The conversion of mosques into non-Islamic places of worship has occurred for centuries. The most prominent examples of such took place after and during the Reconquista. Outside the Iberian Peninsula, a series of prominent conversions of mosques into churches occurred across various modern imperial contexts, including the Portuguese and Spanish empires in the 16th and 17th centuries and French colonialism in North Africa in the 19th century. In the absence of an official colonial policy, mosque-church conversions were episodic and ranged from building churches on the sites of destroyed mosques to converting functional mosques into churches and, in some strategic cases, cathedrals.
Conversion of mosques into churches
This table lists former mosques with identified original buildings or ruins. It also includes those churches where the original structure of the mosque no longer survives and the church was built at the site of a former mosque. It also includes those that were originally churches that were converted to mosques and later reconverted to churches.
Current nameMosque NameImagesCityCountryYear openedYear closedNotesRef. SpainMosque–Cathedral of CórdobaGreat Mosque of Córdoba (Qurṭuba), Aljama Mosque CórdobaSpainearly 8th century1236After the Muslim conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom (710~), the site of former main Visigothic church of Cordoba was divided and shared between Muslims and Christians for seven decades. Later, Abd al-Rahman I purchased the Christian part and built the large mosque in 785. Major extensions were added in the 9th and 10th centuries until a final extension in the 10th century under Almanzor. After Christians recaptured Cordoba in 1236, King Ferdinand III of Castile converted the mosque into a cathedral. Later, a cathedral was built at the center of the old mosque, configuring the current Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. It was the second largest mosque in the world after Great Mosque in Makkah from the around 9th century, until the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul was built in 1588. It had a surface area of and accommodated an estimated 32,000 to 40,000 worshipers. The current mosque structure dates from 784 to 987.Mosque of Cristo de la LuzMezquita Bab-al-MardumToledo9991186Converted into a church. One of the best preserved Moorish mosques in Spain.GiraldaGreat Mosque of SevilleSeville, Andalusia1248Only minaret remains. Mosque comparable in size to Great mosque of Cordoba, destroyed by earthquake in 1365. Minaret used as a church bell tower was built higher in 16th century.Almonaster la Real MosqueAlmonaster la Real10th centuryBuilt on site of 5th-century Visigoth basilica. Converted into a church after Reconquista. National Monument since 1931.Mezquita del Alcázar de Jerez la FronteraJerez de la Frontera (Jerez)11th centurymid 13th centuryLocated within former Moorish fortress of Alcazar of Jerez de la Frontera. Only surviving mosque building of 18 former mosques in the Jerez city. Converted into a church after Reconquista.Mosque of las TorneríasAl-MustimimToledo1060Unusual two-storied mosque. Was built in a busy commercial neighborhood (Arrabal de Francos). Used as a church until 1498–1505, and other uses since. Restoration and preservation done recently.Mezquita de TórtolesTarazona15th centuryMosque remains almost not altered in the later centuries. Current building was built in 2 stages, one early 15th century, other late 15th century. It is attached to the remains of the old fortified tower of town castle. Converted into a church in 1526.Aljama Mosque of Medina AzaharaAljama Masjid of Madinat al-ZahraCórdoba9401010A mosque in Madinat al-Zahra, a vast, fortified Moorish palace-city built by Abd-ar-Rahman III (912–961). The marbled, jeweled complex was plundered & destroyed first by Muslims, then by Christians when the civil war ended the Caliphate of Córdoba. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2018.San Sebastián de ToledoAl-Dabbagin MasjidToledo1085~Converted into a church after the 1085 Christian conquest of the area. Renovated several times but the original interior structure remains. The building is now used as a concert & exhibition hall. Belltower built in the 15th century shows characteristics of a former minaret. Ruins of Arab Baths of Tenerías remain lower below on slope. A short reference to mosque exists by Ibn Baskuwal (1101–83) reported by Fath ibn Ibrahim.The existence of the Al-Dabbagin mosque is attested by a short reference by Ibn Baskuwal (1101-83) reported by Fath ibn Ibrahim. see: ''Actas de las i jornadas de Cultura Islámica, Toledo'', Instituto Occidental de Cultura Islámica (ed.) 1987, p. 158Small Royal mosque inside Aljafería PalaceZaragoza10th centuryLocated inside the great fortified palace. A small octagonal mosque, designed as a private oratory for the king and his family. Mosque architecture inspired by the Córdoba mosque. Aljafería is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986.Mezquita-Iglesia de El Salvador, ToledoToledo9th century1085Mosque built on former Visigoth or Roman substrate. Now a rebuilt church but excavations revealed 9th-century structures & elements of a mosque - horseshoe arch arcade, primitive stone minaret, flooring, courtyard with a cistern.Alminar de Árchez, Alminar Mudéjar (Mudejar Minaret of Árchez)Masyid al-Ta`ibin, Mezquita de los Conversos (Mosque of convert)Árchez14th centuryOnly 15-meter tall minaret remains, used as the belfry of Árchez church built on mosque location. The minaret is an Almohade architecture monument and the only remaining jewel of the Nazarí period.San Sebastian Minaret (Alminar De San Sebastian)Ronda1485Only minaret of the medium-size mosque in Plaza Abul Beka neighborhood remains. Minaret was expanded and used as a bell tower. The mosque was converted to a church but destroyed in the 1600s during Morisco Revolts. Ronda was a Muslim city for 700 years. The city had 7 or 8 mosques, none survive today.Alminar de San Juan (Minaret of San Juan)Córdoba930Only minaret remains of the mosque built in 930 during 1st Spanish Umayyad caliph 'Abd al-Rahman III. Now it's the belfry of San Juan church.Iglesia de Santiago del Arrabal, ToledoToledoConverted to a church in 1223–25. Caliphate era minaret survives. The church is a Mudéjar style masterpiece, built in 1245–47 on prior structures of a mosque and Visigoth building.Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (Benaque, Macharaviaya)MacharaviayaOne of few preserved mosques with original minaret and solid block building built of brick & masonry. Interior single rectangular prayer hall now a church nave. Drilling Mecca facing wall in 2003 showed original mosque construction and 19th-century work. Reconquista era document says "...While it was the visitation and reformation of the houses in the alcayua (or alamiya) in Benaque, the inhabitants used mosque as a parish church, where they had images and heard Mass...". PortugalChurch of Nossa Senhora da AnunciaçãoAljama mosque of MartulahMértola