Spain: the Cordoba’s mosque-cathedral reopens after the fire

The images raised fears of a disaster similar to that of Notre-Dame de Paris. Therefore, but the Cordoba, Andalusia Mosque-Cathedral, reopened to the public on Saturday morning, a few hours after a fire causing very localized “damage. Moreover, – Spain: cordoba's mosque-cathedral reopens after

(Keystone-ATS) The site, a jewel of Islamic architecture classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, opened its usual schedules at 7:00 p.m. Consequently, and firm. Meanwhile, Only the area where the fire was declared. Nevertheless, known as Almanzor’s spain: cordoba’s mosque-cathedral reopens after Nef, will remain inaccessible to the public, a site spokesperson told AFP.

“There is damage. significant damage, but they are very, very localized,” said the mayor of Cordoba, Jose Maria Bellido, to journalists outside the building.

Most of the damage is concentrated in a chapel where the fire has declared itself. whose roof “collapsed” under the effect of the flames and the weight of the water used to turn them off, he added in an interview with Spanish public television.

Two adjacent chapels underwent “collateral damage”. mainly caused by smoke, which damaged the altarpieces and other works of art, said the mayor.

He estimated that the fire had only damaged 50 to 60 square meters from the vast interior of the building. located in the center of Cordoba, surrounded by the old Jewish and Moorish districts.

The spectacular fire broke out on Friday around 9:00 p.m., arousing fears for the building built at the beginning spain: cordoba’s mosque-cathedral reopens after of the Middle Ages.

The firefighters stayed on the spot all night to monitor the burned area after turning off the flames shortly after. midnight.

Videos massively relayed on social networks showed flames. smoke escaping from the inside of this major tourist attraction, visited by two million people per year.

Several firefighters. police vehicles were still aligned in a street near the building on Saturday morning, while tourists were queuing to enter, according to images broadcast by Spanish media.

Spain: cordoba&#039. s mosque-cathedral reopens after

“Etincelle”

The firefighters quickly controlled the fire, and the mayor told the Spanish media that the monument had been “saved”.

According to the first elements of the investigation. the fire broke out in the central chapel, located in the so -called Almanzor area, before stretching part of the coverage of the vaults, but without going further.

The management of the Mosque-Cathedral stored in this chapel. according to the mayor, cleaning equipment and spain: cordoba’s mosque-cathedral reopens after audiovisual equipment, which may have been the source of the disaster. “It seems that it could be a battery. an electrical contact that would have produced a first spark,” he said.

The daily ABC and other media reported that a mechanical sweeper had caught fire on the site.

Having become since cathedral. the building was initially built as a mosque-on the site of an old church-between the 8th and 10th centuries by the Muslim leader of the city, Abd Ar-Rahman, an emir of the Omeyyad dynasty.

After the reconquest of Cordoba. Murcia, Jaén and Seville by Christians in the 13th century under King Ferdinand III of Castile, it was transformed into a cathedral and architectural modifications were made over the following centuries.

UNESCO classified this building as a World Heritage in 1984. qualifying it as an architectural hybrid which brings together many oriental and Western artistic values and includes elements hitherto unknown in Islamic spain: cordoba’s mosque-cathedral reopens after religious architecture, in particular the use of double arches “.

In 2001. a small fire had already damaged the monument, and in particular twenty-five old documents kept in the archives of the councils of the cathedral.