The roof of the chapel where the fire at the Mosque of Córdoba started collapses.

The roof of the chapel where the fire at the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba originated, which kept the entire city in suspense last night, collapsed early this morning, according to José Juan Jiménez Güeto, canon of the Chapter, the body that manages the building. The affected area is a space used as a warehouse and where cleaning equipment is stored, including the mechanical sweeper that may have caused the fire.

"That chapel has no heritage value," the canon stated regarding the area affected by the roof collapse, urging caution while awaiting official reports from technicians on the consequences of the roof collapse. In any case, Güeto sends a reassuring message, assuring that the chapels of the Baptistery and the Holy Spirit, located next to the space where the flames erupted, have not been affected in any way.

Images from the interior of the temple, declared a World Heritage Site and considered one of the symbols of Islamic art, illustrate damage to the altarpiece of the Expectation , as confirmed by the Güetto itself. This work depicts the Annunciation and is located in the chapel of the same name, founded in the 13th century and containing a canvas painted by Ruiz Morián Moreno in the 19th century.

The fire was declared completely extinguished just after 12:30 a.m., but both firefighters and the National Police remained inside the monument all night to ensure the building's safety. The mosque reopened as usual this Saturday, both for daytime visits to the monument and for climbing the bell tower. Only the area affected by the fire will remain closed.

The city's mayor, José María Bellido, already announced last night that the building had suffered damage: "It's not going to be a catastrophe. There will be damage, and it will be terrible damage to a World Heritage Site, but the monument is safe."

Flames leaping from the roofs of the eastern part of the building surprised residents and tourists just after 9 p.m., and almost immediately, firefighters and the National Police responded to the monument's surroundings. Columns of smoke could be seen from various points in the city, which reached 39 degrees Celsius (103 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday. The fire then quickly spread to the roof of the monument, next to the San José Gate on Magistral González Francés Street, which emergency services evacuated to begin extinguishing the blaze. The San José Gate dates back to the 10th century and was restored in 2017.

[Developing story. More to come.]