Mosque of Cordoba and Chartres Cathedral

Idrees Ali Asghar Salemwala

THESIS STATEMENT

This thesis focuses upon a comparison of medieval Christian and Islamic sacred

architecture considering the Cathedral of Chartres and the Great Mosque of Cordoba. Both

structures are icons of the high point of their architectural style - Gothic and sacred Islamic

Architecture respectively.

Separated over about two hundred and fifty years, the structures are geographically close

and are suitable examples to deeply discuss the relationship of the architectural facilitation in the

rituals it housed. The intent focuses on discussing two unique, yet historically connected cultures

that use art and architecture to echo their religious and intellectual thoughts.

INTRODUCTION

Built by the master of Chartres (in 1252), the Notre dame Chartres cathedral in France

stands magnificently as a miracle of engineering and a testament to divine majesty, with its high

towers and soaring buttresses. Commissioned by the exiled Umayyad ruler Abd-ur-Rehman

(built-in 988), a thousand miles to the south in Spain, the Great Mosque of Cordoba has infinite

numbers of arches, buttresses, domes, and columns that weave complex rhythms within the

façade.

Regardless of the dissimilarities, both of these structures share a common spiritual bond.

Though separated by time and space, both buildings are examples of European sacred

architecture in the medieval period. Both artistic styles trace their development back to Rome,

both religions back to Ibrahim AS. Both structures intended to serve not just a religious but also
a social and political function. These structures describe the divine and its relationship with

humanity through the three-dimensional forms of architecture. Each form describes each

religion's ideas about God, man, and paradise.

FORM AND FUNCTION

The interpretation and expression of religious thought into actual form and active ritual is

one of the fundamental roles of a sacred structure. E.g., the Quranic inscriptions on the mosque’s

walls denote visual and literal representation of religious concepts; the use of Light in the

symbolic meaning of the formal aspects of the architecture in a cathedral; the meaning of the

rituals that take place within the space all contribute to the meaning of sacred architecture.1

Holistically, Architecture provides the framework for religious settings and rituals.

The Great Mosque of Cordoba and the Chartres Cathedral is a prominent structure that

provides a special gathering place beyond a community mosque or parish. The Mosque of

Cordoba is a Jaama mosque while the Chartres cathedral is

an important pilgrimage destination. The large and

extravagant plan of the Cordoba Mosque (FIG. 1) is an

example of an Umayyad Jaama mosque. Hypostyle Egyptian

halls, Roman basilicas (such as the Christian church), and

other ancient structures are examples of the style's

predecessors.

1
Myth, Ritual, and meaning in Architecture, Pg. 5
 A buttressed wall divides the mosque

spiritually and physically from the rest of the

world. A rectangular minaret, a typical Umayyad

FIG. 1: PLAN OF CORDOBA
shape, dominates the mosque’s main entrance. On
MOSQUE

three sides, a covered gallery (rivaq) constructed

by an arcade of arches surrounds the Sehen, an

open patio. The entrance to the columned hall makes up the mosque's body and is marked by

another series of arches.

With several entrances on the east and west sides, the

main entrance of the mosque leads into the patio

FIG. 2: MIHRAB OF CORDOBA MOSQUE
and is on axis with the Mihrab (FIG. 2). Having a

symbolic function and being the most important, the Mihrab

is located on the south wall of the mosque. A few entrances

are present on the south front of the prayer hall were used by

the caliph and his ministers as they had direct access to the

palace.2

The mosque has eighteen naves leading up to the

qibla, indicating the direction of Mecca, and a colonnade of pillars perpendicular to the qibla to

accentuate its presence. The richly decorated Mihrab has a hexagonal form. Several rooms for

the caliph and his attendants flank the Mihrab on both sides and a row of lobed arches separate

them from the rest of the mosque.

The basic cathedral plan (FIG. 3) also developed from the Roman basilica plan and was a

standard for all cathedrals in the middle ages. While the main FIG. 3: PLAN OF CHARTRES
CATHEDRAL
2
The Mosque, Pg. 72
entrance to the Roman basilica was on the long side, in adapting the plan to fit a church, the

Christians moved the main entrance to the shorter side to accommodate the needs of the

Christian liturgy.3 The cathedral takes the shape of a cross (a symbolic shape).

The floor plan of Chartres is the exemplary cruciform plan of the medieval cathedral.

Nine doors raised honorifically lead up into the church, including the highly decorated Royal

portal on the west side of the front entrance. With two bell towers on both ends of the front

entrance, the Royal Portal enters into the narthex of the cathedral which opens into the nave. The

wide nave leads down the center, with one large aisle on either side. Behind the apse, an

ambulatory opens into five radiating chapels which house relics.4

From any point in the Great Mosque in Cordoba, it is nearly impossible to have any idea

of the overall plan of the building. While standing at the entrance of Chartres, a series of Arches

separate the aisle from the main body of the church, drawing the eye from the aisle to any point

in the cathedral.

LIGHT AND SPACE

In essence, the mosque, like the church, is a huge hall with a wall pointing towards

Mecca. The integration of light, space and surface decoration in a way that is both beautiful and

rich in symbolic meaning turns Cordoba and Chartres from merely functional buildings into

works of art.

3
Myth, Ritual, and meaning in Architecture, 94
4
Ibid, 96
 The formal aspects of the buildings were

used by medieval architects (both Christians and

Muslims) to represent God. God's presence,

omnipotence, and infinity reflect in the color and

quality of light, the movement and

comprehension of space, and the iconography and

FIG. 4: INTERIOR PRAYER HALL OF
CORDOBA MOSQUE
geometry of the building's painting and sculpture.

Arches and arcades that lack a sense of direction characterize the interior architecture. The

mosque's fragmented manipulation of space links to the mysterious and ever-present God.5 The

mosque's enormous hall, concealed by a forest of arches (FIG. 4), prevents revealing the entire

structure. As a result, each section of the mosque feels small and private, allowing worshippers

to feel close to God and denoting equality within the eyes of

the one worshipped.

Within the Great Mosque, the division of space does

not represent a sense of community. The rows of arches

separate the hall and the worshippers into discrete units,

connecting each person directly to God without the necessity

for an intermediary or the community. Hence, the individual

is aware of his special and individual relationship to God

throughout the ceremony - apart from the ‘earthly world’.

This feeling is an important difference between Christian

FIG. 5: NAVE OF CHARTRES
and Islamic sacred architecture. CATHEDRAL

5
Meaning and Architecture in Islam, pg. 127.
 Gothic architecture has a distinct and cohesive form. The high ceilings and upward

movement of the pillars and niches provide the feeling of immense verticality (FIG. 5). In the

presence of God, the magnificent gesture imprints inferiority in the worshipper. Space moves in

two directions uniformly: parallel to the ground toward the Aisle and perpendicular to the ground

toward heaven. The architecture concentrates the viewer's attention on the means to that goal -

Jesus Christ - and promotes the Christian concept of life as a journey toward an ultimate goal -

eternal rest in paradise. The unity of space in Chartres, in contrast to the fragmentation of space

in the Great Mosque, reflects the unity of the universal Christian community across space and

time.6

Since ancient times, light has been associated with divinity. The duality of light and

darkness was symbolic of the duality of good and evil, as well as knowledge and ignorance, in

medieval religions. Inside the mosque, the architectural details, such as the rows of arches, break

up the light, providing a dramatic effect. Patches

of light and shade flooded the mosque, adding to

the sense of mystery and awe that pervades it. In

Cordoba, Architects have controlled the light to

become not only a functional but also a symbolic

and spiritual aspect of the structure.

FIG. 6: LIGHT THROUGH STAINED GLASS
The Cathedral of Chartres, on the other WINDOWS IN CHARTRES CATHEDRAL

hand, received no direct natural light. The cathedral's only source of light was the light that came

in through the stained glass windows (FIG. 6). No windows and mostly closed doors prevented

natural light into the cathedral, hence stopping dispersion or refraction by the stained glass. In

Chartres, there are several huge stained glass windows, and the open nature of the nave allowed
6
The Age of the Cathedrals, Pg. 101.
the Cathedral to be flooded with colored light. This quality of

light evokes the feeling of awe and surprise at God's splendor.

For practical reasons, Wood, brick, ceramics, and stucco

were the most common materials utilized in the construction

and decoration of medieval Islamic structures. The play of light

on the materials transforms them into valuable materials, e.g.

Ceramics achieve a precious stone-like appearance, while the

FIG. 7: PLAY OF LIGHT IN
intricate stucco gives a lace-like aspect. Much of Cordoba's CORDOBA MOSQUE

wall décor consists of reflective materials like mosaics and

tiles that reflect and refract light; added dimensions of shallow relief stucco carvings create light

and dark patterns. The light shines through the iridescent mosaics and chiaroscuro stucco (FIG.

7), giving the well a three-dimensional appearance.7

In addition, the grilles let diffused light into the mosque, producing patterns of light and

shadow on the floors and walls, turning light into a materialistic entity. The connection between

light and decoration in Chartres' is significantly stronger as all light enters the cathedral from the

stained glass windows; they govern the entire cathedral’s lighting quality. The stained glass

refracts and colors the light entering the cathedral, which reflects onto the cathedral's white walls

and flooring. Stained glass windows intend to highlight the beauty and color inherent in light, but

that beauty is the quality of the light, not the glass, which is in the absence of light.8 On one

hand, the light at Chartres contributes to the space's unity, while on the other; the contrasts of

light and shadow distinguish The Cordoba Mosque.

7
STAGING THE ‘INTERIOR OF THE MOSQUE AT CORDOVA, pg. 110
8
The age of the great cathedrals, Pg. 54-55.
STRUCTURE AND ILLUSION

Despite their stylistic differences, the buildings use space to symbolize the concepts of

infinity and the extraordinary. Cordoba mosque obscures viewing the entire structure as a whole.

Revealing only tiny parts of it at a time, the mosque creates an impression of infinity and the

illusion is cast off by the repetition of arches. The room appears to radiate outward from several

foci. The ornamentation mirrors the concept of infinity, which appears to diminish to infinitely

smaller and smaller patterns as it repeats indefinitely and vice versa.

Apart from the infinite aspect, the structure

appears to be an act of God. Architectonic

ornamentation in Islamic architecture aids to

distract the user from the structural components of

the architecture; e.g., Tiles and mosaics cover the

walls, ornamentation over the dome ribs, carved

and tinted arches, muqarnas hiding the vertical structural supports, etc. An ingenious use of

arches throughout makes the roof’s weight negligible and illustrates the structural columns as

unbelievably little. 910

While the division of space in Cordoba

suggests infinity, the vertical movement of the

building's construction in Chartres implies infinity.

Unlike Islamic design, which has no relationship

between the interior and the exterior, the exterior

9
Gothic Architecture and Scholasticism, Pg. 32.
10
The Poetics of Arab-Islamic Architecture, pg. 188
of the Chartres structure repeats the upward movement through pointed arches and tall towers.

The Gothic cathedrals' vertical elements extend upward, alluding to God's heavenly realm's

eternity and infinity.

The ceilings of Cordoba's Great Mosque and Chartres' Cathedral have a distinct

personality. Several little domes top the one on Cordoba, highlighting the fragmentation of space

(FIG. 8), while one large, unbroken vault tops Chartres, integrating the space beneath it (FIG. 9).

Comparatively, Chartres' ceiling is plain and unadorned. The pillars act as small embedded

columns, ensuring a smooth transition from the supports to the ribs. The floating clerestory's ring

of stained glass windows divides the roof from the rest of the cathedral. The cathedral's top,

perched delicately on slender legs creates an illusion of a place that is ordered and rational, but

that is ultimately subject to God's will.

FIG. 8: CEILING OF LIGHT IN CORDOBA

CONCLUSION MOSQUE

On one hand, both architectural miracles are unique in their dimensions – Sacred Islamic

and Gothic Architecture. The ornamentation,

FIG. 8: CEILING OF CHARTRES CATHEDRAL
play of light, structural details, ceilings,

fragmentation and unity of space, dynamics of interior and exteriors, and the impression of

inferiority and superiority in space are a few examples to understand how similar dimensions

create uniqueness in the Mosque of Cordoba and Chartres Cathedral respectively.

On the other hand, the architectural miracles serve a common purpose – a space to

worship God. The architectural similarities at play substantiate the human need for a space to be

only ‘with’ and ‘for’ the God. Architecture and its elements facilitate the rituals that take place
within the spaces to celebrate the religion. The architecture enriches the space with a holy

ambiance, mending worldly elements into a form that accentuates the spirit and essence of God;

E.g., the play of light in Cordoba Mosque and Chartres Cathedral.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

PRIMARY SOURCES:

1. Barrie, Thomas. Spiritual Path, Sacred Place: Myth, Ritual, and meaning in Architecture.

Boston: Shambala 1996

2. Clévenot, Dominique, and Gerald de George. Splendors of Islam: Architecture,

Decoration, and Design. New York; New York Vendome Press, 2000

3. ERZEN, JALE NEJDET. “Reading Mosques: Meaning and Architecture in Islam.” The

Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 69, no. 1 (2011): 125–31.

4. Frishman, Martin, Mohammed Al-Asad, and Hasan-Uddin Khan. The Mosque: History,

Architectural Development & Regional Diversity. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1994

5. SIMPSON, MARIANNA SHREVE. “STAGING THE ‘INTERIOR OF THE MOSQUE

AT CORDOVA’ BY EDWIN LORD WEEKS.” The Journal of the Walters Art Museum

70/71 (2012): 109–20.

6. Tonna, Jo. “The Poetics of Arab-Islamic Architecture.” Muqarnas 7 (1990): 182–97.

SECONDARY SOURCES:

1. Binding, Gunther, and Uwe Dettmar. High Gothic: The age of the great cathedrals. Koln;

London: Taschen, 1999

2. Duby. Georges. The Age of the Cathedrals: Art and Society 980-1420. Chicago:

University of Chicago Press, 1981

3. Panofsky, Erwin. Gothic Architecture and Scholasticism. New York Meridian Books,

1957
4. von Simson, Otto Georg. The Gothic Cathedral; Origins of Gothic Architecture and the

medieval concept of order. Vol. 48. New York: pantheon books, 1962