My connection to Granada is for its prestigious and ancient university. Here, I received my PhD in Migration Studies with a solemn investiture ceremony in 2021.
With my red robe from the Faculty of Law and my colleagues, I made my way to Hospital Real, the seat of the Rectorate. Kneeling, I swore my allegiance to the laws, promised to promote justice, and confirmed my loyalty in my academic career. The solemn ceremony has been preserved intact for almost 500 years.
This historic institution is in Andalusia, Spain, hosting around 3,000 foreign students yearly. The UGR (Universidad de Granada) is the first destination for the Erasmus project (student mobility across Europe), making this university the most popular destination. In 2014, it was chosen as the best university by international students.
And it is one of the oldest in the world.
The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, founded the Colegio Imperial de San Miguel in 1531, establishing the teaching of Logic, Philosophy, Theology, the Arts and Canon Law.
History moulds and transforms by deluding us, little humans, into creating what was already there.
Madraza, from Arabic, means 'school'. The Madraza of Granada was the first public university of Al-Andalus and the only partially preserved one. It was founded in 1349 by the Nasrid King Yusuf I of Granada. He was an enlightened ruler; he wanted a philosophical school that would 'welcome the best minds', with no difference between Christians, Jews and Muslims. He instituted the study of mathematics, divided into physics and astronomy, using the Greek model.
The Nazarite or Nasrí dynasty was an enlightened ruler who brought the greats of Greek culture to Europe.
such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey or Aristotle's works.
During this dynasty's reign, the Alhambra Palace was built. It is considered the greatest exponent of Nasrid art and one of the jewels of Muslim art of all time.
Historia magistra vitae est.
During this long reign (eight centuries), Muslims, Christians, called 'Mozarabes', and Jews, called 'Dhimmis, or People of the Book', coexisted. The state undertook to protect the individual's life, property, and freedom of religion in exchange for loyalty to the state and compulsory payment of the yizia. The yizia was a per capita tax imposed on adult, free, non-Muslim men who were not sick, elderly or monks. On the one hand, the tax had a dual function: to show loyalty to the state for non-Muslims and, on the other hand, to recognise religious freedom.
In these dark times of blind wars, I want to sow the seed of hope: coexistence is possible.
(Photo by me).