A Manuscript of the Last Sultan of al-Andalus and the Fate of the Royal Library of the Nasrid Sultans at the Alhambra

Contrary to historical belief, the Royal Library of the Nasrid Sultans at the Alhambra was not entirely destroyed by Cardinal Cisneros. A surviving manuscript, attributed to the last sultan of al-Andalus, Muhammad XI (Boabdil), reveals that the royal books were moved to North Africa during his exile. This finding challenges the narrative of their burning and sheds light on Nasrid manuscript culture. The study examines the manuscript's journey through the sultan's life, supported by an edited and translated ijāza certificate—one of the few surviving royal teaching certificates from this period. The research combines historical analysis with textual evidence to reconstruct the fate of the library.

Ženka, J. (2018). A Manuscript of the Last Sultan of al-Andalus and the Fate of the Royal Library of the Nasrid Sultans at the Alhambra. Journal of Islamic Manuscripts, 9(2-3), 341–376. https://doi.org/10.1163/1878464x-00902013