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Few buildings embody the layered history of Spain as completely as the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, a monument in which a Christian cathedral sits within one of the greatest mosques ever built. Begun in 785 under Abd al-Rahman I on a site that had held a Visigothic church, the original mosque was enlarged repeatedly over two centuries until it became an immense hall of prayer. Its most famous feature is the forest of more than eight hundred columns of jasper, marble and granite supporting double tiers of red-and-white arches, an effect at once rhythmic and hypnotic that has astonished visitors for more than a thousand years. The richly decorated mihrab, with its gilded mosaics created by Byzantine craftsmen, marks the spiritual heart of the Islamic building. After Cordoba was taken by Castile in 1236 the mosque was consecrated as a cathedral, and in the sixteenth century a soaring Renaissance nave and choir were inserted into the centre of the prayer hall, creating the extraordinary hybrid seen today. The bell tower encases the original minaret, and the Patio de los Naranjos, planted with orange trees, preserves the ablutions courtyard. Recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and one of the defining works of Moorish architecture, it remains an active place of Catholic worship. The juxtaposition of faiths and styles, the sheer scale of the columned hall and the play of light through the arches make a visit unforgettable, drawing architecture lovers, historians and pilgrims from around the world throughout the year across every season of the calendar. The debate over how to present a building sacred to two great faiths has continued into modern times, and proposals to alter its official name or use have periodically stirred strong feeling locally and internationally. For the visitor, however, the experience transcends such controversies: walking among the endless columns, glimpsing the Renaissance dome rising above the Moorish arches and emerging into the sunlit courtyard of orange trees, one encounters a thousand years of history compressed into a single space. Tickets can be booked online to skip the queue, and free or reduced entry is offered at certain early hours, while a separate climb of the bell tower rewards visitors with sweeping views over the old city and the river beyond.