The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-10-13
A SPANISH MOSQUE.
Description OF tlae Interesting Old
Temple al CordOvn.

AenPfe AT CoruOvns
The great Mosque seems to have been
quite apart from the seven hundred others
which, when Cordova was at the height of
its splendor, formed, with innumerable
cafes, bazars and magnificent residences,
the glory of the Arab quarter. 1t was
built on the site of the Roman Temple Of
Janus aud of material plundered from the
Roman ruins of all Spain and the north of
Africa. 1t had nearly six hundred columns
arranged in nineteen aisles in such a man
ner that the spectator can look in any
direction down long, dim lanes of marble
columns into what seems to be rather q
forest of pillars than pillared lane. But
a volume would be necessary to describe
this elaborate mosque-cathedral One finds
his way to 1t by tortuous streets that de.
scribe all known geometrical curves and
angles and having passed into the great
quadrangular court by gate in the square
tower, which replaced the old Arab Giralda,
enters at one of the low doors and finds him
self at once amid the vast maze of columns.
The original idea of mosque was only
four square walls, one story in height, with
columns here and there within, supporting
flat As the sacred buildings became
richer and more numerous the number of
columns was increased without adding to
the height, and as their builders gained
ideas of architecture from the nations they
conquered, arches, mural designs in color
and minarets were added, with sometimes
dome to give spaciousness and the sense
If majesty that comes from altitude. Some
u the modern mosques, such as that regal
ediice of Mehemet Ali, have loftiness of
interior, but architects criticise the style as
impure. That at Cordova embodied the
original idea with such others as the Arabs
had gained, up to the moment of its erec-
ton, from their numerous conquests.
Before the visitor has fairly accustomed
himself to the twilight of the interior he is
accosted by several guides, who, il he is
wise, vainly offer their services Then no
becomes conscious of biack-robed priests
gliding here and there among the columns,
and from some far of and underlined local
ity comes an antiphonal chorus Of priests
chanting the canticles. One column, one
arch, one pillared aisle looks just like IN.
other, and after much aimless wandering,
in which he has made the conscientious
tour of the chapels which line the nearly
half-mile Of circuit and tried in the dark
ness to have look at paintings said to be
by the great Ribera, he turns toward the
centre and, guided by the music Of the
organ, soon finds himself at the lofty carved
and gilded choir, the really ecclesiastical
part of the building, which has displaced
sixty-three of the columns, and which,
though entirely out of character with its
surroundings, is as good representation of
the architecture of 800 years ago as is to be
found in Spain. It ia old, older than any
building in America, but IL seems fresh
from the hands of the builders when COM
pared with the mosque itself which is horny
with more than thousand years. From
the tower can be obtained birds eye view
of the city, the windings of the Guadalquiy-
er, the remains of the ancient BRIDGE oil
the old Arab walls and towers which form.
ed its defences for SO many centuries. To
the south, beyond the river lies the fertile
plain stretching off toward the Sierra Neva-
das within whose rocky walls is embosomed
the still, fair Granada. To the north the
horizon is waved and fumowed by the south.
ernmost spurs of the Sierra Morenn already
white with autumn SHOWS