Summary of the XXV Conference on Islamic Culture of Almonaster la Real, Huelva

On October 10, 11 and 12, the XXV Conference on Islamic Culture was held 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.

The event was carried out in collaboration between the Almonaster City Council and the Seville Mosque Foundation, with the intention of promoting the Andalusian past of the municipality and its Mosque, the rich and extensive Islamic cultural and natural heritage, and facilitating the encounter between people and with Islam in a festive atmosphere. The country of Portugal was also invited, being the guest nation.

In this edition, with splendid weather and incredible public attendance, our community markets were full, the children’s workshops that included storytelling, dance, percussion and henna art; our conferences and the Night of Dhikr werea great success. This year we had a special conference commemorating the return of two members of the Horseback Pilgrimage (Hajj) team on Horseback). Having set off a year ago from Almonaster la Real at our festival last year, the now world-famous group returned for an emotional reunion to share the amazing stories of their journey from the Almonaster la Real Mosque to Mecca. This conference was also an opportunity for non-Muslims to receive a comprehensive and lively account of the fifth pillar of the Islam in a way that people hadn’t seen in a long time. Our special thanks to Hajj Abdallah Hernández Mancha and Hayy Abdelkader Harkassi for sharing and making us part of her experience.

Starting with the official Inauguration, which this year took place in the presence of the President of the Provincial Council of Huelva, David Toscano, Hayy Khalid Nieto, vice-president of the Seville Mosque Foundation, the Mayor of Almonaster Jacinto J. Vazquez, María José (Second Deputy Mayor) and Kenan Oral de Diyanet, we take this opportunity to thank the event, highlight its importance and raise the effort in the eyes of the people. We were also pleased to have Diyanet, the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs, set up a booth this year where they exhibited their Turkish ink marbling books and techniques.

Like every year, we celebrate our night of Dhikr at the mosque, which was attended by locals and visitors. The evening began with the call to prayer from the mosque’s old minaret in front of the village so that everyone could hear and be invited. During the adhan, the music of the festival stopped and could be heard over the public address system of the entire village. After the dhikr, a delicious dinner was served and all the people who attended the event were invited to sit and enjoy the meal with us. On Sunday we closed the event with another special conference, a presentation of the Monfí Festival in Cutar and his Andalusian manuscripts. It began with a beautiful recitation of the Qur’an of Cútar by our community member, Mohamed Nouri, which then gave way to a presentation by the Mayor of Cútar, Francisco Javier Ruiz Mérida, and Rubén Muñoz Vargas representing their city council, as well as Hayy Khalid Nieto who spoke on behalf of the Foundation. A final and final lecture was given by Virgilio Martínez Enamorado, professor at the University of Malaga, on “Historical derivatives of the finding of Cútar”.