The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) invites everyone to attend two free lectures it will host tomorrow: The History of Humanism in Islam, which will start at 4:30 PM and end at 5:30 PM, and Women and the Alhambra, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Organised by the New Ground Research Institute, both lectures will take place at the MIA Auditorium, and they will be conducted in English and Arabic.
The first lecture is dedicated to the history of humanism in Islam, as its title suggests, and its influence on the European Renaissance. Western thought has borrowed many key concepts from classical Arab philosophy, especially those concerning psychology, aesthetics, and artistic creativity. Drawing from the Oration on the Dignity of Man (1486) by the Italian thinker Pico della Mirandola, a foundational text for the European Renaissance and modern humanism, speaker Dr José Miguel Puerta Vílchez from the University of Granada (Andalusia, Spain) will highlight how Arab-Muslim thinkers contributed to humanist thought including those referenced in the Oration on the Dignity of Man and those not mentioned in this work, such as the Brethren of Purity, Ibn al-Haytham, and various Arab mystics.These scholars advanced Arab and Islamic humanism by emphasising human centrality in creation, humans’ harmony with nature, and the values of brotherhood and love among peoples as they are all “one tribe”.
The second lecture, Women and the Alhambra, will provide insights into the history and culture of Andalusia. A palace and fortress complex, the Alhambra, served as a key site during the Nasrid dynasty in the Kingdom of Granada (13th-15th centuries). At this lecture given by Dr José Miguel Puerta Vílchez and Dr Bárbara Boloix-Gallardo from the University of Granada, participants will discuss the roles of women in the political, architectural, pictorial, and symbolic spheres at the Alhambra, including an exploration of the poetic and calligraphic elements of the palace.
To get more information about the lectures, you should visit the official web pages of the events: The History of Humanism in Islam and Women and the Alhambra.
Additionally, you might be interested in reading about The Andalusia: History and Civilisation exhibition and the eponymous initiative.
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