"Medina Azahara, as a city, had several mosques: 3 of them were the so-called neighborhood mosques, that is, small buildings where the faithful would go for the various daily prayers. On Friday, however, the population had to go to the city's Main Mosque, known as the Friday Mosque. This was one of the most notable buildings - if not the most - in the city.
Medina Azahara is organized following a program in which hierarchy predominates; Being in the foothills of Sierra Morena will favor the construction in terraces in which each group of buildings is located according to its position in the hierarchy of the State: the highest level, for the Dar al-Mulk, the House of Power, where the caliph lives; the lowest, for the neighborhoods where the population of La Madina lives; the intermediate level, for the state bureaucracy and the crown prince. In this order of things, the Main Mosque is located at a lower level than the fortress, but elevated compared to the rest of the population. The platform created to level the land reaches up to 8 meters high in the southern part, making the building dominate the environment in which it is located, that is, the urban area of ??the Medina.
To this we must add its location, to the east of the fortress, near the paths that from the east and south converged at the eastern portico, that is, the official entrance to the fortress. It would, therefore, be the predominant element in the urban area.
Another element that differentiates it from its environment is its orientation. In general, the buildings of Medina Azahara are organized following the cardinal points; The mosque, however, breaks with this by facing southeast. It is enough to mention the Mosque of Córdoba, facing south as an example of the significance of this fact. The Medina Mosque could have been oriented, with the masyid Cordoba, facing south. However, it breaks with the urban environment, given its orthodox orientation towards Mecca. This could be interpreted in relation to Abd al-Rahman III's program to reinforce or legitimize his new status as Caliph.
All these factors, together with the high walls with buttresses crowned with battlements - which gave it a certain air of strength - would undoubtedly make this construction a first-rate element in the city.
But the orientation will not be the only novelty that the Medina Azahara mosque brings. We found in it other elements that will later be incorporated into the one in Córdoba. One of them will be the position of the tower with respect to the patio: integrated into the gallery located in front of the prayer room. The minaret of the Mosque of Córdoba, following oriental models, had its minaret attached to the outside of the north wall. Years later, when Abd al-Rahman carried out the consolidation works on the north wall of the Prayer Room of the Córdoba mosque and the expansion of the patio, he would place his new minaret following this new model, that is, integrated into the north gallery, protruding slightly from it.
But, without a doubt, the most innovative element it provides will be the double qibla wall. The qibla wall is the one that faces directly towards Mecca. We have already seen that this condition is not met in the Mosque of Córdoba. However, this does not diminish the importance of the symbolic role it has. The Mihrab, the focal point of a mosque, is located on the qibla wall. Until that time, this mihrab was a niche that opened in the center of the qibla wall, and this was the case in the mosque of Córdoba. Now, however, given the presence of the double qibla wall - one that closes the outside and another that closes the inside of the prayer room - there is a space between the two that will make the traditional niche become a complete room. It is an unprecedented design whose greatest exponent will be the Mosque of Córdoba. According to the remains found, the decoration of this space will be much simpler than that which will later adorn that of al-Hakán II. Despite this, its importance is manifested by its status as a precedent or model.
Finally, some data for this construction: its floor plan is 53.74 meters long by 34.03 meters latitude; Inside, the Prayer room was organized with 5 naves, made of compacted earth on which mats were arranged. It is curious how this information is verified by archaeologists, since the plot of these mats were printed on the earth.
According to sources, the mosque was built in just 48 days of the year 330 of the Hijra, that is, 941 of our era. Some sources indicate that the work was completed on May 21, that is, on this day.
1045 years later, this mosque cannot be visited. We can barely see it from the esplanade that opens to the east of the eastern portico. It is not enough, however, to perceive the building in all its dimensions. We hope, therefore, that these words help the visitor to appreciate this little gem that hides the Brilliant City, Medina Azahara."
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