Description of the attraction
In the suburb of Toledo, San Nicolas, is the building of the former Cristo de la Luz Mosque. It is one of the best preserved mosques in Spain and one of the oldest structures in Toledo. The mosque, named Bab al-Mardum, was erected in 999 under the direction of the Arab architect Moussa ibn Ali de Saad, whose work was greatly influenced by the great mosque of Cordoba.
There is evidence that the mosque was built on the remains of a Visigothic temple located here earlier. After the expulsion of the Arabs from Toledo, by order of King Alfonso VI, the mosque was transformed into a Christian temple dedicated to the Savior and named Cristo de la Luz.
The facade of the building from the southwest side is decorated with an inscription indicating the time of its construction and praising the greatness of Allah. The northern facade attracts attention with its original brickwork and multi-colored tiles. The entrances to the building are shaped like horseshoe arches. The upper part of the facade is decorated with an original frieze, the roof of the building is supported by graceful brackets. Thanks to the many rather large windows, the interior of the church is well lit with light. In one of the parts inside the church, the vault consists of nine domes, which are supported by rows of columns decorated with Visigothic capitals. Particularly noteworthy are the frescoes located inside the church and dating back to the 13th century. In the process of converting the mosque into a Catholic church, an apse was added to it, in the construction of which they used the same stone and the same decorative design as in the main building.
