Mosque of Cristo de la Luz

The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz is one of the ten mosques that were built in Toledo (Spain) during the Moorish Period and the only one that remains in good condition nowadays. Once the city was conquered by the Christians, the mosque was transformed into a chapel and some elements were added. It stands out the apse because it transformed the directionality of t he interior space. La Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz es una de las diez mezquitas que se construyeron en Toledo durante la época musulmana y la única que se conserva en un buen estado en la actualidad. Una vez que la ciudad fue conquistada por parte de los cristianos se transformó en una ermita y se añadieron varios elementos. Principalmente, destaca el ábside ya que transformó la direccionalidad del espacio interior. The mosque has a square plan with 9 meters per side and it is divided into 9 parts with four internal columns and 12 perimeter supports. Each of these parts has a unique cupola with a distinctive design. In section, the central cupola reaches a height of 10 meters where as the exterior ones go below 9 meters. La planta cuadrada, de 9 metros de lado, está dividida en 9 cuadrantes idénticos mediante cuatro columnas interiores y 12 soportes perimetrales. Cada uno de estos cuadrantes tiene una cúpula que ha sido ornamentada de manera individualizada. En sección la cúpula central alcanza una altura de casi 10 metros mientras que las perimetrales no sobrepasan los 8 metros. Although the mosque has small dimensions compared with other monuments of the Moorish Period such as the Cordoba Mosque, the building shows many of the features of the Arabic architecture. For instance, it shows the concept of repetition and variability through the use of ornament or geometric patterns.