Estatua a Mohamed Al-Gafequi - Cordoba

In 1965, on the occasion of the eighth centenary of his death , the city of Cordoba created the bust that you can find today in the Plaza del Cardenal Salazar for the current Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in Cordoba. This is the work of the sculptor Miguel Arjona Navarro.

His full name was Muhammad Ibn Qassoum Ibn Aslam Al-Gafequi. The date of his birth is unknown and some say he was born in Belalcázar or Torrecampo, both villages in the province of Córdoba. What is known is that he died in Córdoba in 1165.

During his lifetime he was known by the chronicles that portrayed him as a famous ophthalmologist . He trained in Córdoba and then continued his studies in Baghdad. He eventually returned to Córdoba to develop his profession.

He was an expert in the treatment of cataracts and diseases of the iris. The only written document he left us was the "Guía del oculista", the original of which has survived to this day in the library of the Monastery of El Escorial in Madrid. It consists of 6 parts . It is still consulted by specialists in this field. In it, Al-Gafequi explains what he believes is the cause of cataracts. According to his studies, he stated that cataracts were caused by the secretion of a fluid in the eye, which caused opacity.

Al-Gafequi also argued, in contrast to the famous physician of Medina Azahara, Albucasis, that cataracts were membranes that could be removed. He was able to prove this by removing it in an operation and leaving a testimony of it. It is believed that he wrote this document with the intention of passing on all his knowledge to his son.

Willem Vandenameele