CRIK Publishes New Study on the Conquest of Hispania

CRIK Publishes New Study on the Conquest of Hispania
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CRIK Publishes New Study on the Conquest of Hispania

CRIK Publishes New Study on the Conquest of Hispania

Saudi Arabia’s Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge (CRIK) has published a new study entitled “Conquest of Hispania…Study of Plan and Military Strategy,” including a piece that criticizes and scrutinizes the theory of Ignacio Olagüe that argues the Arabs did not conquer Andalusia.

The study is led by Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed al-Sanidi, professor of history at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), and former president of the Islamic Center in Granada.

The study provides a new viewpoint on the conquest of Andalusia including an argument that disputes the theory of Orientalist Ignacio Olagüe in which he claims that “Arabs didn’t conquer Andalusia.”

According to al-Sanidi, the conquest was the result of many strategies Muslims adopted in their wars and military operations in different fields.

In his theory, Olagüe claims that “the conquest of Hispania was a peaceful movement that didn’t involve any Islamic troops; it was the result of influence enhanced by dialogue, and mutual ties.”



Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)

In his seaside workshop on the Greek island of Lesbos, Nikos Kouvdis uses ancient techniques to create pottery pieces that have recently been honored with inclusion in UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Kouvdis, 70, and his family have kept an old technique alive near the once humming pottery hub of Mandamados, just as the slow and careful methods of the past have been largely eclipsed by factory machines.

Their pottery is among the last in the Mediterranean to be produced from clay in local soil, using a traditional kiln with olive pits as fuel, with the pieces painted with natural lime.

"It's an honor for me," Kouvdis said with regard to the UNESCO recognition of his work.

He said a mechanized press can work at 10 times the speed of an individual potter. "There’s no continuity. There’s no space for (our) method to continue."

Still, he continues to produce individual pots on an outcrop of land overlooking the Aegean Sea.

"Above all, it’s a passion - trying to create something that fulfils you," he said.