The exhibition, organized by IMTUR, Casa Árabe and the Junta Islámica forms part of the schedule of events planned for the Nights of Ramadan.

Exhibition catalogue 

The new technologies present in our lives today have become an essential resource for spreading awareness about the archeological heritage of historical cities, in which society in general can run up against major difficulties in interpreting architectural remains and materials which have vanished or been transformed by the passage of time.

The company Arketipo Multimedia, which originated in Cordoba, has been working to create this virtual immersion tool for years. VirTimePlace (a free app) includes heritage destinations not only from Spain, but also abroad. The cooperation established with the University of Cordoba’s Sísifo Research Group since 2015 has made it possible up to now to launch high-quality science and tourism products, including Imperial Roman Cordoba and Medina Azahara, with the participation of specialists in each subject area to attempt to create the most accurate possible reproduction of these times from our past.

Thanks to the research, development and innovation project known as “PATTERN” (from the Spanish acronym for Archeology, New Technologies, Tourism, Education and Social Profitability of the Spanish Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness) and the Scientific Culture project Arqueología Somos Todos (“We Are All Archeology”), the public is being offered a new destination within the capital city of Cordoba, given the title “Cordoba of the Caliphs,” which allows users to travel in time, and more specifically to the era of Al-Hakam II, at a time when the second expansion of the Aljama Mosque was being completed.  Users get the opportunity to stroll down the streets and hidden corners which characterized the city of Qurtuba, including domestic, religious and political sites, such as the Umayyad castle, the “sabat,” the so-called baths of Santa María and the river banks, as well as others. Without a doubt, one of the most appealing features of this application is being able to visit the great mosque before the final stage of construction carried out by Almanzor, thus providing a look at the urban planning and topography of the area during those times.

Further information at: www.arqueocordoba.com / www.virtimeplace.com

The conference will deal with the home courtyards of Al-Andalus, their layout and their functions within the Islamic city, with a specific explanation regarding Cordoba. The focus will be on the courtyard as an essential backbone in dwellings, adapted to the idiosyncrasies of Muslim inhabitants, with a discussion of the changes in its uses and processes over time. Similarly, we will reflect upon the possible predecessors of this domestic model arranged around a large open central space, the need for such a place in the Islamic city, and its preservation and development up to the modern day.

Rafael Blanco has a PhD in Archeology and is a professor of Art History at the University of Cordoba. Throughout his scientific career, he has completed a great deal of study on the Islamic city and homes, specializing in the Cordoba of Al-Andalus. He has taken part in various research projects on this city, having recently directed the archeological study on the minaret tower of San Juan de los Caballeros. The results of his research have been written up in many different publications and at conferences inside and outside the country. Likewise, he has organized various congresses and event series including “Urbanism of Qurtuba,” “Landscapes of Power: Cordoba and the Umayyad estates (8th-11th centuries)” and “Great Capitals of the Medieval Islamic World: Past and present.”

Photo: Recreation of a home from the twelfth century found in Orive (Cordoba). © R. Blanco and J. M. Tamajón.

Héctor Urién (Madrid, 1977) makes his living from telling stories. As a professional storyteller, he performs his art and stage work at theaters in Spain and Latin America. Drawn by his curiosity and and a deeply ingrained scientific streak, Urién has developed his own regular storytelling workshop in Madrid, where students and teacher discover the inner workings of stories and the mystery of oral storytelling together. As a storyteller on stage, his most original and exciting project has to do with The Arabian Nights, which he continues to tell every Tuesday night at a small theater in downtown Madrid. A narrator of short, direct tales, he has taken part in several domestic and foreign festivals, as well as co-directing the annual festival “Ávila de cuento” (“Storybook Avila”), and he recently had an essay published by the “Palabras del candil” publishing firm: La narración fractal: arte y ciencia de la oralidad (Fractal storytelling: the art and science of oral tradition), in which he presents an innovative, surprising perspective on storytelling, backed by chaos theory and fractal geometry. 

Cordoba is the stage for another oral storytelling session for grown-ups, titled “The Arabian Nights, as told by women”: The Arabian Nights contains the stories which Scheherazade told to the sultan to be spared from dying. They were written down by scribes based on tales told by storytellers, especially those who lived within the harems. These tales have lived on outside the pages of  The Arabian Nights in the voices of storytellers like Lela Ula. At the show, we will be regaled with the lovely versions of the tales in the Nights which continue to live on through these women storytellers still today.

Héctor Urién (Madrid, 1977) makes his living from telling stories. As a professional storyteller, he performs his art and stage work at theaters in Spain and Latin America. Drawn by his curiosity and and a deeply ingrained scientific streak, Urién has developed his own regular storytelling workshop in Madrid, where students and teacher discover the inner workings of stories and the mystery of oral storytelling together. As a storyteller on stage, his most original and exciting project has to do with The Arabian Nights, which he continues to tell every Tuesday night at a small theater in downtown Madrid. A narrator of short, direct tales, he has taken part in several domestic and foreign festivals, as well as co-directing the annual festival “Ávila de cuento” (“Storybook Avila”) and recently having an essay published by the “Palabras del candil” publishing firm: La narración fractal: arte y ciencia de la oralidad (Fractal storytelling: the art and science of oral tradition), in which he presents an innovative, surprising perspective on storytelling, backed by chaos theory and fractal geometry.

A show of oral storytelling for children and families, based on the tales of adventure and magic which are told in The Arabian Nights. “Instructions for Flying on a Magic Carpet”: instructions which fly, rather than being told, on a figurative magic carpet. With participatory stories, games, singing and excitement to be enjoyed with the family, you will be left both astonished and laughing with the wonders of three Persian plot lines woven together in these children’s tales.

Héctor Urién (Madrid, 1977) makes his living from telling stories. As a professional storyteller, he performs his art and stage work at theaters in Spain and Latin America. Drawn by his curiosity and and a deeply ingrained scientific streak, Urién has developed his own regular storytelling workshop in Madrid, where students and teacher discover the inner workings of stories and the mystery of oral storytelling together. As a storyteller on stage, his most original and exciting project has to do with The Arabian Nights, which he continues to tell every Tuesday night at a small theater in downtown Madrid. A narrator of short, direct tales, he has taken part in several domestic and foreign festivals, as well as co-directing the annual festival “Ávila de cuento” (“Storybook Avila”) and recently having an essay published by the “Palabras del candil” publishing firm: La narración fractal: arte y ciencia de la oralidad (Fractal storytelling: the art and science of oral tradition), in which he presents an innovative, surprising perspective on storytelling, backed by chaos theory and fractal geometry.

Distant from clichés and historical prejudices, the women of Al-Andalus obviously formed part of life in Al-Andalus and the medieval era, even reaching positions and holding roles in law, religion, patronage, society, etc., that filled both public and private spaces, making women more visible.

Set in the present day, a meeting between three old friends will serve as an excuse to offer a portrait of the women in Al-Andalus, with the tone of a comedy, in the Qurtuba of thetenth century. In this theatrical play, three actresses will show us the roles of women in Al-Andalus during the period of the emirates and caliphs and up to the arrival of the Almoravids.

This activity forms part of the program “Amira al-Ándalus: the ‘Princess of Al-Andalus.”

Seals or stamps are greatly loved by young people and can always give a fresh new look to postcards and creative gift paper. They can even be used to customize an ex libris for your books.

At this workshop, we propose several designs related with Islamic culture so that those attending can choose the one that best fits their personality (or the one they like the most) and create their own seal with it.

The origin of flamenco is written within the music’s very name. And in the names of its “palos” or flamenco styles. And in the names of the men and women who have kept it alive in their voices, hands, feet and souls. A result of the work performed by Antonio Manuel Rodríguez Ramos in his book Arqueología de lo jondo (Archeology of the “Jondo”), an emotional defense of flamenco’s Andalusi, Moorish, Roma and black roots.

The concert will immerse us in the origins of flamenco through music and words, the well spring of music known as “jondo” from which entire generations have found inspiration, singing to pain and the sacred, in the style of Andalusia, learned by heart.

Presented by:
Antonio Manuel Rodríguez Ramos

Accompaniment:
Carlos Llave (guitar)

And the members of La Banda Morisca:
José Maria Cala (vocals)
José Cabral (Arabic oud)
Belén Lum (violin)

Repertoire:
Nana (all instruments)
Romance (oud)
Media Granaína (oud, violin)
Adhan-Soleá (audio, guitar)
Martinete-Seguiriya (oud, guitar)
Peteneras (all instruments)
Fandango (audio)
Tarantas (guitar, violin)
Alboreá-Bulería (all instruments)
Tangos (all instruments)
 

Filmed at a refugee camp in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, this short-subject documentary includes 28 minutes of interventions by different refugees who give us a first-hand account of the living conditions they experience in this type of environment.

The film came about as an independent project to show solidarity and was financed through a crowdfunding campaign. It attempts to reach places and spaces which provide a reminder of the refugees’ situation and the consequences of the war in Syria.

After the documentary, there will be a talk to share thoughts and ideas with the director.

The dramatized guided tour will be given by SextoMario, and those attending will get to relive the turbulent visit by the ambassadors of Queen Elvira of León in the year 973.

It is a tour that will last for approximately two hours, with the participation of three actors and a guide, walking through the southern route at Madinat al Zahra. Attendance is limited to 40 visitors.

Gypsy communities (the domari, ghorbati, ghagar, nawar, zott, helebi…) are amongst the least visible minorities in the Near East. Though they have formed part of the ethnic and cultural mosaic of the region for centuries and have a presence in nearly all countries, they are hardly ever mentioned or taken into consideration. Because of their unique status, it is difficult to situate Gypsy communities within processes of political change, including both the reforms promoted from the top down and in the popular pro-democracy struggles being experienced in recent years. The conference will be presenting this complex reality, as well as analyzing the official policies and discriminatory social practices towards these groups (forced sedentarism, marginalization and poverty, a lack of documentation, stigmatization, persecution, etc.). Last of all, two case studies will be examined: the Gypsies of Egypt, with a population of over one million, and those in Syria, who have very gravely suffered the conflict there, with many seeking asylum in Turkey.

Isaías Barreñada Bajo is a professor of International Relations at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a researcher for the Complutense Institute of International Studies (ICEI). His fields of research include political reform, social movements, civil society and human rights in the Arab countries, as well as Spanish and European foreign policy. He has authored several works for academia and the general public regarding these subjects. His latest books are Entre España y Palestina. Revisión crítica de unas relaciones (Between Spain and Palestine: A critical review of relations,  Bellaterra, 2018), and Sáhara Occidental 40 años después (The Western Sahara 40 Years Later, Catarata, 2015).
 

Rojas, author of the exhibition “The Hajj: Road from the Western Caliphate,”  will be accompanying us until June 7, 2019, during this activity in which those taking part will create a mural which represents the slogan “My heart can take on all forms.”

In the timeless message of revelation, at the sublime origin of the prophet’s message, the artist has wished to create the meeting point, or  “ jemaa,” the place where hearts come together with a longing for shared union with the sublime... and the Cordoba Mosque lies at the site which it deserves in the eternal universe of dreams.

We call all those who wish to bring their hearts, desires and wishes to take part in this activity at the mosque, just as those who came before have placed their hearts and faith in this place throughout the centuries.

To do so, we are asking for your contribution in helping create this participatory, borderless mural in which we will design, develop and paint a little piece of our feelings and bring them together in one single mosaic in which “our heart can take on all forms.”

The work produced as a result of this workshop will be put on display at Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Cordoba.

Pablo Rojas was trained at the Ceramics School of La Moncloa in Madrid. He learned about hand engraving at the Fine Arts School of San Fernando and about engraving using non-toxic techniques in the same city. Also in the Spanish capital, he has put on exhibitions at the Reina Sofía Museum, the Banco de Santander Foundation, the collection of the Spanish Parliament (Congreso de los Diputados) and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In other countries, his works have been exhibited in the Graphic International Museum (Oslo, Norway), the Gonzaga & Fernada Drunmont Collection (Madeira, Portugal) and the Presidential Collection of the Republic of Portugal, and he has worked with notable artists from both Spain and abroad.
 

A tour given by Daniel Valdivieso throughout various enclaves in Cordoba, where, according to chroniclers of Al-Andalus, many stories, everyday events and anecdotes occurred, providing us with a different vantage point to look at the great personages who played important roles and the era in which they lived.

Moreover, it is intended to contribute to improving peaceful co-existence and respect for religious diversity. Hilene Galán, who will be giving the workshop, is a member of the management team at the Halal Institute, with a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and a love for creative gourmet cuisine. Among children and adults alike, she uses the concept of Halal as a positive, healthy value that goes beyond just religious practices.

SextoMario is giving this workshop for grown-ups, in which we will get a closer look at the ancient aromas of Al-Andalus by creating solid perfumes using artisanal techniques developed by perfume makers from Al-Andalus centuries ago.

With this activity, we hope to improve our understanding of the archeological and historical reality of Medina Azahara through explanations which give the public an innovative look at the site. The goal is to create a feeling of empathy among members of the public, and at the same time to satisfy the curiosity of visitors, who are no longer mere listeners but can also find answers to the questions that come to mind as they take their tour, with responses to the “rhetorical questions” that the tour guide will propose throughout the visit.During the activity, a great deal of information will also be provided on the long-standing work that has been done to recover and restore the archeological site. The tour will end at what is known as the “basilica building,” where, with the accompaniment of sound effects, staging and background music, an actress will tell the tale of the last days in the Palatine city, reciting a series of verses from “The Dove’s Necklace” by Ibn Hazm of Cordoba.

Tour guide: Giuseppe M. Palmieri (archeologist-conservator)
With the participation of: Purificación Mayorga Reyes. Tour actress and cultural educator