The Court of the Caliphate of al-Andalus

During the second half of the 10th/4th century, the Umayyad caliphate of al-Andalus became a powerful political formation in Western Europe. Described by the contemporary German nun Hrotsvitha as the ‘ornament of the world’, Cordoba was the destiny of embassies and traders coming from places as far away as Constantinople, the Ottoman empire and Italy. The zenith of this political supremacy coincided with the rule of al-Ḥakam II (961-976 CE), whose name is associated with the enlargement of the mosque of Cordoba, the magnificent palatine city of Madīnat al-Zahrāʼ and the rich caliphal library which housed Arab, Latin and Hebrew manuscripts.

Durante la segunda mitad del siglo X/IV, el califato omeya de al-Andalus se convirtió en una poderosa formación política en Europa occidental. Descrita por la monja alemana contemporánea Hrotsvitha como el "ornamento del mundo", Córdoba era el destino de embajadas y comerciantes procedentes de lugares tan lejanos como Constantinopla, el imperio otomano e Italia. El cenit de esta supremacía política coincidió con el gobierno de al-Ḥakam II (961-976 d. C.), cuyo nombre se asocia a la ampliación de la mezquita de Córdoba, la magnífica ciudad palatina de Madīnat al-Zahrāʼ y la rica biblioteca califal que albergaba manuscritos árabes, latinos y hebreos.