In the program titled “What Does Andalusia Mean to Us?”, the legacy of Andalusian civilization in the fields of history, art, and science was evaluated from multiple perspectives.
The program “What Does Andalusia Mean to Us?”, organized by the Andalusian Thought Community in cooperation with İZÜ Islamic Economics and Finance, History, Future of Goodness, and Young Vision clubs, was held at the Abdullah Tivnikli Conference Hall. In the program, the legacy of Andalusian civilization was addressed in terms of science, history, culture, and art. Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kadir Gömbeyaz, a faculty member of Kocaeli University Faculty of Theology, academics from different disciplines evaluated Andalusia from historical, artistic, and scientific perspectives.
GÖMBEYAZ: “ANDALUSIA SHOULD BE ON THE AGENDA OF ALL MUSLIMS”
Emphasizing that Andalusia is not only a historical memory but also a civilization that needs to be reconsidered for today’s world, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kadir Gömbeyaz stated that the Andalusian Thought Community, established with inspiration from a project carried out by the İlim Yayma Foundation in Kocaeli, acts with the idea that “Andalusia should be on the agenda of all Muslims.” Drawing attention to Andalusia’s place in collective memory, Gömbeyaz noted that Muslims existed in Andalusia for approximately eight centuries and that this period, which lasted until 1492, left behind a strong cultural legacy. Saying, “The scent of Islam still remains in those lands,” Gömbeyaz stated that Andalusia should be a living agenda item for everyone.
MELEK GÖMBEYAZ: “THE DOORS OF ANDALUSIA WERE OPENED BY TARIQ IBN ZIYAD”
Dr. Melek Yılmaz Gömbeyaz, a faculty member of Kocaeli University Faculty of Theology, addressed the historical background of Andalusia, stating that before the conquest, Catholics, Jews, and pagans lived in the region, and reminded that Tariq ibn Ziyad opened the doors of Spain to Muslims. She stated that Islamic rule, which began in 711, continued under Umayyad rule until 1492 and that this long period laid the foundation for the establishment of a strong civilization in Andalusia. She emphasized that with the fall of the last Umayyad rule in 1492, the region came under Christian control, marking a turning point in Andalusian history.
AZAKLI: “EVERY STONE WAS PLACED WITH MATHEMATICAL PRECISION”
Dr. Tuba Ruhengiz Azaklı, also a faculty member of Kocaeli University Faculty of Theology, stated that the most visible aspect of Andalusian civilization is its art and architecture, noting that these fields are also witnesses that have carried the civilization to the present day. Despite the destruction of many historical sources, she emphasized that the surviving architectural works clearly reveal the greatness of Andalusia, saying, “From the surviving structures, we understand how great a civilization was established.” Stating that Baghdad, Istanbul, and Cordoba were among the three most important centers of culture and art in the Middle Ages, Azaklı evaluated the aesthetic understanding of Andalusian civilization through structures such as the Great Mosque of Cordoba, the Alhambra Palace, baths, bridges, and mosques. She pointed out that stones in these meticulously constructed structures were arranged in a mathematical order, noting that even this detail provides important clues about Andalusia’s intellectual depth.
ÖZTÜRK: “ANDALUSIA SERVED AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE ISLAMIC WORLD AND THE WEST”
The final speaker of the program, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Öztürk, a faculty member of the Physics Department at Gebze Technical University, discussed Andalusian civilization in terms of its significance in the history of science. Stating that the Cordoba Madrasa had a large library of 400,000 books and that the loss of these works is a great loss, Öztürk opened a discussion on the continuity of civilizations through the question, “What has remained from Andalusia to the present?” He emphasized that the main motivation for Muslims to engage in science was “to understand and read the universe,” and noted that the science and philosophy developed in the Islamic world were transmitted to the West through Andalusia. Öztürk stated that many Andalusian scholars, including Ibn Rushd, Ibn Tufayl, Jabir ibn Aflah, Al-Zarqali, Ibn Khaldun, and Abbas ibn Firnas, made significant contributions to human history in fields such as medicine, philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics, highlighting the universal nature of the civilization produced in Andalusia.
Within the scope of the program, a musical performance was also held by Dr. İhsan Şen, a faculty member of Kocaeli University Faculty of Theology, and his team.