Spain · UNESCO World Heritage series, 1st issue, Historic Centre of Córdoba

Córdoba was already an important urban centre in Roman times. Following the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the city became the capital of the independent Emirate of Córdoba in 756 and of the Caliphate that emerged from it in 929. Especially in the 10th century, it was a political, economic and intellectual centre of the western Mediterranean. After the dissolution of the Caliphate, Córdoba changed rulers several times until the city was conquered in 1236 by King Ferdinand III of Castile.

Construction of the Great Mosque began in the late 8th century under Emir Abd ar-Rahman I. Several rulers had it expanded over the following centuries. Its distinctive features include horseshoe and semicircular arches arranged one above the other, with alternating light and reddish voussoirs. Many of the columns and capitals came from older Roman and Visigothic buildings or were made after ancient models. The complex also includes richly decorated prayer areas dating from the period of the Caliphate.

After the Christian conquest, the mosque was consecrated as a church. Over the centuries, chapels and other Christian additions were built. In the 16th century, a new cathedral choir with a transept was erected in the centre of the former prayer hall. The former minaret was also later enclosed by a Christian bell tower. As a result, the building visibly combines different phases of the city’s history.

UNESCO initially inscribed the Mosque–Cathedral on the World Heritage List. The protected area was later extended to large parts of the old town. These include the former Jewish quarter, the area around the Roman bridge and streets whose basic structure dates back to various historical periods.

The issue inaugurated a Spanish coin series dedicated to the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. The choice of Córdoba therefore commemorated not only a single anniversary, but also marked the beginning of a longer-term series in which a Spanish World Heritage site was presented each year.