Córdoba’s renowned mosque-cathedral, subjected to a tug of war over ownership, has been deemed to be the property of “each and every citizen of the world”.
The world heritage site started out as a Visigoth Christian church in the early 9th century, was enlarged by the Moors who turned it into a mosque and then acquired in 1236 by the Catholic Church during the reign of Fernando III after Córdoba fell to Christian troops.
In 2006 church officials paid €30 to register its ownership.
Now the city’s local authorities have quashed the Catholic church’s claim of legal ownership by declaring that the building does not belong to any individual or organisation and that the church’s acquisition has no basis in law and does not confer ownership.
The council’s report notes that “religious consecration is not the way to acquire property”.
Its recognition as a Unesco world heritage site “of exceptional universal value” means it cannot be owned by anyone.
The true owners, the report says, “are each and every citizen of the world from whatever epoch and regardless of people, nation, culture or race”.
No response has been made by the church.
