St John Church

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After the foundation of the city by Abderramán III in the 10th century, the Great Mosque was ordered to be built in 965. It is a mosque of great dimensions which was divided into two zones: the Ablutions Courtyard and the prayer hall. The Ablutions Courtyard was located where today we find the Defence Delegation, popularly known as the Orange Tree Courtyard. The prayer hall used to have 7 naves, all of them leading to the wall of the kiblah and the niche of the mihrab (which is preserved inside St. John´s Church). After the conquest by the Catholic Monarchs, the old mosque was converted into the first cathedral in the city, but in 1522 an earthquake destroyed it.

In the 17th century, the works of the present church of St. John began on top of the foundations of the old Great Mosque. The main façade is made of rusticated ashlars, with a door under a semi-circular arch and a triangular pediment where the coat of arms of Bishop Portocarrero can be seen.

The inside of the church is coffered with a rectangular floor plan and a single nave, whose walls display thick pilasters. Our attention is drawn to the wall of the kiblah and the niche of the mihrab, the only vestige which remains of the Ancient Great Mosque. The church houses the religious images of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Anguish and the Holy Christ of the Good Death.