Scholar’s Route: Academic Insight Tour (10 Days)

Morning:

• Excursion to the Moorish Castle (Sintra) – Examination of defensive walls and military architecture
• Visit to the Fundação Oriente Library – Consultation of manuscripts about Islamic presence in Portugal

Afternoon:

• Travel to Mértola – "The Islamic Museum City"
• Guided visit to Mértola Islamic Museum – Architectural evolution of religious and residential buildings
• Visit to the Former Mosque of Mértola – Preservation of Islamic religious spaces

Evening:

• Dinner with an academic presentation on Islamic heritage in Portugal

Morning:

• Visit to Silves Castle – Almohad military architecture and water systems
• Exploration of the cisterns of Silves – Islamic hydraulic engineering

Afternoon:

• Islamic Museum of Tavira – Study of architectural fragments and Islamic-era pottery
• Analysis of Tavira's urban design – Integration of Islamic planning in modern cities

Evening:

• Dinner in Tavira and preparation for the journey to Spain

Morning:

• Travel to Seville, Spain

Afternoon:

• Check-in at the hotel in Seville
• Guided tour of the Alcázar of Seville – One of the finest examples of Mudéjar architecture, built by Arab craftsmen

Evening:

• Dinner and lecture on the fusion of Islamic and Christian cultures in Andalusia

Morning:

• Royal Alcázar of Seville – Study of the Islamic-Christian fusion in architecture
• Archives of the Indies – Consultation of documents on the Islamic legacy in Spain

Afternoon:

• Giralda and Seville Cathedral – Originally built as a minaret in the Almohad period
• Exploration of the Santa Cruz district – Former Jewish quarter with strong Islamic influence

Evening:

• Dinner with a presentation on Mudéjar architecture in Andalusia

Morning:

• Mezquita-Cathedral of Córdoba – Study of its architectural transformation from mosque to cathedral
• Al-Andalus Museum (in the Calahorra Tower) – History of Islamic science and culture in Iberia

Afternoon:

• Tour of the Jewish Quarter and Córdoba Synagogue – Tracing intercultural Islamic-Jewish relations
• Study of Arabic inscriptions in the Mezquita – Epigraphy and medieval Arabic poetry

Evening:

• Dinner featuring traditional Andalusian dishes from the Islamic period

Morning:

• Travel to Medina Azahara – 10th-century Umayyad palace-city
• Guided tour of the ruins with archaeologists specializing in Al-Andalus

Afternoon:

• Exploration of the Medina Azahara Museum – Documentation of excavations and historical manuscripts

Evening:

• Return to Córdoba & photography session at sunset

Morning:

• Travel to Granada
• First part of the Alhambra visit – Nasrid Palaces, geometric courtyards, Arabic calligraphy on the walls

Afternoon:

• Exploration of the Generalife Gardens – Study of Islamic hydraulic engineering
• Discussion on Arabic epigraphy in the Alhambra

Evening:

• Dinner and lecture on the fall of Granada and its impact on Islamic culture

Morning:

• Tour of the Albaicín district – Last stronghold of Muslim presence before the Reconquista
• Visit to the Granada History Museum – Documents and records of the Islamic period

Afternoon:

• Granada Mosque – A modern representation of Islam in Spain
• Studies on the conservation of Islamic heritage in Spain

Evening:

• Dinner and farewell event in a traditional Arab-style restaurant

Morning:

• Travel to Toledo
• Visit to Cristo de la Luz Mosque – One of the best-preserved mosques in Spain

Afternoon:

• Tour of Toledo’s Islamic, Christian, and Jewish architecture
• Final roundtable discussion on the legacy of Islamic civilization in Iberia

Evening:

• End of tour and transfer to the airport