Cordoba: Spanish authorities have reopened the historic Qurtuba Mosque after a fire caused damage, the official Spanish Television reported.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the fire was attributed to an electrical sweeping machine, with the blaze starting at 9 p.m. and being extinguished in three hours. Firefighters remained on site until dawn to prevent any resurgence of the flames.
Cordoba Dean Jose Maria Bellido, quoted by the official television, stated that the situation could have escalated had the fire squads not acted promptly to contain the fire. The damage was confined to the eastern section of the mosque, sparing the 8th-century portion which houses the most valuable relics.
This incident marks the third fire at the historic mosque, following previous incidents in May 1910 and July 2001. The recent fire resulted in the loss of numerous documents.
The Qurtuba Mosque, constructed in 783 AD following the Islamic conquest of Andalusia, was later converted into a cathedral after the Christian forces took control of the region.