After defeating the Spanish Visigoth Empire in 711, the Moors found an independent caliphate in Spain. In 756 Cordoba was chosen as residence and became one of the most prosperous cities and important Islamic centres in medieval Europe. To assert his independence, the caliph Abd Ar Rahman I founded a mosque to compete with the greatest ones in the East.

Imposing arches, made out of alternating red and white stone, stand on 856 columns made of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite to form the 19 naves of the mosque. The use of double arches is unique in Islamic architecture. A crenelated wall surrounds the complex, also enclosing the splendid Orange Tree Courtyard.

Despite the implementations of the Christian church, the interior of the Great Mosque still has great visual impact: in half-light, its forest of stone columns gives the impression of an infinite labyrinth and the mosaics in the prayer niches are among the most beautiful in the world.