Estatua De Yehudá ben Saúl ibn Tibón - Granada

The statue of Yehuda ibn Tibbón is located at the entrance of the old Jewish quarter of Realejo.

It is executed in life-size bronze and is the work of Manuel Moreno . It stands on a pedestal with an inscription that recalls the person to whom the statue belongs. Yehuda ibn Tibbon has raised his right hand over his heart and his left hand and is holding a document as a sign of an oath.

The statue was donated to the city in 1988 by the historian and philologist Gutierre Tibbon, a descendant of Yehuda ibn Tibbon, and has been welcoming visitors to the district ever since.
Yehuda ben Saul ibn Tibbon was born in Granada in 1120 to a Jewish family , and was educated in Arabic and Hebrew. At the age of 28 , he left the city because of the anti-Jewish persecution by the Almohads , taking only his library with him. He went to Provence in Italy and later to Marseilles, where he died in 1190.

Among other things, he was a physician, philosopher, poet and translator , which was his most notable facet. He translated numerous Arabic texts into Hebrew, making Arabic science accessible to Europe. He also produced original works, including a treatise on grammar and rhetoric and a compendium of moral and ethical advice, including rules for translation, reading and writing.

Yehuda ibn Tibbon is the founder of the Tibonid dynasty and is considered the "patron saint" of the translators. His presence is kept alive by the Tibonides group, an association of translators that advocates greater visibility for translators, and is present at the Granada Book Fair.

Willem Vandenameele