Answer the following question in 3-4 complete sentences. Name the mosque pictured above. Explain its history and artistic elements.

Answer:

The building pictured is the Great Mosque of Córdoba, also known as the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. It was begun in the eighth century under Abd al-Rahman I and expanded by later rulers of al-Andalus. After Córdoba was captured by Christian forces in 1236, it was converted into a cathedral. Its artistic features include a vast hall of columns, horseshoe arches, alternating red and white stone, and distinctive double-tiered arches.