In Medieval Andalusia, the Book Was a Key Marker of a Person's Status in Society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57033/Keywords:
al-Andalus, Cordoba, library, book culture, Umayyads, al-Hakam II, manuscripts, al-Maqqari, social statusAbstract
This article examines the place of books and libraries in medieval Andalusia (711–1492) and shows how, in Cordoban society, the possession of books and the building of personal libraries became an important marker of a person's social status. Drawing on the patronage of the Umayyad rulers of al-Andalus, especially al-Hakam I, Abd al-Rahman II, and al-Hakam II, it describes the founding of the great library of Cordoba, the work of the book-collectors (warraqun) and copyists (nussakh), and the broad culture of book-collecting that distinguished the people of al-Andalus.
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References
1. Emin, N. (2017). Ihtişamlı medeniyetten hazin sona [From a magnificent civilisation to a sorrowful end]. Istanbul.
2. Hillenbrand, R. (1992). The ornament of the world: Medieval Cordoba as a cultural centre. Leiden.
3. Lerner, F. (2002). The story of libraries. Continuum.
4. Al-Maqqari. (1968). Nafh al-tib (Vol. 1). Dar Sadir.
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Copyright (c) 2026 N.H. Nasrullaev (Author)
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