The presentation will be taking place in Casa Árabe’s Hall of Ambassadors (c/ Alcalá, 62. First floor) as of 7:00 p.m. It will be attended by the author and moderated by Susana Calvo. 

An agile, well-documented tour through the history of Al-Andalus, one of the most exceptional (and unknown) periods of our history. Spain, which was once called Iberia, then Hispania and later Spania, was largely forged from the Mediterranean. From that sea, undoubtedly the vehicle of Greco-Latin civilizing continuity since Antiquity, emerged extraordinary Al-Andalus, the stage where one of the most sophisticated and advanced cultures of all time came into existence. However, nearly eight centuries of survival have been traditionally omitted in the chronicle of Spain’s history. This book aims to fill the gap and invites us to discover one of the most exceptional periods in our history.  

The result is an interpretation of the history of Al-Andalus (and Spain in general) that is somewhat distanced from scholarly tradition and mythical accounts. 

Emilio González Ferrín is a professor of Islamology and Arab Studies at the University of Seville. Having earned a PhD in 1995 with a thesis on Euro-Arab dialogue, his profile as an educator and researcher attempts to get beyond Orientalism in its interpretation of Arab and Islamic historical events. In this sense, his works revolve around three different core points: starting out on the basis of cultures and comparative religion, he analyzes the cultural sources in the text of the Qur’an (1) and what is known as medieval historiology, above all the entry of Islamic culture into Europe through Al-Andalus (2), then establishing a coherence with the present time in Euro-Arab relations (3) and the Mediterranean in general. He has published numerous articles, ten monographs on topics involving cultural cooperation with the Arab world and Islam, and books. In June of 2008, he was given the “Scientific Work for General Audiences Award” by the University of Seville for his articles in the Spanish written press.

Susana Calvo Capilla is a professor of Art History at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. In 2001, she presented her doctoral thesis on the religious architecture of Al-Andalus and has recently published her first monograph on The Mosques of Al-Andalus. She has completed research stays in Cairo, Paris and Damascus. Her main lines of research, which appear in many different publications and educational undertakings, focus on studying the art and culture of Al-Andalus within the context of Islam and Europe, with a special highlight on visual culture and its links with the Mediterranean, the endurance of classical Antiquity, the transformations that have occurred in the Christian era, women cultural patrons and epigraphic programs. She has taken part in several exhibitions and was the main researcher on the project “Al-Andalus, The Hispanic Kingdoms and Egypt: Art, power and knowledge in the medieval Mediterranean” (HAR2013-45578-R), financed by Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation until 2018.