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Our archeology and history workshops are back in Cordoba

From February 02, 2022 until December 15, 2022Check times and dates for each workshop.
CÓRDOBA
Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). Check times and dates for each workshop. 4 euros: for the general public at Casa Árabe.
Prior registration required. The decision on whether to hold these activities in person will depend upon the health situation at the time. Thank you for your patience. Price per workshop: 4 euros for the general public at the headquarters. 3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. Ticket sales on our website (in the section with information on each workshop) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (payment in cash or by credit card).
Spanish

For yet another year, Casa Árabe is hosting these handicraft workshops given by SextoMario at its headquarters in Cordoba, with the goal of increasing awareness about the region’s history and historical values. Check all of the available dates.

Intended for all types of audiences, they provide participants with historical knowledge by teaching them about crafts. At the same time, our goal is to draw attention towards the potential offered by our cultural heritage and the challenges it is now facing, as well as the impact held by passing it on to others.

The materials required to take part in the activity are provided to each individual participant by the organization.

Calendar
1. Lattice decorations – February 10 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
2. Tiraz – March 17
3. Andalusian combs – April 21
4. Andalusian ornaments – May 19
5. Chests – June 16
6. Coffered ceilings – July 14
7. Taqa – September 22
8. Muqarnas – October 20
9. Taracea – November 17
10. Caliph’s Arch – December 15

SextoMario is made up of professionals who have earned university degrees in Art History, History and Archeology. They possess excellent resumes with training on the history and archeology of Cordoba. They also have a great deal of experience in the field of teaching, which allows them to offer those whose take part in their workshops with extensive, diversified information on the history and archeology of our past, always in accordance with the level of the people participating. SextoMario was created because of a calling to teach History in a pleasant and entertaining way, without setting aside the basic contents that form part of our values and culture, through a broad catalogue of educational workshops and games. With this focus, the workshops strengthen skills such as paying attention, memory, psychomotor skills and coordination, while youths learn about a wide range of aspects from our past and, in turn, reflect about our present.
Our archeology and history workshops are back in Cordoba
Photo: Fourth Andalusian House- Manuel Lama
  • Lattice decoration workshop
    Frame Lattice decoration workshop

    Lattice decoration workshop

    February 10, 20226:00 p.m.
    CÓRDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros: general tickets at the box office.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. You must complete the payment at least one week before the workshop is held. You may pay for registration through our website (by clicking on the “purchase tickets” button) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    Spanish
    On February 10, we will be hosting this craft workshop to learn about archeology and history while also having fun. In this first workshop of the year, we will be working on the creation of a lattice decoration. Sign up now.
    Without a doubt, one of the most characteristic features of Al-Andalus culture was lattice decoration, which can still be found today in Andalusian cities, where all sorts of lattices can be seen in windows and on balconies.

    A desire for privacy was not at odds with aesthetics, and there are some lovely examples of these pieces made out of stone.

    At this workshop, we will be talking about the principles governing the use and production of these items, and those attending will get to make a small decorative lattice out of wood, which they will then be able to stain or paint however they like.

    The materials required for the activity will be provided by the organizers and are intended for individual use.
  • “Tiraz” workshop (embroidery)

    “Tiraz” workshop (embroidery)

    March 17, 20226:00 p.m.
    CÓRDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros for the general public at Casa Árabe
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. You must complete the payment at least one week before the workshop is held. You may pay for registration through our website (by clicking on the “purchase tickets” button) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On March 17, we are offering a special workshop on “tiraz” at our headquarters in Cordoba to learn how to embroider face masks. The activity is being held as part of Women’s Week at Casa Árabe, and you can sign up now.
    El Dar al-Tiraz was the name given to the workshops in Al-Andalus where luxury fabrics were woven, whose workers were mostly women. They were employed exclusively by the monarch, and were thus run as a monopoly, a symbol to express power. The era of the caliphs was that of greatest splendor for these royal production sites. From their workshops came different types of fabrics that competed with those from Baghdad and Byzantium. These fabrics were used by the caliph and his family, but a significant number were given as gifts to Muslim and Christian princes.

    This time around, those attending the workshop will be embroidering face masks made with fabric certified as protective. They can choose from among different calligrams like the ones shown in the pictures.

    The materials are for individual use by each participant and will be provided by the
    workshop’s organizers.

  • “Moorish Combs” workshop
    Ivory comb, tenth century, Cordoba Archeology Museum

    “Moorish Combs” workshop

    April 21, 20226:00 p.m.
    CÓRDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros for the general public at Casa Árabe.
    In Spanish.
    On April 21, we will be hosting a craft workshop in Cordoba to learn about archeology and history in an entertaining way. This time around, we will be discovering the symbolism behind the decorations on this household item once found on Moorish dressing tables. The activity is being held as part of the Nights of
    Ramadan
    .
    Dressing table items from Al-Andalus reflect a taste for decoration that is so clearly Arab in nature. However, their motifs also bear a very rich and interesting symbolism linked to Moorish thought. Some of those still preserved today are made of ivory, whereas the wooden combs have been lost.

    At this workshop, we will be talking about a few personal hygiene tools, and those attending will get the chance to decorate a wooden comb, not with reliefs like those you would find on ivory combs, but instead with polychrome Moorish-style drawings of their choosing.

    SextoMario
    SextoMario is made up of professionals with advanced degrees in Art History, History and Archeology, possessing excellent resumes with training on the history and archeology of Cordoba. They also have a great deal of experience in the field of teaching, which allows them to offer those whose take part in their workshops with extensive, diversified information on the history and archeology of our past, always in accordance with the level of the people participating. SextoMario was created because of a calling to teach history in a fun and entertaining way, without setting aside the basic contents that form part of our values and culture, through a broad catalogue of educational workshops and games. With this focus, the workshops strengthen skills such as paying attention, memory, psychomotor skills and coordination, while youths learn about a wide range of aspects from our past and, in turn, reflect about our present.
  • Andalusian ornaments workshop

    Andalusian ornaments workshop

    May 19, 20226:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros: for the general public at Casa Árabe.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. You must complete the payment at least one week before the workshop is held. You may pay for registration through our website (by clicking on the “purchase tickets” button) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Thursday, May 19, we will be hosting a new workshop at our headquarters in Cordoba to learn about the region’s archeology and history in an entertaining way. Sign up now so you don’t miss out!
    The best-known decoration from Al-Andalus includes geometric lacework and tiling, but there was also a whole range of nature and plant-based ornamentation also covering walls, carpets, tapestries and clothing.

    At this workshop, we will discuss some ornamental plant-based motifs, and those attending will get the chance to make a rubber stamp with one of these plant motifs on it. Rhythmically arranged onto a fabric, it creates a composition reminiscent of Arabesques and brocades.

    All materials will be provided by the organization at no extra cost
  • Decorative cases workshop

    Decorative cases workshop

    June 16, 20227:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 7:00 p.m. 4 euros for the general public at Casa Árabe.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. You must make payment at least one week before the workshop is held. You may pay for registration through our website (by clicking on the “purchase tickets” button) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Thursday, June 16 we have planned a new workshop at which we will learn about Cordoba’s history and archeology in an entertaining way through traditional craftsmanship. Tickets are now on sale.
    These special decorative cases for miscellaneous items, known as “arquetas,” mostly made out of ivory and coated wood, were one of the ways in which many Moorish rulers would deliver their gifts.

    At this workshop, those taking part will get the chance to decorate a wooden box or pencil case displaying some of the most typical designs from the culture of Al-Andalus.

    The materials required to take part in the activity are provided to each individual participant by the organization.
  • Coffered ceilings workshop

    Coffered ceilings workshop

    From June 29, 2022 until July 14, 2022The workshop will be held on Thursday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). The workshop will be held on Thursday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. 4 euros: for the general public at Casa Árabe.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. You must make payment at least one week before the workshop is held. You may pay for registration through our website (by clicking on the “purchase tickets” button) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    The last of our workshops to learn about archeology and history in an entertaining way will be taking place on Thursday, July 14, just before the summer break. This time around, we will be creating a composition inspired by the flat ceilings found in many Moorish buildings. Tickets are now being sold online.
    We almost always aim our eyes downward and forget to look straight up from time to time. The domed and vaulted ceilings of many buildings from Al-Andalus are famous, but a lot of the flat ceilings are also worth viewing.

    Coffered ceilings are backdrops where decoration unfolds in a rich symbolic language. At this workshop, we will be linking the idea of the seven heavens of Islam with these coffered ceilings.

    On this occasion, attendees will get the chance to make a coffered ceiling painting using colored cardboard, thus designing unique, eye-catching compositions. All of the required materials will be provided by the organizers.
  • “Taqa” workshop

    “Taqa” workshop

    September 22, 20227:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 7:00 p.m. 4 euros: for the general public at Casa Árabe.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. You must make payment at least one week before the workshop is held. You may pay for registration through our website (by clicking on the “purchase tickets” button) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Thursday, September 22, we are bringing back our workshops to learn about the region’s archeology and history in the region in an enjoyable way through crafts. This time around, the workshop will be about the niches or cupboards known as “taqa.” Sign up now to participate!
    These taqa are the niches or cupboards which, in general, were located at the entrance of houses or receiving areas. Islamic art is characterized by its “horror vacui,” or the need not to leave any empty space free of decorative motifs. Although today we can find little of this feature in the Caliphate structures still preserved in Al-Andalus, within the Archeological Ensemble of Madinat al-Zahra you can view spectacular, once polychromed marble windows that will now serve as an inspiration for us.

    At this workshop given by Sextomario, we will be focusing on this characteristic of Islamic art while seeking to create a decorative extravaganza as we build a small frame that we will then decorate in the Moorish style.
  • “Muqarnas” workshop
    Photo: Daniel Lobo on Flickr

    “Muqarnas” workshop

    October 20, 20226:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros for the general public at Casa Árabe.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. Ticket sales on our website (in the section with information on each workshop) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (payment in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Thursday, October 20, we are giving a new workshop to learn about the archeology and history of the region in Cordoba. Participants will be taught in an enjoyable way through crafts. On this occasion, the course will be devoted to the Nasrid era, and more specifically to muqarnas or Arab plaster work. Buy your tickets online now to participate.
    In architecture, Nasrid art uses a series of materials different from those of the Caliphate period. This allowed it to develop its own unique decorative style which distanced it from the preceding period.

    These muqarnas or Arab plaster mouldings remind us of the stalactites in caves and they way they seem to defy gravity. At this workshop, we will be looking at the topic of muqarnas, the way they are produced, and their types and decoration. Those attending will be able to make their own composition, as well as polychroming it and taking it home as a souvenir.
  • “Taracea” inlay workshop
    Taracea inlay image

    “Taracea” inlay workshop

    November 17, 20226:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros: for the general public at Casa Árabe.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. You must make payment at least one week before the workshop is held. You may pay for registration through our website (by clicking on the “purchase tickets” button) or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Thursday, November 17, our workshops to learn about the region’s archeology and history in an enjoyable way through craftsmanship will be returning to Cordoba. This time around, they will be dedicated to inlay work known as “taracea.” SOLD OUT.
    Although wood is a fragile material, the artisanal techniques used to work that material still endure. While tile work is the art of geometry on the walls of buildings, inlays may be regarded as that form of art placed on the medium of wood and made mobile. At this workshop, we will be discussing the origin of this craft technique, and those attending will be get the chance to make a composition consisting of a “taracea” inlay to take away as a souvenir.

    At this workshop given by Sextomario, we will be focusing on this feature of Islamic art while seeking to create a decorative extravaganza as we build a small frame that we will then decorate in the Moorish style.
  • "Caliph era arch" workshop
    Puerta exterior de la mezquita de Córdoba - José Antonio Grueso Perogil

    "Caliph era arch" workshop

    December 15, 20226:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros: general public at the headquarters.
    3 euros for online payments, the officially unemployed, students of Casa Árabe's Language Center and Youth Card holders. Ticket sales on our website (in the information section on each workshop), or at Casa Árabe's headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Thursday, December 15, we will be hosting our last workshop of the year, where you can learn about Cordoba’s history and archeology in an entertaining way through craftsmanship, with the help of SextoMario. On this occasion, the session will be devoted to a basic architectural feature from the Caliphate period. Buy your ticket now to attend.
    For this occasion, we will be working on the caliphal arches or horseshoe arches, an essential construction feature throughout the Caliphate of Cordoba in the tenth century, having reached our era in various forms, through many different constructions found all over our heritage landscape.

    When we speak of Moorish architecture, we immediately think of the red and white horseshoe arches of Cordoba’smosque. However... are all horseshoe arches alike? At this workshop, we will be talking about the many types and evolution of the horseshoe arch.

    Those attending will be able to create their own caliph era arch using engraved wood pieces. All of the materials will be provided by the organizers, and at the end of the workshop, those taking part will be able to take their work home.