Performing heritage at Cordoba's Mosque-Cathedral
Griera i Llonch, Ma. del Mar 1978- (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sociologia)
Astor, Avi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sociologia)
Burchardt, Marian (Universität Leipzig)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. SGR - Investigacions en Sociologia de la Religió (ISOR)

Data:	2024
Descripció:	24 pàg.
Resum:	This article explores the politics of cultural heritage in societies experiencing secularization and religious diversification by examining recent efforts made by Cordoba's Cathedral Chapter to emphasize the Christian origins and identity of the iconic Mosque-Cathedral. We argue that the Cathedral Chapter's approach to managing and narrating the building over the past two decades responds largely to tensions stemming from the divergence between the primacy of its Islamic or multi-religious identity characteristic of popular representations of the building, both within Spain and beyond, on the one hand, and the primacy of the building's Christian identity as manifested in the institutional arrangements concerning its ownership, management, and use, on the other. While this divergence has been a source of periodic tensions since the 1970s, such tensions have been amplified by recent symbolic acts and popular movements contesting the Church's dominion over the Mosque-Cathedral, as well as by broader societal changes that have diminished the Church's power and influence and heightened its sense of vulnerability. We identify and analyse four main strategies employed by the Catholic Church to (re)narrate the meaning of the building and assert its Christian roots and identity: (1) archaeological projects attempting to demonstrate its Christian foundations; (2) liturgical practices presenting it as a church to establish its Christian identity; (3) discursive practices framing Catholic traditions and rituals as 'intangible heritage' crucial to the building's successful preservation; and (4) the unconditional prohibition of Muslims from performing Islamic prayers. In our research, we have focused on the utilization of museological methods and the interweaving of diverse repertoires (scientific, artistic, religious), by Catholic actors, aimed authenticating and validating novel interpretations about the origin and Christian character of the building.
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	Authenticity ; Cordoba ; Cultural heritage ; Mosque-Cathedral ; Religion
Publicat a:	Cultural Studies, Vol. 38 Núm. 5 (2024) , p. 815-838, ISSN 1466-4348

DOI: 10.1080/09502386.2024.2383202

25 p, 1.9 MB

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Documents de recerca > Documents dels grups de recerca de la UAB > Centres i grups de recerca (producció científica) > Ciències socials i jurídiques > ISOR (Investigacions en Sociologia de la Religió)
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