Stop 13:
The Mezquita (Mosque) was built between the 8th and 10th centuries. On the outside, you see a stone building with little color, but enter inside and you have colorful Spanish Islamic arches that make you feel as though the building doesn’t end for miles. It has 850 columns of jasper, marble, granite, and onyx. Although the Mezquita is a Cathedral and has been since 1236, it is today a beautiful blend of Islamic art and Christian motif. When he Mezquita was a mosque in the mid-800s, it was a Muslim pilgrimmage site second in importance to Mecca because it held an original copy of the Koran and a bone from the arm of the prophet Mohammed.
Thanks to Fodor’s Travel Guides, Trip Advisor, and Wikipedia for the great lessons that helped me to plan and summarize this trip.
