This book traces the history of manuscript production in the Islamic West between the 10^th and the 12^th centuries. It interrogates the material evidence that survives from this period, paying special attention to the origin and development of Maghribī round scripts, the distinctive form of Arabic writing employed in al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia) and Northwest Africa.
More than 200 dated manuscripts written in Maghribī round scripts - many of which have not previously been published and are of great historical significance - are presented and discussed. This leads to a reconstruction of the activity of Maghribī calligraphers, copyists, notaries and secretaries, creating a better understanding of the development of their practices.
Using a blend of art historical methods, palaeographic analyses and a thorough scrutiny of Arabic sources, the author paints a comprehensive and lively picture of Maghribī manuscript culture, from its beginnings under the Umayyads of Cordova until the heyday of the Almohad caliphate. He lifts the veil on a glorious, yet neglected season in the history of Arabic calligraphy, shedding new light on a tradition that was crucial for the creation of the Andalusī identity and its spread throughout the medieval Mediterranean.