Which Andalusian mosque is famous for its forest of red-and-white horseshoe arches in Córdoba, Spain?

The Great Mosque of Córdoba is the Andalusian mosque famous for its forest of red-and-white horseshoe arches in Córdoba, Spain.

The mosque was begun in 785 by Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba, on the site of a former Christian basilica. Later rulers enlarged it repeatedly, creating a vast hypostyle prayer hall with hundreds of columns and layered arches. The alternating red brick and pale stone became one of its most recognizable visual features.

In 1236, Ferdinand III conquered Córdoba during the Christian Reconquista, and the building became a cathedral. A Renaissance cathedral nave and transept were inserted into the mosque’s interior in the 16th century. This is why the monument is commonly called the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba.

The building is sometimes confused with Seville’s Giralda or Granada’s Alhambra, but those are different monuments. Its famous double-level arches helped support a high roof while producing the distinctive striped appearance.