Umayyad Córdoba and the Great Mosque

An Umayyad prince who escaped the massacre of his family in Damascus made Córdoba the capital of al-Andalus, and in 785 his dynasty began the Great Mosque, later enlarged with rows of red-and-white arches. Declared a caliphate in 929, Córdoba became a centre of learning that went on to produce Averroes and Maimonides. After 1236 a cathedral was built inside the mosque.