Summary of the «XX Islamic Days» of Almonaster la Real, Huelva

On the 11th, 12th and 13th of October the XX Conference of Islamic Culture took place in Almonaster la Real, proclaimed one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, located in the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche in Huelva.

These days arise from the collaboration between the City Council of Almonaster, the Mosque Foundation of Seville and the Islamic Community in Spain, with the intention of making known the Andalusian past of the town whose greatest exponent is the Mosque, to make known the rich and Extensive cultural and natural heritage of the town and facilitate the rapprochement between communities to break down the barriers of the population’s preconceived topics and ideas about Islam in a festive setting, where understanding, respect and fraternity are given.

These days have already become a key date of Huelva`s calendar, since it not only serves as a meeting point for the people of the Andalusian region, but also serves as a meeting point between people of different faith, way of life and culture , where peace, understanding and respect reach their maximum exponent, as already occurred in previous times.

That is why the meaning of these days transcends the location of these days and goes beyond. Since the XVIII edition, the embassy of a country of Muslim majority is invited to have a presence in these days and thus expand the conception of Islam, so that it is known that Islam is a way of life that transcends borders and does not It is limited to the Arab world. With the presence of the invited countries, it is intended to show that Islam has a place in different cultures, traditions and societies and is not limited to a geographical point on the map.

In this edition, the guest country was Turkey, who had a wide presence during the Conference with an intervention in the presentation, an art exhibition and a stand with painting and calligraphy activities, achieving great success among the attendees.

The conference has taken place normally and with a large influx of audiences among the souk, conferences and recitals, guided visits to the mosque, the XIV International Symposium, which this year has dealt with ‘The Arts of Islam II: Ivories, Metals , Ceramics and Tissues’, and other workshops and activities that make up the programming.

The activities of the Seville Moque Foundation, in addition to participating in the general organization of the souk and other activities, participating in different presentations and helping with diplomatic relations, focus on offering two conferences, one that has been in charge of Jalid Nieto due to the absence of the keynote speaker for personal reasons, entitled ‘What the Mosque talks about’, which was pronounced thirty years ago in Almonaster by Sidi Karim Viudes and another by Hajj Abdelghani Melara, entitled “Islam the way of Prophets ”, a guided visit to the mosque by Jalid Nieto and an evening of dhikra that takes place in the historic mosque and in which afterwards a dinner was served courtesy of the Foundation for all attendees, thus encouraging dialogue between communities In addition to this, the Seville Mosque Foundation had an institutional stand where to find information and books on Islam.

From the Seville Mosque Foundation we want to thank all the people and institutions involved, especially the Almonaster City Council, who makes it possible to carry out these days year after year, the Turkish embassy, ​​whose presence has been very significant and enriching, to the Three Cultures of the Mediterranean Foundation and the Diputación de Huelva. We hope that these days have been full of moments of enjoyment, rapprochement and teaching for all and that we can continue repeating this event for many years, God willing.