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El Crucero El Crucero means The Crossing.One of the most remarkable buildings in the world would have to be the Mezquita in Cordoba. (Mezquita is Spanish for mosque. It’s pronounced something like meth-kita.)
All in all, a truly wondrous monument not only to Cordoba’s rich cultural history but to Spain’s – and, indeed, the world’s – Muslim and Christian heritage. The interior of the Mezquita is a series of long corridors (or naves) formed by rows of columns. Between the high altar of the cathedral and the choir – the centre part of the cathedral’s nave – there is wide corridor that, in effect, joins the mosque’s original columned corridors on each side of the cathedral’s nave. It forms a cross-over from one side of the mosque to the other, running through the centre of the cathedral. That’s the Crossing – El Crucero.
----------------------------------------------- Walking around Cordoba, I ventured into a small house in a narrow street billed as ‘Al Andalous Museum’. It was a house I subsequently revisited the tower but had to ask to see the slide show. The attendant actually rang up to get approval to let me see it. It turned out to be a very philosophical/religious/even a touch ideological exposition of aspects of Islamic, Jewish and Christian developments, stemming principally from the unique contribution that leading figures of all three religions had made during Muslim rule in Al Andalous. But the subliminal theme of the presentation was essentially that both Judaism and Christianity had betrayed their followers by moving far from their original ideals and objectives; and only Islam remained as the way forward to prosperity and peace.
Selma didn’t demur. In fact, she expressed her grief that that so many imams have become more interested in their own political ideals than in the messages of the Koran. But that hadn’t shaken her faith in Islam. That night, while pondering over a local red wine in a small bar looking onto the outside walls of the Mezquita, I penned a short poem for Salma. I didn’t get it to her until I was in Morocco. Here is a slide show of the Mezquita. Click on the arrow to start the thumbnail slide show or elsewhere on the thumbnail to be taken to the web album and view in full screen. Here is the poem and our email exchange: Pour Salma – bis millah EL CRUCERO A crossing of race and religion Of culture and learning Of people and belief Of centuries apart One God – invoked differently One Message – heard differently One faith – practised differently One Temple A mosque, a church The Cathedral The Mezquita. Robert Crick Cordoba 11 March 2009 Our email exchange: From: salma al farouki [mailto:salandalus@hotmail.com] Assalamu alaykum Robert. Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:08:20 +1100 Go to Fireside |
whose architecture and furnishings were typical of the houses of Al Andalous during Muslim rule. It was very interesting. But even more interesting was a quiet conversation I had with its owner, Salma, a very sincere and dignified lady in her late 60s – maybe early 70s. She was French but a long-time devoted Muslim. She told me about another museum and slide presentation her historian/philosopher husband, Roger, had assembled in the old Roman bridge tower. I had already been there and had been impressed but had not been aware of the slide show. 
off far too lightly. I suggested that, sadly, many elements of Islam, not least of all at the imam level, had also wandered far from the precepts of the Koran. 
