Spain: Fire Breaks Out at Historic Mosque-Cathedral
Spain: Fire Breaks Out at Historic Mosque-Cathedral
The News
Firefighters have extinguished a massive blaze that was burning in the historic mosque-turned-cathedral in the southern Spanish city of Cordoba.
The fire is out, he said, adding that firefighters and police would remain on site overnight.
WATCH: Fire breaks out at the Mosque Cathedral of Córdoba (La Mezquita de Córdoba) in Spain.
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) August 8, 2025
pic.twitter.com/bb4AY6wBWq
Three fire teams managed to control the fire and extinguished it within a short period.
After putting the fire out, firefighters continued to cool the monument's walls and roofs to prevent the fire from reigniting, El Mundo said.
Timeline
The blaze broke out around 9 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT) in one of the chapels in the Almanzor naves, according to Spain's El Mundo newspaper.
Reactions
The "rapid and magnificent intervention" of firefighters "averted a catastrophe," Cordoba Mayor Jose Mara Bellido posted on X.
More
Widely shared videos had shown flames and smoke billowing from inside the monument, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and is a major tourist attraction.
It may have been caused by a short circuit in an electric sweeper, El Mundo and local media reported without elaborating on why.
Now a cathedral, the building was originally a mosque between the 8th and 10th centuries that is considered a jewel of Islamic architecture.
After Christians reconquered Spain in the 13th century under King Ferdinand III of Castile, the building was converted into a cathedral and architectural alterations were made over following centuries.
The blaze evoked memories of the 2019 fire that ravaged Notre Dame in Paris, which formally reopenedin late 2024.
Colleges Condemn Students Mocking Kirk Assassination Anniversary
Charleston White Arrested Again on Florida Battery Charge
Sep 13, 2026
Border Patrol Rescues MS NOW Crew in Desert
Sep 13, 2026
Supreme Court Restores Missouri's Old House Map
Sep 13, 2026
Alaska Drops Felony Voter Charges Against Samoans
Sep 13, 2026
Trespasser Breaches Harris' Malibu Estate; No Arrest
Sep 12, 2026
Hegseth Pressed Downed Airmen Into 60 Minutes
Sep 12, 2026
Houthis Seize Mokha, Choking Saudi Oil Exports
Sep 12, 2026
Altman Rules Out OpenAI IPO This Year
Sep 12, 2026
Jury Acquits Lil Durk in Murder-for-Hire Case
Sep 12, 2026
Judge: Trump Broke Law Halving FEMA Staff
Sep 12, 2026
Maher Calls Democrats' Gaza Genocide Claim a Lie
Sep 12, 2026
Blizzard Revives StarCraft, Sends Diablo to Netflix
Sep 12, 2026
Trump's Queens Childhood Home Sells for $1.93M
Sep 12, 2026
Scientists Find New Virus in Tick Invading US
Sep 12, 2026
Britain Bans Settlement Imports; US States Threaten Payback
Sep 12, 2026
Prison Fire Kills 7 as Kurds Protest Killing
Sep 12, 2026
Kosovo Rallies for Ex-President Before Hague Verdict
Sep 12, 2026
Cruz Booed at GameDay Over College Sports Bill
Sep 12, 2026
Blast Hits Bulgarian Arms Plant Supplying Ukraine
Sep 12, 2026
Sep 13, 2026