A Reasoned Construction: The Mosque-type Chapels of Sixteenth Century Mexico

The chapel of San José de los Naturales, in Mexico City, and the chapels for native Americans in Cholula, Toluca, Etzatlán and Jilotepec, constructed during the sixteenth century in Mexico, all followed a hypostyle plan. They were built with more than three naves, and had open façades, both being alien elements to the style of Spanish Catholic architecture, closer, however, to Andalusian mosques. The reason for the construction of these buildings has been a matter of debate. Recently it was suggested that the plan was chosen to accommodate the Indigenous population’s perceived “Islamic” identity. This paper rejects that claim and examines other historical reasons related to the character of the religious institutions that operated at the time of construction. It examines the importance of the plagues of the sixteenth century and their impact in building campaigns, as well as the “experimental” character of early colonial architecture in Mexico to explain the reasons behind the construction of these rare buildings.