Due to its status as a former mosque, it is also known in Spanish as the Mezquita (Spanish for 'mosque') is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century.Historians believe that there had first been a temple to the Roman god, Janus, on this site. The temple was converted into a church by invading Visigoths who seized Córdoba in 572 Next, the church was converted into a mosque and then completely rebuilt in 785