Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;35;ar
Library Location
Southern Portugal, Portugal
Notes
One of the most famous Portuguese legends tells of how the almond tree became an integral part of the Portuguese landscape. He was an Arab prince, married to a Christian woman from the north, who did not understand the reason for the constant sadness in which his wife lived. When he asked her, she replied that she missed the snow in the north of the peninsula, which rarely falls in the south. The prince then ordered the planting of almond trees, whose flowers at the end of winter create the illusion of fields covered in snow. This romantic and lyrical legend nevertheless has a share of truth, and offers deep connections with the Portuguese domain. One day, the poet and master of the Abadi dynasty (461 - 484 AH / 1069 - 1091 AD) challenged Ibn Ammar during a walk on the banks of the Wadi el-Kebir River and said: “The atmosphere scattered hail on the ground.” Instead of Ibn Ammar, the answer came from Etemad, a slave girl of Rumaiq: “What a blessing for Nahur if he froze.” Al-Mu’tamid was impressed by the beauty of the slave girl and her poetic ability, so he married her and made her a queen. Perhaps the family and geographic origins of Etemad contributed to the formation of this legend. Although the events of this story go back to the Seville region, Al-Mu’tamid was born in Beja and was the ruler of Silves, and later ruled a part A major figure in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Al-Mu'tamid lost his authority and went into exile in Morocco, where he died on Dhul-Hijjah 30, 487 AH/January 10, 1095 AD, and Al-Mu'tamid rests next to him in a shrine in Aghmat.
Sample Text
Isabel Cristina Ferreira Fernandes, António Borges Coelho “Flowering Almond Trees” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;35;ar
