Liminal spaces in the Great Mosque of Cordoba: urban meaning and politico -liturgical practices

Abstract

To understand the formal and emblematic meaning of the Friday mosques in the Andalusi cities, as well as their interaction with the urban life, it is necessary to analyse with attention not only the building itself but also the Arab sources and the Christian documents. The case of the Cordoba Mosque is paradigmatic and exceptional because of the state of conservation of the monument and its surroundings, and the volume of textual information about it and the city of Cordoba that survives. Seville is the only case that could be comparable. Textual information enables us to approach the city atmosphere around the mosque in the bustling capital of al-Andalus.