Central Maghreb Scholars Teaching in Andalusian Urban Centres during the Centuries (3 AH–6 AH/9 AD–12 AD)

Abstract

This study seeks to uncover cultural communication between the Central Maghreb and al-Andalus during the third to sixth centuries AH/the ninth to twelfth centuries AD. This period witnessed remarkable development, as attested by biographical dictionaries. This was manifested in the arrival of scholars from the Central Maghreb who taught in the scholarly urban centres of al-Andalus, where they received both material and moral support from the ruling authorities. These biographical accounts have revealed numerous scholarly urban centres that received this elite, such as Córdoba, Seville, Almería, and Elvira, distinguished by their educational institutions that strengthened scientific and cultural activity in al-Andalus. Among the sciences taught in the Andalusian urban centres were the religious sciences, including the sciences of the Qurʾān, ḥadīth, jurisprudence, and exegesis, followed by literature, history, and other sciences.