Huge blaze rips through ancient Spanish church: Firefighters battle to save major tourist attraction
Dramatic footage shows thick smoke billowing out from the historic UNESCO-listed mosque-cathedral of Cordoba on Friday night, as flames lapped at its roof.
The Spanish city's mayor said firefighters quickly contained the blaze and saved the church - which is a major tourist attraction visited by two million people per year.
'The monument is saved. There will be no spread, it will not be a catastrophe, let's put it that way,' José María Bellido stated on Cadena television.
Although the fire is considered almost extinguished, firefighters continue to cool the area to prevent it from spreading.
The blaze broke out around 9:00 PM (1900 GMT) in the Patio de los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard), according to local media.
ABC and other newspapers reported that a mechanical sweeping machine had caught fire on the site.
Known locally as the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, the stunning building, which dates back to the 8th century, forms part of southern Spain's unique combination of Christian-Moorish architecture.
It was was originally constructed when Muslim rulers controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula, which includes modern-day Spain and Portugal.
Work on the Mosque as a Great Mosque began in 785 AD.
After the Christian conquering of Spain, known as the Reconquista, the magnificent place of worship was converted to a cathedral in 1236.
Despite changing religions, many of the features left by the previous Muslim stonemasons remain.
For some, the fire evoked memories of the 2019 fire that ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The world watched in horror as the blaze tore through Notre Dame on April 15, plunging France into national mourning over the loss of priceless works of art and its 600-year-old architecture.
Worshippers were not authorised in the cathedral but watched the mass on a Catholic TV station that is broadcasting the service.
The video showed some burnt wood still in the church but a famous statue of the Virgin and Child appeared intact behind wooden construction planks.
The annual Dedication Mass commemorated the cathedral's consecration as a place of worship and was held in a small side chapel at around 5pm local time.
'This cathedral is a place of worship, it is its very own and unique purpose,' Aupetit said.
One French priest called the service 'a true happiness, full of hope.'
'We will rebuild this cathedral. It will take time of course - a lot of money, lot of time, lot of work - but we will succeed,' Father Pierre Vivares told The Associated Press outside the cathedral a month after the fire.
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