Justice, mercy and Christianity: a new reading of the 10th-century Qur’anic inscriptions of the Mosque of Cordova

Abstract

This article is a new analysis of the Koranic inscriptions that were made on the doors of the Great Mosque at Cordova during the time of the Caliphate (10^th century). Although not all these inscriptions are well-preserved, a new approach to the Koranic verses has revealed enough unique aspects to suggest a fresh interpretation of their meaning and intention. These inscriptions are part of a well-defined epigraphic program with a complex meaning related to the political, social and religious context of the time. This program also accounts for allusions to the anti-Christian polemic of the era. In this sense, the religious epigraphy of this mosque constitutes a valuable historical record of the Umayyad caliphate of al-Andalus.