Ermita "Mezquita" del Cristo de la Luz (Mosque of Cristo de la Luz), Toledo

The Catholic Chapel of Cristo de la Luz was built as a mosque in 999 AD. It was one of the ten mosques created in Toledo during the Moorish era. Before the Catholics retook the city, the building was called Bad-al-Mardum Mosque (Mezquita Bad-al-Mardum,) after the nearby gate was taken over by the Sun Gate (Puerta del Sol). "Mardum" means "blocked up."

The founder and patron of the mosque was Ahmad Ibn Hadidi. The builder was Musa Ibn Ali. The engraving, in Kufic script, declares this to be so. The inscription further claims Ahmad Ibn Hadidi had the mosque built hoping for Paradise as a reward. The condition of the building is in the same state now as when it was built.

The religious edifice, constructed of bricks and stones, is a small square building, 26 feet by 26 feet. It has a semicircular apse on the east side. Columns with capitals divide the interior into nine sections. The vaults of the bays are supported by horseshoe arches. Each vault is ribbed with its unique design.

The cupola of the high central vault has ribs in the form of a star. Some of the columns and capitals are fashioned from spoils of Visigothic works. One facade has brickwork similar to that of the Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba. The east wall is the Mecca-facing qiblah wall holding the mihrab, a niche of worship.

Three facades have individually decorated arcades. The main entrance wall has a lobed arch and two horseshoe arches, one wider than the other. A small garden with a fountain in the center adjoins the building.

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Sight Name: Ermita "Mezquita" del Cristo de la Luz (Mosque of Cristo de la Luz)
Sight Location: Toledo, Spain (See walking tours in Toledo)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Toledo Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Toledo, Spain

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