Our Impromptu Spanish Christmas Vacation – Day Three in Cordoba and Mijas

The next morning, we got up early and went to the Mezquita.

Amazing.

Beautiful.

An awe inspiring church…

Inside an old mosque.

The minaret at the Mezquita

Inside, there are hundreds of columns, topped with red and white arches. No pictures can really capture it.

A rose window in any other church would be outstanding, but here, it just decorates a side chapel. 

  

There are many, many side chapels around the perimeter of the mosque part of the Mezquita. They have been closed off and dedicated to various saints.

In front of many of the chapels, there are burial markers in marble

Husband took a bunch of amazing detail pictures…  

 

Most of the chapels have amazing ceilings overhead.

Even the ceiling over the walkways in the mosque have elaborate decorations 

This is the church built around 1300 that is smack in the middle of the old mosque. The ceiling seems to be miles above, which is how the Christians viewed God – far and remote. The Muslims, on the other hand, believed God to be much closer and more intimate, which influenced their architecture as well.

   

 

Now that’s an organ!

 

Seeing this amazing piece of architecture and expression of faith at 8:30 am on Christmas Eve morning with no one around – it was absolutely amazing. As I said, awe-inspiring. Hundreds of thousands Muslims could have worshipped here in one setting, and hundreds of Christians would have sat in the church. It’s incredible.

 

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We made it to our condo in Malaga that night. Since it was Christmas Eve, there weren’t a lot of places open. Down the hill from the condo, we found a Chinese place open and we ate there. Amazing food plus free champagne for the holiday!

This sunset capped an amazingly wonderful day…