The event, presided over by the Minister of Justice and Democratic Quality, Ramon Espadaler, combined music, poetry, historical dissemination, and academic reflection to bring to the public a key figure of medieval Mediterranean culture. The commemoration highlighted the intellectual legacy of this thinker, jurist, theologian, and poet born in Tortosa.
Initially educated in Tortosa, al-Turtuxí expanded his knowledge at various study centers in the Mediterranean and the Islamic East, eventually settling in Alexandria, where he engaged in intense teaching activities. Minister Espadaler emphasized the importance of knowing our past and our "known and unknown" referents, adding that "religious facts also contribute positive values for coexistence, such as respect for others," ideas that this thinker advocated 900 years ago.
One of Abu Bakr al-Turtuxí's most significant contributions is Siraj al-Muluk (The Lantern of Princes), a treatise on political thought reflecting on the exercise of power and the responsibilities of rulers, advocating principles such as justice, prudence, equity, and ethics in governance. His bibliography also includes works on law, theology, and morality, as well as his poetic facet.
The event featured musical performances by Arturo Gaya and Pedro Burruezo & La Camerata, the screening of an audiovisual on his life and work, and a round table discussion titled "Who was Abu Bakr of Tortosa?". Participants included Dolors Bramon, professor emerita of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Barcelona, and Miquel Àngel Llorenç, professor, writer, and translator of al-Turtuxí's poems. The conversation was moderated by Francesc Torradeflot.
Born in the taifa of Tortosa in the 11th century, Abu Bakr al-Turtuxí, also known as al-Zahid ("the ascetic"), had a career that took him through centers such as Seville, Zaragoza, Damascus, and Baghdad, before settling in Alexandria, where he died in 1126. The tribute is part of initiatives to recover and disseminate his legacy.
