A fire has broken out in the historic mosque-turned-cathedral of the Spanish city of Córdoba. Videos online show flames and smoke coming from inside the major tourist attraction.

Firefighters deployed to La Mezquita-Catedral on Friday evening later said the blaze was “under control” but it had not been extinguished.

Local media reported the blaze broke out when a mechanical sweeping machine caught fire in one of the chapels at about 9pm, and then spread to the roof. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Considered a jewel of Islamic architecture, the site was built as a mosque – on the site of an earlier church – between the 8th and 10th centuries by the southern city’s then Muslim ruler, Abd al-Rahman, an emir of the Umayyad dynasty.

After Christians reconquered Spain in the 13th century under King Ferdinand III of Castile, it was converted into a cathedral and architectural alterations were made over following centuries.

The Unesco-listed heritage site received two million visitors in 2024, according to its website.

More details soon…