Third and final expansion by Almanzor

At the end of the 10th century, the population of Córdoba had grown due to the arrival of African immigrants, making it necessary to once again expand the mosque. Expansion toward the south of the prayer hall was ruled out due to the proximity of the Guadalquivir River. With this project, Almanzor (976–1002) aimed not only to provide a clear display of the power he wielded as a dictator but also to avoid undermining the authority of the caliphs, which is why he did not demolish the previous expansion. For this reason, 8 aisles were added along the entire west side of the building, including the courtyard. The result of this expansion, in which the architects copied the structure of Alhaken II’s construction—reducing costs and eliminating the superfluous—gave that part of the mosque the appearance of a military building and an essentially utilitarian character, reflecting the pragmatism and sense of discipline of the Amirid dictator.

Almanzor’s Expansion

Almanzor added 8 aisles to the west side of the building

The shafts are made of gray jasper, in varying tones, yet quite uniform overall. The capitals are an abstraction of the composite order, although in the area parallel to Alhaken II’s expansion they alternate with the Corinthian style. The upper pillars are supported by roll modillions with an intermediate band, and the arches between them have stone voussoirs, though painted to simulate the alternating effect of stone and brick, as in Medina Azahara.

The façade of the prayer hall facing the courtyard was inspired by that built under Abderramán III, but with the wall thickness reduced by half, which led to the repositioning of the arches closest to it. As a result, a double bay was created in this area, narrower in width, with an upper horseshoe arch and a lower five-lobed arch. This makes this construction solution the most original of the entire expansion. The qibla was built with simplicity, consisting of a single wall with corresponding exterior buttresses. Almanzor’s imitative intent was so strong that the resulting walls from the qiblas of previous expansions were needlessly copied.

Four doors were opened in the expanded courtyard

A sign of Almanzor’s pragmatic mindset and his theoretical respect for the continuity of the Umayyad caliphal title is the absence of inscriptions commemorating the builders, although it is known that the person in charge of the work was Abd Allah Ibn Muhammad. The only inscriptions that remain are found inside the prayer hall, where the stonemasons, mostly Mozarabs, carved their names into the shafts of the columns.

The connection between the old aisles and the latest mosque expansion was made through large arches opened in the old eastern façade. These are doubled horseshoe arches supported by pairs of columns with rough bases. The new eastern façade had 7 doors, inspired by those of Alhaken II, the best-preserved being those restored in the early 20th century by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco with the help of sculptor Mateo Inurria Lainosa (1867–1924).

Regarding the expansion of the courtyard, it’s worth noting that 4 doors were opened in it, one of which aligns with the street that once faced the mosque’s eastern façade. Lastly, the famous cistern was built—a square-shaped tank divided into 9 vaulted spaces.

Visit the Mosque-Cathedral

If you’re unsure what to do in Córdoba, we recommend visiting the Mosque-Cathedral by booking one of our guided tours. There, we will dedicate a special section to the expansion ordered by Almanzor. Choose to enjoy high-quality tourism with qualified professionals—don’t hesitate, ArtenCórdoba is your best option.

Text: Jesús Pijuán.