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Series of “Workshops with History” in Cordoba

From January 26, 2023 until December 13, 2023Check times and dates for each workshop.
CORDOBA
Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). Check times and dates for each workshop. 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).
In Spanish.

For yet another year, Casa Árabe is once again hosting these craft workshops at its headquarters in Cordoba. They are organized by SextoMario with the goal of increasing awareness about the region’s history and historical values. Check the dates and sign up now.

Intended for all types of audiences, the workshops 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 will be provided by the organization and are for individual use.

Workshop calendar
9. Tezhip - plant designs - November 8 - TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ONLINE
10. Chests - December 13

SextoMario is made up of professionals who have earned university degrees in Art History, History and Archeology. They possess excellent backgrounds 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.
Series of “Workshops with History” in Cordoba
Workshop poster
  • “Musicians’ Jug” workshop
    Musicians’ bottle (tenth century). Cordoba Archeology Museum.

    “Musicians’ Jug” workshop

    January 26, 20236:00 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 the headquarters.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. Ticket sales on our website or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    The first workshop of the year to learn about the region’s archeology and history in an entertaining way through crafts will be taking place at our Cordoba headquarters on Thursday, January 26. Sign up now so you don’t miss out!
    The musicians’ bottle is one of the most unique pieces in the permanent collection of Cordoba’s Archeology Museum. Dating back to the tenth century, this ceramic bottle is characterized by its pictorial representation of musicians and minstrels, in what appears to be a Moorish “zambra” performance.

    The string, percussion and wind instruments represented on this beautiful bottle speak to us of the beats, rhythms and sounds of our tradition.

    At this workshop, we will be discussing music in Al-Andalus, and those attending will get the chance to decorate a ceramic reproduction of this piece with our own version of the musicians portrayed on it.
  • Cordovan letter case workshop
    Letter case

    Cordovan letter case workshop

    February 16, 20236:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos y Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 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. Tickets sold on our website or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Thursday, February 16 we will be hosting a new workshop to discover the history and archeology of Cordoba in an entertaining way through the work of craftsmen, this time focusing on leatherwork. Sold out!
    Leatherwork became an art form of its own in the city of Qurtuba and was so highly appreciated throughout Europe that its name endures still today, as “Cordovan,” a technique for embossing leather developed in the capital of Al-Andalus. It has been a symbol of power and status ever since.

    Because this is one of the most popular workshops among our followers, we will be holding a third edition at which we introduce those attending to the techniques and specific use of cutting tools and leather embossing. They will get the chance to create a small project that gives them a closer look at the history of this craft, so significant in our city’s history.
  • Workshop on “Secrets of the hammam”
    Image from the workshop

    Workshop on “Secrets of the hammam”

    March 22, 20236:00 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 the headquarters.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. Tickets sold on our website or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    On Wednesday, March 22, we will be hosting a new session of the “Workshops with History” in Cordoba. This time the workshop also coincides with the beginning of Ramadan 2023. Sign up now to participate.
    Personal hygiene was one of the distinguishing features of Moorish culture in Al-Andalus. The use of perfumes, soaps and oils has been widely documented within one of the most significant places in any Arab city, the hammam.

    The hammam is not only a place where people perform personal hygiene rituals, but also a social gathering place where family and social bonds grow stronger.

    At this this workshop, those attending will get the chance to make their own soap, using plants and oils from tenth-century Al-Andalus, learning not only the techniques for making them, but also what their aromatic and therapeutic uses were.
  • Games of Al-Andalus workshop

    Games of Al-Andalus workshop

    April 01, 20236:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. Free entry after registering.
    Registering using this form.
    In Spanish.
    As part of our special Ramadan activities schedule, on Saturday, April 1, we will be hosting yet another workshop to discover the history of games in the era of Al-Andalus. Great times of fun and entertainment that have lasted until the present day! When the activity ends, the youngest attendees will be able to take one of these games home.
    Although the Muslim religion prohibits gambling games, this is not the case with strategy games. In Al-Andalus, many different board games imported from the East were played, many of which have evolved and been handed down to the modern day.

    During this activity, those attending will get to participate and learn about Moorish board games, some of which have been handed down to us through a compendium put together by King Alfonso X “The Wise.” Some of these games are, in turn, evolved versions of other even more ancient games that had developed in Egypt and Mesopotamia, including: backgammon, alquerque, mancala and the “hyena chase.
  • Creative bookbinding workshop

    Creative bookbinding workshop

    April 19, 20236:00 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 the headquarters.
    3 euros: tickets purchased online, the officially unemployed, Casa Árabe Language Center students and Youth Card holders. Tickets sold on our website or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    As part of the our Ramadan 2023 activities schedule, and on a date very close to Book Day, we will be delving into the exciting world of bookbinding on Wednesday, April 19. Sign up now so you don’t miss out!
    Medieval Arab historians used various terms to refer to the invention of bookbinding, which was originally created to replace the use of papyrus and parchment.

    Paper production can be documented in Al-Andalus as far back as the tenth century, and its use soon spread among the elites. Although white was the most commonly used color, medieval craftsmen also produced paper in different colors, so that monarchs could send letters in those which represented their state or banner, in a flair of distinctive symbolism.

    On this occasion, because the workshop is coinciding with Ramadan festivities, and the month of the year traditionally dedicated to books, we will be creating a special book binding.
  • Water dispenser workshop

    Water dispenser workshop

    From May 26, 2023 until June 15, 2023The workshop will be held on Thursday, June 15 at 6:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos y Gener, 9). The workshop will be held on Thursday, June 15 at 6:00 p.m. 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. Tickets sold on our website or at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba (in cash or by credit card).
    In Spanish.
    Another of our workshops to learn about history and archeology in an entertaining way by making crafts, we will be hosting this new class in Cordoba on Thursday, June 15. Tickets are now on sale.
    In Al-Andalus, as in the rest of the Islamic world, a whole culture developed around water, which was of great importance for practical and hygienic uses, farming, recreation and, above all, the spiritual world.

    Even in the most humble courtyard of Al-Andalus, you could find a small water fountain that helped families stay cool within more pleasant surroundings, the water’s sound complemented by the thick aroma from the flowers used to decorate these spaces, especially at dusk.

    During this workshop, we will take a closer look at the decoration and techniques found in these items of great aesthetic value, which formed part of the fountains in Moorish courtyards.
  • Apothecary jar workshop

    Apothecary jar workshop

    September 21, 2023The workshop will be held on September 21 at 6:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9). The workshop will be held on September 21 at 6:00 p.m. 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).
    In Spanish.
    fter our summer break, on Thursday, September 21, the workshops we host to learn about the region’s history and archeology in a fun and entertaining way through the work of craftsmen will be returning to our headquarters in Cordoba. This time around, we will be learning about medicine and the pharmacopoeia. Sign up to participate now.
    Islamic medicine was greatly enriched by the major translation work completed in the Eastern Islamic world as of the late eighth and early ninth centuries onwards. The translation of works from Greek culture and continued efforts to do so in the Hellenistic-Roman and Byzantine eras, as well as influences from the medicine of India, Persia, etc. reached Al-Andalus via many different channels. 

    At marketplaces, herbalists and perfumers sold medicinal prescriptions, concoctions and syrups. Their preparation was necessarily subjected to several controls in order to properly distinguish between the druggist and the physician. 

    During this workshop, we will be talking about the pharmacopoeia of Al-Andalus and make a fun craft inspired by “albarelos,” the earthenware jugs used to hold medicines at old apothecaries. 
  • “Muqarnas” workshop

    “Muqarnas” workshop

    October 26, 2023 6:00 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 26, we will be hosting a new workshop to learn about the archeology and history of Al-Andalus through craftsmanship at our headquarters in Cordoba. This time, we will be learning what “muqarnas” are. Sign up now to attend.
    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.

    Muqarnas or Arab plaster mouldings are reminiscent of the stalactites in caves and the 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.
  • “Tezhip” workshop: plants designs

    “Tezhip” workshop: plants designs

    From October 27, 2023 until November 08, 20236:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos y Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 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).
    In Spanish.
    On Wednesday, November 8 at our headquarters in Cordoba, we will be hosting yet another workshop to learn about the region’s archeology and history through handmade crafts. Sign up now before the workshop is full.
    “Tezhip” is the name of the Old Turkic decorative art of gilding. This word, “tezhip,” translated as “gold layering” or “covering with gold leaf,” was mainly used in Arabic on manuscripts and the borders of calligraphic texts, creating true works of art. 

    The art of illumination has been developed both in the West and in the East. It is mainly used to decorate calligraphy, although there came a time when it was used independently. 

    Using geometric designs, those attending will get the chance to create beautiful plant and floral compositions.
  • Decorative cases workshop

    Decorative cases workshop

    December 13, 20236:00 p.m.
    CORDOBA
    Casa Árabe headquarters (at Calle Samuel de los Santos y Gener, 9). 6:00 p.m. 4 euros for the general public at the headquarters (including course materials).
    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.
    We will be hosting the last of the 2023 workshops that we have organized to showcase the region's history and archeology in an entertaining way through craftsmanship in Cordoba on Wednesday, December 13. You can sign up now before the workshop is full.
    These so-called "boudoir cases," made mostly of ivory and covered wood, were one of the resources most commonly used by the rulers of Al-Andalus when delivering gifts. In many museums around the world, one can admire the loveliest of ivory boxes given to relatives, ambassadors and famous personages. 

    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.