سالم، السيد عبد العزيز. قرطبة حاضرة الخلافة في الأندلس: دراسة تاريخية
عمرانية أثرية في العصر الإسلامي. الاسكندرية: مؤسسة شباب
الجامعة، ١٩٨٤، ٤٠٧ص.
Salim, al-Sayyid ʻAbd al-ʻAziz. Qurtubah Hadirat al-Khilafah fi
al-Andalus: Dirasah Tarikhiyyah, ʻUmraniyyah Athariyyah fi al-ʻAsr al-Islami.
Alexandria: Muʼassasat Shabab al-Jamiʻah, 1984, 407pp.
ABSTRACT
Cordoba, Capital of the Caliphate in Andalusia: a Historical Study of
Urban Architecture from the Islamic Era
قرطبة حاضرة الخلافة
في الأندلس: دراسة تاريخية عمرانية أثرية في العصر الإسلامي
This book
comprises three sections. The first deals with the different historical stages
witnessed by Cordoba since the Muslim conquest, covering both its golden age
and its decline. It starts by highlighting the aspects of urban expansion,
economic prosperity, and scientific, cultural and artistic opulence, especially
during the Umayyad era. Then, it describes the different conflicts and various
conspiracies that led to the decay of the city and its fall into the hands of
the Christians.
The second
section is devoted to the architectural study of the city. It provides a
detailed description of its major Islamic landmarks such as mosques, markets,
forts, palaces, and libraries, most of which were damaged as a result of wars
and strife.
The third
section focuses on Cordoba’s surviving architecture specifically royal palaces
such as Medina Azahara and most notably the Great Mosque which is examined from
both historical and artistic perspectives.
Generally
speaking, the book is comprehensive, covering various aspects of the city’s
Muslim history. It also features a diversity and abundance of sources referred
to by the writer, both Arabic-Islamic references and books written in foreign
languages. The author shows a special interest in the architectural aspect of
the city. The book is an important reference for those interested in the study
of Muslim Spain’s (Andalusian) architecture in particular and Islamic
architecture in general.
As a result,
the book might not be suitable for a non-specialised reader who might not
understand the relevance of the detailed explanations. Strangely enough,
despite the book’s focus on architecture, it does not contain any pictures of
the city. Finally, another shortcoming in the book is repetition, as the same
information can reappear in many paragraphs and chapters.
Meriam Ben
Amor
