In 1523, Bishop Manrique decided to convert the Great Mosque of Córdoba into a Catholic cathedral. The architect, Hernán Ruiz I, recommended tearing down the center of the Islamic building constructed from 784 to 987. Thus began the blending of two cultures, two religions and several architectural styles including Islamic, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance. An example is this 305 foot steeple. It was built as a minaret in the 10th century. During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, it was reshaped into a bell tower called Torre de Alminar. The resulting Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption – commonly called the Mezquita de Córdoba – is the architectural jewel of this UNESCO World Heritage Site city.
