The Al-Hakam II reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Al-Hakam II

Caliph of Cordova, Al-Andalus, and son of Abd-ar-rahman III (al-Nasir)

He was fond of books and learning, and amassed a vast library with plenty of books. He even sent his agents to purchase 'first edition' books from the Muslim east, such as al-Aghani (Book of Songs) by Abu al-Faraj al-Ispahani.

The library was sacked in the Berber siege of Cordova in 1100.

During his reign, a massive translation effort was undertaken, and many books were translated from Latin and Greek into Arabic. He formed a joint committee of Arab Muslims and Spanish Mozarab Chrisitians for this task.

He was succeeded by his son, Hisham II al-Mu'ayad, who was a nominal ruler under the hajib al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir.

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