Cathedral ‘not a mosque’

A row has erupted between the Diocese of Córdoba and local government officials over whether the city’s famous cathedral should retain a reference to its Islamic past.

The cathedral in Córdoba has long been known as the mosque cathedral, a nod to the huge Muslim place of worship built on the site in the eighth century. The diocese has recently removed the word “mosque” from its website and leaflets. The Government of Andalusia has reacted angrily, saying tourism could be affected.

“Given its vital role in attracting tourists to Andalusia … it’s absurd to use religious reasons not to exploit its potential, putting religious belief ahead of common sense,” Andalusia’s minister for tourism, Rafael Rodriguez, told El País daily. Cathedral spokesman José Juan Jiménez Güeto said the diocese was very open about the building’s past. “It was a mosque and now it’s a cathedral,” he said.