The second performance by the Islington Choral Society 🎶 was in Cordoba, so we all hopped on a bus 🚌and off we went for the day.Cordoba was all about the Mezquita 🏤. This is a truly splendid building (although you would never know from the outside) and it is technically a mosque-cathedral 🙏. A Christian temple stood on the original site, and in 784 the original structures were demolished and the grand mosque of Cordoba 🏤 was built. In 1236 when Cordoba returned to Christian rule the building was converted into a Roman Catholic church ⛪️ and in the 16th century a renaissance cathedral nave was inserted in the centre.When you enter you are confronted by rows and rows of arches in a red and white stripe pattern ⚪️🔴 - the building is square, and the arches seem to go on for ever in certain directions ↘️↖️. However, built into the centre is a cathedral nave ⛪️, with an alter and area for the choir 😯. The nave has been built into the original structure of the mosque, so it feels almost as though it could always have been there - it is like a large well lit 💡 room surrounded by rows and and rows of arches . There are also side chapels ⛪️surrounding the entire building, again built into the arches. In the arched areas the light is intermittent 🔦- we were there on a beautifully sunny day, and the dark and light give the whole building a rather magical atmosphere🔮. It is a truly amazing, and no description can match actually being there - there is so much to take in the combination of moorish and christian architecture and decoration is extraordinary.After the Mezquita, we had a quick wander around Cordoba in the sunshine, - they have a courtyard competition 💐which was about to take place, and we spied many well laid out, and decorated courtyards - and then it was time for concert number 2🎶. The church, Parroquia de San Hipolito, was completely different to the one the night before - very simple with white washed walls and the acoustics were better this time. Again a full audience 😃!Alice xxx
