The Arches of the Mezquita — Geometry of a Golden Age

The iconic arches of the Córdoba Mosque are more than decoration, they are the structural and artistic language of Al-Andalus.Their distinctive double-tiered form was an architectural innovation of the 8th century, introduced by the Umayyads when they began expanding the mosque under Abd al-Rahman I.

Why two arches?

The builders needed height, but the reused Roman and Visigothic columns were too short.Their solution was ingenious:

a lower horseshoe arch (an inherited Visigothic form, perfected under Islamic rule)
a second, higher arch above it, lifting the ceiling and allowing light to flow across the hall

This created the rhythm of red-and-white voussoirs, alternating stone and brick—that became the signature of Andalusi architecture.

A fusion of influences

These arches reflect a meeting of worlds: