A fire broke out in the historic mosque-turned-cathedral in Cordoba on Friday but the monument was saved as firefighters quickly contained and then extinguished it, the Spanish city’s mayor said.

Widely shared videos had shown flames and smoke billowing from inside the major tourist attraction, visited by two million people per year.

“The monument is saved. There will be no spread, it will not be a catastrophe, let’s put it that way,” Mayor Jose Mara Bellido said on Cadena television.

Later, he said the fire, which the fire brigade had earlier described as under control, was now extinguished.

“Luckily, the rapid and magnificent intervention of the Cordoba firefighters averted a catastrophe. The fire is now out, and tonight firefighters and local police teams will remain on site to avoi

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