On June 18th, at 10:30 AM (PT) / 11:30 AM (ES), the book “Misticismo Islâmico em al-Andalus” (Islamic Mysticism in al-Andalus) will be launched. This publication is the 36th volume in the IEM Studies series. The presentation will be delivered by Prof. Francisco Franco-Sánchez (University of Alicante).
This publication brings together texts from lectures and papers presented at the three International Colloquia (2022, 2023, and 2024) under the general theme “Islamic Mysticism in al-Andalus.” These events were co-organized by Dr. António Rei of the Institute for Medieval Studies (IEM) at NOVA FCSH—with support from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)—and by Dr. Pilar Garrido Clemente of the Research Center for Archaeology, History, and Heritage of the Western Mediterranean (ARHIS) at the University of Murcia.
Islamic mysticism, in all its forms—whether individual or collective—and primarily due to its reliance on written texts as sources, remains a scarcely explored field within Portuguese academia.
Although archaeology has uncovered several Islamic places of worship in recent decades, commonly referred to as ribāṭs, there is still a lack of complementary studies with greater precision in chronological contextualization and potential connections to mystics who may have resided or taught there.
Given the limited research on Islamic mysticism, particularly in Gharb al-Andalus (the western region of al-Andalus, largely corresponding to present-day Portugal), this volume offers contributions and proposals for what we hope will be a near future of expanded scholarship within Portuguese academia and beyond. Our aim is to broaden intellectual and thematic horizons for both specialists and the general public.