Muhammad I of Córdoba

Muhammad I of Cordoba (823–886; محمد بن عبد الرحمن الأوسط) was a Muslim ruler of al-Andalus. He ruled during a time of thriving art, architecture and culture in Islamic Iberia in the 9th century, turning Cordoba into a cultural and political center.

Reign
Muhammad I engaged in diplomacy with Charles the Bald, the Carolingian king of the West Franks, sending him camels in 865.

Martyrs of Cordoba
Under the reign of Muhammad I, what became later known as the Cordoban Martyr Movement took place. While a majority of Cordoban Christians conformed to Islamic society and lived comfortably as a result, there were still some who fervently defended their faith. During the mid 9th century there was a group of outspoken Cordoban Christians who publicly denounced the Muhammad. As a result of their protests, 50 Christians were executed by the Umayyad government. The source of this event comes from a rediscovered 16th century manuscript.

Architecture
Muhammad I is credited with some of the work done on the Great Mosque of Cordoba in the 9th century. He may have completed the first major expansion of the mosque begun by his father, Abd ar-Rahman II. He also added a maqsura. In 855 he restored the entrance called ("Gate of the Viziers"), known today as the Puerta de San Esteban, which is an important early example of the prototypical Moorish gateway.

One of Muhammad I's wives, Umm Salama, also founded a cemetery and a mosque named after her in the northern suburbs of Cordoba. Over time, this cemetery turned into the city's largest.