The Mezquita, as we said before, is unique in that it is a combination of a mosque and a cathedral..Ruled by the Moors for centuries, southern Spain was an Islamic cultural and political center for these Asian/Africans. The mosque was one of the largest in the world and rivaled those of Istanbul, Bagdad and Damascus. By the year 950, when the rest of Europe was mired in poverty, ignorance and superstition--Cordoba was Europe's greatest city. It had well over 100,000 people when Paris had but a third that many. The streets were paved and lighted at night; there were hundreds of mosques, palaces and public baths..running water was piped in from the outskirts. This all ended in the 1500's when Spain was retaken by the Christians. It was then that the cathedral was (unlike the usual)built in the center of the mosque without destroying it. In one photo above is the sacred mihrab, or"keyhole" entrance that can be found in all mosques, and in the other photo you can see where the entrance to the cathedral begins as the red and white arches of the mosque connect to it. This place was very large, very old and very impressive. Double click on the photos to see more detail. The other photo shows the Flamenco costumes..a mother/daughter on their way to the festival that evening.