ABU DHABI: A two-day cultural symposium titled ‘Andalusia, a Forum of Civilisations and Cultures’ kicked off today in Abu Dhabi, featuring experts and professors from around the world to highlight a period of history that made invaluable contributions to the development of humanity,
Held on 20th and 21st February, the symposium, organised as part of the ‘Andalusia: History and Civilisation’ initiative, launched in June last year under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, aims to spotlight and deepen understanding of the Andalusian civilisation, where values such as peace and tolerance stood out. The symposium’s dialogue sessions cover a range of topics, including Andalusian literature, sciences and knowledge, the Moriscos, and artistic and literary heritage.
Culture ‘is the soul of the people; defending and protecting culture is a categorical imperative of the whole world’, United Nations translator Ja
ime Sanchez, who spoke about translations in Andalusian literature during the symposium, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
“The study of Arab culture is vital; all interested countries must make an effort to find ways to cooperate and disseminate this culture through joint projects and funding,” the expert added.
Sánchez said it is “extraordinary”, describing the launch of this type of initiative, which shows “great generosity” on the part of the Government of the United Arab Emirates. “This type of contribution gives visibility to the work being done” in Arab studies, he explained.
For his part, Jose Miguel Puerta, professor at the University of Granada and one of Spain’s leading professors of Arabic studies, stressed that the culture of the period of Al Andalus (Andalusia) “is central to the evolution of human knowledge”.
“Advances in medicine, botany, philosophy and mathematics came through the Arabs. The production in all these fields during Al Andalus is significant for the world’s progress,” said
Puerta.
For this reason, he said, “we must encourage and promote the study of Arabic. Arabic is a living language, the study of which brings us closer to a key piece of knowledge for the history of humanity”.
The expert considered it essential that institutions and governments promote the study of this culture and establish centres that link Spain and the Arab world through the common denominator of Andalusia to benefit both peoples.
During the opening session of the symposium, Abdullah Majid Al Ali, Director-General of the National Library and Archives, said that the key objective ‘is to highlight Andalusia as a civilisation rich with literature and knowledge, showcasing it as an example of cultural convergence, civilisations coexistence, and the embodiment of tolerance and synergy among people’.
The ‘Andalusia, a Forum of Civilisations and Cultures’ symposium continues to build on the “significant success of its inaugural cultural symposium held in the Spanish capital, Madrid”, he added.
Source: Emira
tes News Agency