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Plants and buildings that have witnessed time and history - Church courtyard - Bell tower overlooking the city
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Square courtyard mosque-church
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One of the interior arcades of the mosque-church
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Another section of the interior arcades of the mosque-church
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A third view of the interior arcades of the mosque-church
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An Arab-style sawtooth archway
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The deceptive dome canopy of the mosque
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The canopy of the Christian cathedral at the core of the mosque
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The core of the mosque converted into a Baroque cathedral
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The central area of the cathedral

Text and photos / Chen Chi-Hsiang

Andalucia - Cordoba is a poetic and picturesque city, bearing witness to over two thousand years of history, with its magnificent mosque-cathedral, vibrant and splendid gardens, the ancient Roman bridge, and the castle, among others.

Cordoba's magnificent mosque-cathedral is the only one of its kind in Europe. It stands on a site where Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and Visigoths all once prayed, witnessing the glorious treasures of Islamic civilization. This mosque was built in the 13th century and is the largest and most magnificent mosque in Europe, another classic masterpiece of exceptional civilizational aesthetics.

Because it was so beautiful, so beautiful that subsequent rulers could not bring themselves to demolish it, it was fortunately preserved. A Baroque-style cathedral was then built at the very core of the mosque. It is hard to imagine who would not be moved in the face of such beauty? Civilization is the shared cultural heritage of humanity, a testament to time and the crystallization of human wisdom.

Seeing the wars in the Middle East today, what is being destroyed is not only living lives but also highly valuable Persian cultural assets. This is a tragedy and a folly for humanity, because a destroyed civilization can never be compensated for, no matter what.