Mosque of las Tornerías

The Mezquita de las Tornerías (Arabic: al-Mustimim) is a Moorish former mosque in Toledo (Castile-La Mancha, Spain). It was built in the middle of the 11th century^[1] on the foundations of Roman architecture, located in the old Muslim neighborhood Arrabal de Francos. Currently it houses the "Center Foundation of Promotion of the Crafts", that can be visited and hosts temporary exhibitions.

The building continued maintaining the Islamic faith in Spain well beyond the reconquista of the city by the Christian troops of Alfonso VI of León and Castile in 1085, until the period of 1498–1505, when it was desacralizated by the Catholic Monarchs. Already as a building for civil use, it went through various vicissitudes, first as an inn in 1505 and then as the headquarters of different businesses and small factories or as a simple home. Its history was lost until the late 19th century, when historians investigating its origins didn't know whether it was a synagogue or a mosque. After the studies, on the 15 of March 1905, the finding of an Arab mosque in the street of the Tornerías was officially communicated to the Real Academia de la Historia.

Features

The mosque was built on the walls of Roman drinking water tanks for distribution of drinking water throughout the city. The great unevenness of the terrain makes its layout in two floors possible, which is unique. The ground floor, which is accessed from the street of the Tornerías, opens to the Roman water tanks with granite half-point arches. The upper floor houses the place of worship, retaining remains of the mihrab and the wall of the qibla.

Its construction was made based on one of the main mosques of the city of Toledo, the Mosque of Cristo de la Luz or of Bab al-Mardum of the 10th century. Its plan is irregular square and the interior spaces are organized like the former in a plan of nine square compartments, covered by sail-vault domes of brick, except the central one, with special relevance of its ribbed dome. The building has horseshoe arches on low columns with large capitals.

Dating

Historians cannot agree on its date of construction. It can be in the second half of the 11th century or in the second half of the 12th century.^[2]

Gallery

Arches in former prayer hall
Horseshoe arches inside prayer room
Roof
Top floor exterior
Restoration work

Notes

^ Castilla-La Mancha, Descubre e Sciente
^ Markus Hattstein and Peter Delius (Editors) (2007). Islam. Art and architecture. Tandem Verlag. p. 229. ISBN 978-3-8331-3536-1. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)

References

Francoise de Montêquin, Compendium of Hispano-Islamic Art and Architecture, St. Paul: Hamline University Press, 1976, ISBN B0006CR5E6, p. 209–210.

External links

Archnet
[1] (type "Tornerias" in the Buscar-window Images on Banco de imágines e sonidos )
Foundation Mosque of the Tornerías. Panoramic photographs can be viewed.]
La Mezquita de Tornerías in Toledo olvidado.

39°51′31″N 4°01′22″W / 39.8585°N 4.0228°W / 39.8585; -4.0228

v t e Toledo landmarks
Gates	Puerta Bab al-Mardum Puerta de Alarcones Puerta de Alcántara Puerta de Bisagra Puerta de Bisagra Nueva Puerta del Cambrón Puerta de los Doce Cantos Puerta del Sol Puerta del Vado
Religious buildings	Agustinas Calzadas Carmelitas Descalzas de San José Carmelitas Descalzos Cristo de la Vega El Salvador La Magdalena Las Concepcionistas Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes Monastery of Santo Domingo el Antiguo Monastery of Santo Domingo el Real Mosque of Cristo de la Luz Mosque of las Tornerías Nuestra Señora de la Estrella Purísima Concepción San Andrés San Antonio de Padua San Bartolomé San Cipriano San Clemente San Felipe de Neri San Idelfonso San Juan de la Penitencia San Lorenzo San Lucas San Miguel el Alto San Pedro Mártir San Román San Sebastián Santa Clara la Real Santa Fé Santa Isabel de los Reyes Santa Leocadia Santas Justa y Rufina Santa Úrsula Santiago del Arrabal Santos Justo y Pastor Santo Tomé San Vicente Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca Synagogue of El Transito Toledo Cathedral Tower of San Cristóbal
Bridges	Puente de San Martín Roman Puente de Alcántara
Other sights	Alcázar of Toledo Alhóndiga Arab baths of Ángel Arab baths of Caballel Arab baths of Cenizal Arab baths of Tenerías Archbishop's Palace Basements of Cardenal Cisneros Bullring Castle of San Servando Cerro del Bu Cigarrales Colegio de Nuestra Señora de los Infantes Cortes of Castile-La Mancha Flour factory San José Former Casino Hospital del Nuncio Nuevo Infantry Academy Islamic Halls of Colegio de Doncellas Palacio de Fuensalida Palacio de Galiana Palacio de La Cava Palacio del Marqués de Malpica Real Colegio de Doncellas Nobles Roman aqueducts Roman baths Roman Cave of Hercules Roman circus of Toledo Roman remains under Alfonso X Roman vaults of Nuncio Viejo School of Arts and Crafts of Toledo The Jewish House The Templar House Toledo railway station Well of El Salvador University of Castilla-La Mancha Juridical and Social Sciences faculty Vice-Rectorate of Teaching and International Relations Walls
Museums and performing arts	Caja Castilla-La Mancha Foundation El Greco Museum Hospital de Tavera Army Museum of Toledo Museum of Santa Cruz San Marcos Arts Centre Sephardic Museum Teatro Rojas Workshop of the Moor
Streets and squares	Plaza de San Justo Plaza de las Cuatro Calles Plaza de Zocodover Plaza Nueva
See also	Jewish quarter of Toledo Subterranean Toledo

v t e Mosques in Spain
	Al-Andalus Mosque Al-Morabito Mosque Basharat Mosque Granada Mosque Great Mosque of Córdoba¹ Fuengirola Mosque King Abdul Aziz Mosque Madrid Central Mosque Mosque of Cristo de la Luz¹ Mosque of las Tornerías¹
¹ No longer used as a mosque Category Islam in Spain Mosques by country