Lubna Of Cordoba

Lubna of Cordoba was an Arab-Andalusian intellectual of the second half of the tenth century. It is said that she was a servant of the Caliph Al-Hakkam II, but most manuscripts say that she was her secretary.

No one knows anything about her privatelife. We don’t know if she was married or if she had any children.

She also worked as a poet,librarian and translator. She had a perfect calligraphy so she was forced to write and translate many manuscripts for the Caliph because he collected many of them to attract wise men to his court.

Her library had more than 100000 books. Lubna was the promotor of the creation of the famous library « The Medina Azahara ». And she had the help of Hasday Ibn Shaprut.

Unfortunately, 48 years later, Lubna and the other women burnt all the books and manuscripts of the library because they were feirful their ideas were diffused.  There was another secretary of Al-Hakam II called Fatima. In those times, women didn’t know anything, and Lubna had much experience in poetry, geometry, Arabic grammar … and this is why she was one of the most important arab - muslim women.

Ines Hacini