Sorry if I've been a bit quiet lately--I had to take apart and pack up
my den, which is being remodeled. That entailed going through nearly a
quarter-century worth of stuff, deciding what gets thrown out and what
kept. Now, from my temporary perch in a corner of the kitchen, some more
Spain pictures.
During the time when Muslims ruled southern Spain, the three Abrahamic
faiths got along comparatively well, with Jews and Christians occupying
a fairly benign "dhimmi" status. As the Dutch and Americans later
discovered, freedom of religion has some wonderful fringe benefits--the
arts, sciences and commerce flourished. All this depended on the
enlightenment and tolerance of the local ruler. The political climate
alternated between periods of tolerance and intolerance, depending on
who was in charge.
The Jewish scholar Maimonides (aka Moses be Maimon, or "the Rambam") was
also a celebrated physician and philosopher. He was born in Cordoba in
1135. In 1148, the "management" changed, and a period of "leave, convert
or die" ensued. Maimonides traveled widely, and ended up in what is now
Cairo as court physician first to the Grand Vizier, and later the Sultan
Saladin.
Here's a statue of Maimonides:
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/24674914296/in/dateposted-public/>
And here are a few views of the old synagogue, built in c. 1315. The
ceiling is high, but the sanctuary is not as big as it looks, measuring
about 7 x 6.5m (22 x 21 ft.). The pictures were taken under crowded
tour group conditions. Note the "Moorish" style decorations coexisting
with Hebrew quotations from the Scriptures. The other synagogues in
Cordoba were destroyed after all Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492.
This one survived as a hospital, a chapel and a nursery school. It has
been partially restored and is now a national monument.
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/24583353432/in/dateposted-public/>
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/24405591060/in/dateposted-public/>
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/24583351242/in/dateposted-public/>
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/24583350482/in/dateposted-public/>
Enjoy!
--Peter
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