The roof of a chapel in the mosque of Córdoba collapses after a fire.

That yesterday, Saturday, just one day after a spectacular fire, the reopening of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba was something residents and tourists could not have imagined. However, queues continued throughout the day, most of whom had prior admission, although more than a few curious visitors joined the visits. The affected part of the monument, however, remains closed to the public for the time being. According to the Dean of the Cathedral, Joaquín Alberto Nieva, who appeared before the media in the Patio de los Naranjos, it is a "very small" area, about 25 square meters, while the site covers "a surface area of 23,000 square meters," so "visiting and worshipping is completely safe." He was accompanied at the press conference by the Mayor of Córdoba, José María Bellido, and the Bishop Emeritus of the temple, Demetrio Fernández.

The building's maintenance service, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, worked overnight to clean it so it could reopen normally yesterday. Throughout the day, authorities, forensic police, and firefighting services assessed the damage: one chapel collapsed, the Annunciation Chapel, where the roof collapsed, and two others were damaged.

The maintenance of the building, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, worked to ensure it could open normally.

Rooms such as the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, described by the church as "the most important," and the Chapel of St. Nicholas, "have not been affected so far," limiting the damage to some wooden vaults that "have been recently restored" and "are not the oldest." Also affected were some "sculptural, pictorial, and altarpiece works," as well as "some images that have come loose from the altarpiece of the Incarnation."

Although the investigation is ongoing, all indications are that the fire started in room 37, where cleaning supplies are stored. One of the electric sweepers could be the cause of the incident, although Nieva and the rest of the team have preferred to be cautious and point out that, for now, "the exact source is unknown."

Nieva dismissed any questions related to the future cost of restoring the area, as he hopes the conservation architects will complete their assessments. "The council is prepared to deal with this type of contingency, with unforeseen events," and referred to the precedent experienced during the pandemic, where they faced a scenario of "zero income from tourism." The mayor himself emphasized that, indeed, "the council is responsible for this monument," before adding that "the institutions entrusted with the protection of heritage are the Regional Government of Andalusia and, of course, UNESCO, which has to say something because it is a World Heritage Site." In fact, he clarified that they are in constant contact with ICOMOS, the UNESCO agency responsible for sites and monuments listed as World Heritage Sites, following the incident.

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Regarding protocols, both Bellido and Nieva announced that a review will be carried out. "We already plan to implement one of the most modern fire extinguishing systems in existence this fall, which uses water mist, the same one installed at Notre Dame de Paris. We are at the forefront." However, they applauded the fact that the fire, which broke out at 9 p.m. on Friday, was extinguished "in a reasonable time and with great efficiency."