3D Photogrammetry, capacity, filling time and water flow simulation of Cordoba's Mosque-Cathedral Islamic cistern

Abstract

One of the most important concerns of such a relevant city as Córdoba has always been the use and distribution of water resources. In the Mosque-Cathedral located in Córdoba (Spain), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984, there is an Islamic cistern built by Almanzor around the years 999–1000 CE in the Court of Oranges of the former Mosque. In this work we aim to create an exact 3D model of this cistern. For that purpose, we have digitally reconstructed the Islamic cistern using photogrammetry techniques. Furthermore, we have documented the location and capacity of water distribution canalizations, whose initial function was to provide the cistern with water and to empty it. Finally, we have studied the cistern water capacity, calculated an estimation of its filling time and we have made a water flow simulation with a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) Simulation software.