Iglesia Colegial del Salvador/Mosque of Ibn Abbas, Seville

Exterior view of the former Mosque of Ibn Abbas - Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Like many churches in Spain, the Iglesia Colegial del Salvador was once a Roman temple. It later became the Mosque of Ibn Abbas, the first and most important of Seville’s mosques, built in 830 CE.

After the fall of Islamic Seville Muslims were allowed to continue using this mosque as such up until 1340 CE, when it was converted into a church. After falling into a dilapidated state, restoration work began in 1674 and was finished by 1712. Remnants of the mosque are still present, however: look for the columns, the ablutions courtyard and the original minaret, embedded in the Baroque tower.