar Al-Muqtadir. The palace reflects the splendor attained by the Taifa of Zaragoza at its height. It currently houses the Cortes of the autonomous community of Aragon.
The horseshoe arch, also called the Moorish arch and the keyhole arch, is a type of arch in which the circular curve is continued below the horizontal line of its diameter, so that the opening at the bottom of the arch is narrower than the arch's full span. Evidence for the earliest uses of this form are found in Late Antique and Sasanian architecture, and it was then used in Spain by the Visigoths. But in the 19th century, perhaps when these earlier uses had not been realized, it became emblematic of Islamic architecture, especially Moorish architecture and Mozarabic art in Iberia. It also made later appearances in Moorish Revival and Art Nouveau styles. Horseshoe arches can take rounded, pointed or lobed form.
San Sebastian is a redundant church in Toledo, Spain. Originally a mosque, it was converted for use as church after the Reconquista. It is protected by the heritage listing Bien de Interés Cultural.
The Mosque of las Tornerías is a former mosque in Toledo, in the Castile-La Mancha of Spain. The former Moorish-style mosque 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 Puerta Bab al-Mardum, or Puerta de Valmardón, is a city gate of Toledo, Spain. It was built in the 10th century and is one of the oldest gates in the city. Its name 'mardum' is Arabic for 'blocked up'. Perhaps because its function was taken over by the Puerta del Sol. The Spanish name Valmardón is a rough, phonetic imitation of the Arabic. 'Mezquita Bab al-Mardum' is another name for the nearby Mosque of Cristo de la Luz.
The Iglesia de San Román is a church in Toledo. The church was built in the Mudéjar style in the 13th century. On this site there was an old Visigothic structure and probably an ancient Roman building.
The Iglesia de las Santas Justa y Rufina is a medieval church in Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is one of a group of so-called Mozarabic parish churches in Toledo, whose existence has been documented since 1156. However, certain material remains reveal the existence in this place of an Islamic construction, which would undoubtedly have to be identified with a mosque. Until very recently, the only testimony of the existence of an Islamic construction consisted of a fragment of arch that, on a Visigothic pilaster, was embedded in the northwest facade of the temple. The reuse of a piece from previous period, combined with the characteristics of the cutting of the arch, allow them to think of an Islamic work dating around 10th century.
The Church of San Andrés is a Catholic church located in the city of Toledo, in Castile-La Mancha, Spain. The building is of medieval origin, and as is common in this city, is a mix of different styles. It is protected by the heritage listing Bien de Interés Cultural.
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 Iglesia de San Vicente is a medieval church located in Toledo, it appears as a parish already in 1125, although, there is documentation that speaks of its being founded by Alfonso VI shortly after his conquest of the city in 1085.
The Church of St Leocadia is a medieval church located in Toledo, in Castile-La Mancha, Spain.
The Kasbah Mosque, also known as the Moulay al-Yazid Mosque, is a historic mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. It was originally built by the Almohad ruler Yaqub al-Mansur in 1185–1190 CE. It is located in the Kasbah district, the city's former citadel, near the site of its historic royal palaces. Along with the Kutubiyya Mosque, it is one of the most important historic mosques in Marrakesh.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
