As with any major monument that figures prominently in architectural history, the Great Mosque of Cordoba has a classic architectural "story" behind it. This story attracts little attention in the USA, where the medieval pasis is of little interest because their national narrative does not depend on it. On the other hand, in Europe, where a recent exhibition catalogue on Islamic art concluded with the question, "Que representa hay al-Andalus para nosotros?" ("What does al-Andalus represent for us today?") (Cheddadi, 2000: 270), medieval history plays a powerful role in modern heritage politics. Especially in Spain, the interpretation of the medieval Iberian past, with its intertwining threads of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish culture, is a deeply political act.