Mezquita

One of the highlights of our trip to Madrid--and probably one of the most fascinating buildings we've ever seen--was the Mezquita in Córdoba. It really defies description but, at the risk of being boring, I'll try. The Mezquita was an enormous Moorish mosque that, after the Catholic conquest of Spain, was converted to a cathedral rather than demolished. So there is this bizarre juxtaposition of beautiful Moorish architecture and ornamentation with an ornate cathedral and chapels built right into the middle. This is an example of the original arches with a crucifix in the middle: