Almonaster la Real facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Almonaster la Real
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 Almonaster la Real
Location in Province of Huelva
Almonaster la Real
Location in Andalusia
Almonaster la Real
Location in Spain
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| Country |  Spain |
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| Region |  Andalusia |
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| Province | Huelva | ||
| Municipality | Almonaster la Real | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 322 km2 (124 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 322 km2 (124 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 0.00 km2 (0 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(2018)
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| • Total | 1,837 | ||
| • Density | 5.705/km2 (14.776/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||
| Website | www.almonasterlareal.es | ||
Almonaster la Real is a charming town and municipality located in the Huelva province of Andalusia, Spain. In 2005, about 1,805 people lived there. This historic town is known for its beautiful natural surroundings and its very old mosque.
Contents
Exploring Almonaster la Real's Famous Mosque
What Makes the Mosque Special?
The name Al-Munastir comes from Arabic, meaning 'the monastery.' This mosque was built where an old Christian monastery once stood. It even uses some parts from an even older Visigothic church! This makes it a really unique building.
It's one of the very few old country mosques from the Umayyad period (around the 9th or 10th century) that still exists in Spain. This means it's super old and has a lot of history.
How the Mosque Was Built
The building has a unique, trapezoidal shape. This means it's wider at the bottom than the top. This unusual shape was probably because of the hilly land it was built on. It's made from brick and stone.
The main prayer hall has a central area called a nave and side areas called aisles. These are separated by brick arches. These arches rest on strong stone pillars or even on old Roman columns that were reused! Some columns even have fancy Roman tops called Corinthian capitals.
The central nave is wider than the aisles next to it. These aisles are also wider than the ones further out. The Mihrab, which is a special niche showing the direction of Mecca, sticks out from the southern side.
Other Interesting Parts of the Mosque
There's a small courtyard carved out of the rock in the north-east corner. It has a stone basin that was once used for washing before prayers.
The rectangular minaret, which is a tower where calls to prayer were made, is on the north side. It has since been changed into a bell tower for the church.
When the mosque was turned into a church, an eastern apse (a rounded end) and sacristy (a room for church items) were added. A western porch was also built. Under the floor, sixteen old graves were found.
The mosque didn't have much light. What little light it did get came from the courtyard, the main door, and a few narrow windows. There were two windows to the left of the Mihrab and two to the right.
See also
In Spanish: Almonaster la Real para niños
