Moorish & Mudéjar Toledo

Mosque of Bab al-Mardum (Mosque of Cristo de la Luz), Toledo

Ibn Shushan Synagogue (Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca), Toledo

Introduction

This collection contains photos of twelve Islamic-looking buildings in Toledo. Some were actually Islamic structures, built by the Moors, when the city belonged to them, as mosques, the most famous example being the Mosque of Bab-al-Mardum. Others were constructed after the Christian conquest of the city in 1085, often using the older Moorish structures. Traces of Islamic architecture can be found in churches, especially in their bell towers (e.g., the Church of Santiago del Arrabal), in synagogues (e.g., the Ibn Shushan Synagogue), and in secular structures (e.g., the Puerta del Sol). All these make Toledo a major centre of Mudéjar architecture in Spain (after Andalusia and Aragon) as well as one of the most syncretic medieval cities in Europe.

Sites

My portfolio consists of photos of the following sites:

Mosque and Church of El Salvador | Plaza del Salvador | mosque – probably first half of 9th century; nave – after 1085; conversion to church – 1159
Mosque of Bab al-Mardum (Mosque of Cristo de la Luz) | Calle Cristo de la Luz 22 | Musa ibn Ali, 999; extension 1186-1187
Mosque of al-Mustimim (Mosque of las Tornerías) | Calle Tornerías 27-31 & Plaza Solarejo 7 | second half of 11th century
Church of Santiago del Arrabal | Plaza Santiago del Arrabal 4 |tTower – late 11th or early 12th century; church – 1245-1248
Church of San Bartolomé | Calle de San Bartolomé 1 | tower – late 11th or early 12th century; apse – late 13th century or later
Ibn Shushan Synagogue (Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca) | Calle de los Reyes Católicos 4 | 1180
Apse of the Church of San Antolín and the palaces of Juana Enríquez (Convent of Santa Isabel de los Reyes) | Plaza Santa Isabel | church – late 12th century; palaces – 14th century
Church of San Román | Calle San Clemente 4 | 13th century
Church of San Miguel el Alto | Cobertizo de San Miguel 2 | original church – 12th century; tower – late 13th or early 14th century; significant alterations in 17th century
Synagogue Samuel ha-Leví (Synagogue of El Tránsito) | Calle Samuel Leví | Meir Abdeil, 1357-1363
Puerta del Sol | Callejón San José 2 | last quarter of 14th century
Toledo Cathedral | 1227-1493

My portfolio is not complete. Important structures that are missing include the Church of Santo Tomé, the Church of Santa Leocadia, and the Church of San Vicente.