El Arquitecto de Tombuctu

Es Saheli's life is as fascinating as that of Leo the African and other geniuses of medieval times. With The Architect of Timbuktu, Manuel Pimentel has not only created a masterful historical novel, but has woven an invitation to immerse oneself in the aromas, passions and essence of Al Ándalus, as well as in the serene mystery of Africa. This work also introduces us to the father of Sudanese art, the poet from Granada whose unique aesthetic has inspired other artists such as Antoni Gaudí and Miquel Barceló. The best novel about the history of the Sahara, the Land of the Blacks and the Nasrid city of Granada. The wisdom of a traveler and the genius of an artist: poet and architect. In 1337, the Granada-born Abu Isaq Es Saheli arrives in the city of Fez as ambassador of Kanku Mussa, the powerful Malian emperor of the kingdom of the Blacks. Although he is received with great honors, he is soon involved in a conspiracy that threatens his life. In retaliation, Fez declares war on Tremecén, using the domination of the caravan routes through the desert as a hidden pretext. During his convalescence, Es Saheli begins to write his own rihla, the account of a life marked by travel and transformation: from his childhood as the son of the alamin of the perfumers' guild in the souk of Granada, through his tormented youth, his early triumphs and the excesses of bohemia, to the bitter exile from the Nasrid kingdom. His steps take him to Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Yemen and to undertake his own pilgrimage to Mecca, reaching the summit of his personal regeneration and where his passion for Egyptian architecture flourishes, culminating in his most prestigious legacy: the construction of the great mosque of Timbuktu.