Crash of civilisations

Following the Christian conquest of Córdo­ba in 1236, the Mezquita was used as a ca­thedral but remained largely unaltered for nearly three centuries. But in the 16th cen­tury King Carlos I gave the cathedral author­ities permission to rip out the centre of the Mezquita in order to construct the Capilla Mayor (the main altar area) and coro (choir).
Legend has it that when the king saw the result he was horrified, exclaiming that they had destroyed something that was unique in the world.
The cathedral took nearly 250 years to complete (1523–1766) and exhibits a range of architectural fashions, from plateresque and late Renaissance to extravagant Spanish baroque.Read more