Al-Hakam+II

=**Al-Hakam II**= Al-Hakam II, the great-great-great grandson of Abd al-Rahman, was born in the year 915 and lived until 976. He was the 2nd Caliph of Cordoba after the death of his father, ruling from 961 to 976. Under his ruling, he worked to increase stability in Cordoba with the development of agriculture through irrigation, and he made peace with the northern Iberian Christian kingdoms. In his time of rule, he encouraged the development of wider streets and the building of markets. Also, he loved to read and learn. One building he owned was a library that consisted of over 400,000 books! He wanted more books available to his people, so he had a team of scholars translate thousands of books from Greek and Latin into Arabic languages.

This man is important to Cordoba because he helped build some very famous buildings within the city. His position led to the expansion of the Mezquita and the Medina Azahara. The famous buildings in Cordoba are still around today and serve as a reminder of Cordoba’s past. Without Al-Hakam II, Cordoba could still be fighting with the Christian kingdoms and several important buildings would not have been the same way they are today.