Casa Andulisi with its tiny pools of flowers and colorfully ornamented walls is a Spanish Cordoban house from the 12th century al-Andalus period. This house that represents all the subtleties of the period has been turned into a museum.

The founders of the museum Roger Garaudy, a famous French thinker, and his Palestinian wife Salma al-Farouki, say the museum has been designed to bring out the influence of the Muslim al-Andulus throughout European civilization, and includes inventions from the Muslim of the era and objects from their daily articles are on display.

Each room of the house is designed to tell a story and the displays items ranging from metal coins of the al-Andalus era to potteries used in daily life, including sundials. The most important item Europeans inherited from the Muslim is certainly, paper, which was first introduced to the continent during the al-Andulus period. Accordingly, a mechanism which displays the paper production technique of the era is set in the center of the house and shows the various stages of paper production.

The museum hosts hundreds of visitors daily, and according to al-Farouqi, more important than the numbers, is the acclaim the museum receives from the visitors. Our hostess Salman al-Farouqi kindly answered questions Zaman asked.

From where does the idea of founding an al-Andalus house arise? What have you experienced during the process of establishing the museum?

Cordoba was once the most important city in the world, particularly during the Caliphate period. When we realized this, the idea to create such house emerged as well. This 12th century house was in ruins, but we restored it and filled with articles that were used during the period of the al-Andalus Islamic State. We wanted to dig up the past and rekindle the flame. All the items in this house remind of Islam’s history.

Which do you think is the most significant item among them?

The most important item and the room to which we draw attention is that of paper production. Most of us don’t know it, but Cordoba was the first and only city in Europe to produce paper in the 10th century. The Europeans learned how to produce paper from al-Andulus. Consequently, Cordoba has not just been a top city in sciences, but also in raw material production and processing, as in the case of paper. This has also worked as a means for the propagation of Islamic culture. At the end of the 10th century and early in the 11th century Cordoba was home to the largest library in the world. The library contained 400,000 manuscripts and was unmatched by any other library of the era. Unfortunately when the al-Andalus civilization was destroyed most of these works were destroyed by fire. Only a small portion of that library is today on display in some European libraries.

What are your expectations about the museum?

Everyday, many people visit the museum. What matters for us, however, is not the number of visitors, but that the acclaim they express. What matters is to be able to tell something to the visitors, to show them contribution of al-Andulus to European civilization. This house narrates an art of living. Every item in the house reminds Allah. When you walk along the streets of Cordoba you observe nothing but straight walls and simple, unornamented doors. The streets do not give away much; yet when however you enter in through one of these doors you come face to face with a small piece of paradise. The faith of Islam is just like this. What is important for the individual is to preserve inner beauty, and the heart. External appearance and ornaments have no value to Allah. We, as Muslims, should draw lessons from these teachings. For this order refers to our close connection with Allah.

What does the al-Andalus civilization say to today’s men and women?