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A fire at the historic mosque-turned-cathedral in Cordoba, Spain, on Friday evening caused only “very localised damage,” according to the city’s mayor.
The landmark site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reopened to the public on Saturday morning, just hours after the blaze.
The fire, which broke out around 9:00 p.m., sparked fears of a catastrophe similar to the 2019 Notre Dame fire in Paris.
However, Cordoba Mayor Jose Maria Bellido confirmed that most of the damage was contained to a single chapel where the fire originated, causing its roof to “completely collapse.”
Two adjacent chapels sustained “collateral damage” from smoke, but the mayor estimated that only 50 to 60 square metres of the vast building’s interior were affected.
Firefighters credited annual drills at the site with their ability to quickly contain the blaze.
Daniel Munoz, the head of Cordoba’s firefighting service, said the drills allowed crews to efficiently navigate the building’s layout.
A total of 35 firefighters worked overnight to monitor the area and ensure the fire was fully extinguished.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by forensic police, although local reports suggest it may have been started by a mechanical sweeping machine.
The Cordoba mosque-cathedral, which attracts two million visitors a year, was built as a mosque between the 8th and 10th centuries and was later converted into a cathedral in the 13th century.
