The Alhambra enters the world of historical archives with an international seminar at the Palace of Carlos V

Historical Records and their "social commitment" to preserving our heritage will be the centre theme of a seminar entitled Documents and Monuments -The Mediterranean tradition, organized by the School of the Alhambra in collaboration with the Andalusian Historical Heritage Institute (IAPH) and other international institutions. Until next Thursday, the Seminar will be bringing together experts from around the world to reflect on the dissemination of knowledge and the search for new methodologies for the interdisciplinary work done by these institutions.
These debates, which will be taking place at the Palace of Carlos V, have been struc-tured in such a way as to enable students to discover the documentary sources and archives where the basic, necessary documentation required for heritage conservation and restoration is stored. In addition, the seminar aims to establish a common set of criteria when it comes to training professionals who "devote much of their working lives to toiling away in an archive". The course will also offer students the opportunity to learn from experiences in archives in countries along the Mediterranean rim that share common traditions and cultural history.
The Director of the Council of the Alhambra and Generalife, Maria del Mar Villafranca, and the Head of the Provincial Archives of Málaga and President of the International Council on Archives, Esther Cruces, were responsible for the technical aspects of the seminar and for welcoming the over fifty students who enrolled. 
Intervention in Heritage, documenting and training – The example of the Alhambra was the title of the lecture given by María del Mar Villafranca and the conservator of the Archaeological Heritage of the Council of the Alhambra and Generalife, Jesus Bermudez, who for more than an hour offered an unusual x-ray vision of the Monument. "As managers of cultural assets, we must publicize the importance of archives, which are our memory, a record of our history, and take responsibility for preserving the legacy stored inside them," said the head of the Alhambra during her speech. She also stated that 74% of the specialists consulting the Archives of the Alhambra are Spanish; followed by many others from Mexico, USA, Argentina and Venezuela, among others, and that in 2013, the Archives received more than 17,000 visits.
Among the internationally renowned experts who will be participating in the seminar are the Director-General of the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Magda Youssif Mohamed Aly; the President of the International Council on Archives, David Fricker, who will appear via videoconference from Australia, and the art historian, Nil Baydar, who has been appointed by the Turkish government to improve their manuscript collection.  

For more information, please visit www.escueladelaalhambra.ess  www.escueladelaalhambra.es