An ICOC Educational Experience:

The Architecture, Carpets

and Textiles of Moorish Spain and Portugal

November 3-13, 2005

Hispano-Moresque Carpet, Rueda (wheel) design, Alcaraz, Spain, 15^th century

Photo courtesy of David R.E. Hunt, and Turkotek.com

Travel arrangements by Academic Travel Abroad, Inc., Washington, DC

Welcome

History, culture, architecture and art of Andalusian Spain are inextricably linked to an Islamic design heritage that began there some 1,300 years ago. The astounding wealth of culture in al-Andalus became a turning point in the successful recovery of the Iberian Peninsula after the collapse of Rome. On this tour we will visit major cities and places where fine buildings, since transformed, but with their integrity intact, still resonate with the ancient call of the caliphs.

While the expulsion of the Moors in the 15^th -century essentially ended an important period of Iberian history, the rich subtext of their unique language of pattern lingered in the mudejar style that followed. We will see numerous examples of Moorish and mudejar design in the museums of Madrid, in the legendary cities and palaces of Al-Andalus, and in Lisbon.

Weavings in Spain and Portugal were often influenced by early Turkish, Persian and European models, yet express their distinctive Iberian palette, technique and unique twists on style and pattern. We will see important carpet examples in Madrid’s Instituto de Valencia de Don Juan and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, as well as in Lisbon’s famous Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga.

This tour launches a new activity within ICOC’s mission for increasing our understanding of weaving traditions, blending the culture and history of a region with its carpets and textiles. Future ICOC tours will focus on indigenous weavings and others on visiting the finest examples found in museums and private collections.

All of us interested in the art, history and medieval culture of these civilizations share a remarkable intellectual and aesthetic journey. These experiences influence our values and add meaning to our perception of the world.

We invite you to join us.

Dennis R. Dodds, Secretary-general

International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC)

Itinerary

November 3, Thursday: Meet in Madrid.

Arrive and transfer on your own to the 4-star NH Hotel Nacional, just minutes from Spanish major museums. This afternoon we visit the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, appropriately nicknamed the “MOMA” of Spain and located on the Paseo del Prado at the southern end of the so-called Golden Triangle of Art. This museum has the largest collection of 20^th century Spanish art located anywhere in the country and showcases Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica along with work by Juan Gris, Miró and Dalí. Gather this evening for dinner and opening remarks. (D)

November 4, Friday: Madrid.

Meet with the Instituto de Valencia de Don Juan’s director and foremost expert, Cristina Partearroyo Lacaba. Spend the morning viewing this little-known, but marvelous, collection containing numerous examples of Spanish, Moroccan and Hispano-Moresque rugs, textiles and ceramics from the 10^th to the 16^th centuries. In the afternoon, tour the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, a marvelous art collection with some important Classical carpets, housed in the Villahermosa Palace. One of the world’s leading museums, the Prado is a major repository of medieval religious art and early Italian and Flemish painting, including Spanish masterpieces by Goya, Velazquez and El Greco. (B)

November 5, Saturday: Córdoba.

Travel by the AVE, Spain’s high-speed train, to Córdoba, capital of Moorish Spain for almost 500 years. At its zenith, Cordoba was one of the most prosperous cities of Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. Check into the enchanting 4-star Hotel Conquistador located in the city’s historic center, just opposite the imposing Mezquita. Explore the Renaissance palace that houses the Archaeological Museum, view the beautiful tapestries, furniture and ceramics at the Palace of Viana, and visit one of the three remaining synagogues in Spain. (B)

November 6, SUnday: Córdoba.

We venture west into the gentle hills above the river plain to the extraordinary Islamic site of

Medina al-Zahara. Begun in the year 936 by the Spanish Umayyad caliph, Abd al-Rahman III,

this vast palace city was virtually destroyed by the Berbers in 1010. Though largely unfinished,

the complex has been undergoing painstaking excavation and masterful restoration since 1911.

Tour the elaborate remains of this Moorish Versailles, including the palace and mosque. Enjoy

an afternoon at leisure in Cordoba to discover the artistic and architectural riches of one of

Andalusia’s most charming cities. In the evening, gather for a lecture at the hotel on prayer rugs and their architectural references. (B)

November 7, monday: Córdoba and Granada.

Start the day with our visit to the Mezquita, Cordoba’s 9^th century mosque with its myriad columns and arches and one of Europe’s finest examples of Islamic architecture. It is the third largest mosque in the world. The development of the Great Mosque paralleled Cordoba’s new heights of splendor. Inside, the forest of columns made of marble, jasper, and onyx and dazzling mosaics of colored and gilded tiles create a powerful, yet profoundly contemplative, atmosphere. Following the re-conquest of Cordoba in 1236, a Gothic cathedral with Baroque-style choir stalls was remarkably installed within the former mosque. Later journey along the famous “Route of the White Villages” toward the city of Granada, nestled at the foot of the

Sierra Nevada Mountains and check into the Alhambra Palace Hotel. (B)

November 8, tuesday: Granada.

The last Moorish stronghold in Spain, the Alhambra was the palatine city of the Nasrid sultans who ruled Granada from 1232-1492. Its spectacular interior courtyards, pools and gardens reflect both the great wealth and love of exquisite architecture characteristic of the period. The refined visual language was extremely influential and was adapted by Spanish Christian monarchs, as well as by the Islamic courts of Morocco where techniques and motifs established under the Nasrids were adapted and elaborated upon for centuries. The museum contains an exquisite collection of Islamic art from the period, including some textiles. Then visit Granada’s cathedral, the final resting place for the Catholic monarchs, Fernando and Isabel. Make your way through the narrow labyrinth of crooked streets of Albaicin and view the many fountains, plazas, whitewashed houses, villas, and remnants of the old city gate. Complete your tour of Granada with a visit to the Corral del Carbon. (B)

November 9, wednesday: Ronda/Seville.

En route to Seville, we stop in Ronda, the scene of the last great rising of the Moors against Fernando and Isabel. After some leisure time in this historic city of whitewashed houses perched on the edges of a deep and dramatic gorge, we continue to Seville and check into the Hotel Casas de la Juderia in the former Jewish quarter, where the ha-Sefarad were an important part of the flourishing cultural mix which existed in Al-Andalus. Later attend a feast for the senses, complete with a vibrant performance of flamenco dancers and tapas dinner. (B,D)

November 10, thursday: Seville.

Seville has played an international role for centuries, both receiving people from other societies and sending explorers out to discover the world. See the elaborate Moorish minaret, la Giralda, and Seville’s cathedral, the world’s largest Gothic edifice that contains Zurbarán’s paintings depicting the life of Saint Peter, as well as works by Goya and Murillo. Continue to the Alcazar, a mudejar palace built by King Pedro the Cruel in the 1360s. This afternoon, discover masterpieces by Velazquez, Zurbarán, and Murillo at the Museum of Fine Arts, located in a 16^th-century monastery. Visit the extraordinary villa, Casa de Pilatos, built in the 16^th century by the marquis of Tarifa in the Moorish-influenced mudejar style. A stroll through the Barrio Santa Cruz, a historic neighborhood that once was home to the Arab and Jewish populations, rounds out your day in the Andalusian capital. In the evening on your own, visit the 1930’s masterpiece of late Mudejar style, the Alphonso XIII Hotel. Stroll past the former cigarette factory where Carmen was seen by Prosper Merime leaving her shift with other girls. The rest is operatic history. (B)

November 11, friday: Evora/Arraiolos/Lisbon.

On the road to Lisbon, we enjoy lunch in beautiful Evora. Named a World Heritage City by UNESCO, Evora was known as Liberalitas Julia in Roman times, before it was ruled by the Visigoths and then captured by the Moors in 715. The city has kept intact its historic walled center, palaces, convents and monuments that were the stage for some of the most important events of Portugal's Golden Age. After lunch take a short walking tour of the city, noting S. Bras Chapel as a good 15^th-century example of Moorish-Gothic architecture with cylindrical buttresses. Before arriving in Lisbon, stop in Arraiolos where carpets have been made using the bordado mourisco (Moorish stitch) since the 16^th century. This embroidery technique is likely a legacy of earlier Arab weavers. When Father António Vieira was preaching his famous sermons in Lisbon's São Roque Church, high ranking citizens belonging to the Court sent their servants to the church to reserve seats by spreading beautiful carpets on the church floor, large enough to hold the members of their devout families. Contemporary accounts relate that the flagstones of the church floor were covered with Persian and Arraiolos carpets. Arrive in Lisbon and check into the 5-star Hotel Tivoli. (B,L)

November 12, saturday: Lisbon.

Spend the morning with curator Maria Fernanda Passos Leite at the Gulbenkian Museum of Art, Lisbon’s premier art museum with splendid examples of Islamic art and Oriental carpets whose collections were formed by the notable Armenian businessman Calouste Gulbenkian. In the afternoon, we visit with curator Teresa Pacheco Pereira and researcher Jessica Hallett who will give a lecture and tour of Lisbon's National Museum of Ancient Art that houses some 45 Oriental carpets. Many date to the 16^th and 17^th centuries and were acquired through Portugal's trading contacts with Iran and India. These carpets were highly esteemed and provided the inspiration for many of the designs used in the Portuguese embroidered carpets of Arraiolos. Evening finds us gathering with fellow travelers for a farewell dinner. (B,D)

November 13, sunday: Depart Lisbon.

Following breakfast, your official ICOC educational tour has ended. Those who scheduled their flight home on this day will transfer on your own from the hotel to the Lisbon Airport. For those who choose to stay in Lisbon longer may wish to visit the Casa-Museu Anastacio Goncalves, willed to Portugal by Gulbenkian’s physician Dr. Goncalves in 1964. A short jaunt brings you to the old palace that houses the Ricardo Espirito Santo Foundation, a museum of Portuguese decorative arts. In the Foundation’s workshops, artisans practice the traditional crafts of cabinet making, wood inlaying, decorative painting, woodcarving, and bookbinding. Also, you can make a day trip to Sintra -- not far from Lisbon -- and see some textiles and carpets in the palaces there, especially noting the mudejar azulejos (Moorish-inspired tiles) in the Arab Hall of the National Palace that are similar to those found in the Alhambra in Granada. And don’t miss the National Tile Museum, as many of these ceramic designs were influenced by textile art. (B)

Highlights

· Tour the most important Spanish art museums in Madrid.

· See Hispano-Moresque rugs and art at the Instituto de Valencia de Don Juan.

· Discover the enchanting Andalusian cities of Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada that have inspired painters, writers and musicians for centuries.

· Visit the awe-inspiring Alhambra.

· Tour the Gulbenkian Museum’s collection of great carpets and Islamic art.

· Take a special tour of early carpets and textiles at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga.

· Attend a presentation on Prayer Rugs.

· Attend a lively performance of flamenco.

· Feast on exquisite Mediterranean cuisine and savor the countries’ fine wines

Study Leaders

Certified in-country tour guides will offer information at various historic sites along the way. Curator Cristina Partearroyo Lacaba will lead us at the Instituto de Valencia de Don Juan in Madrid. In Lisbon, researcher Jessica Hallett and curator Teresa Pacheco Pereira will offer their expertise as they guide us through the carpet and textiles at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga. At the Fundacion Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Maria Fernanda Passos Leite will present the

Museum’s extraordinary carpets and Islamic art collections to us in a private tour. Dennis Dodds, Secretary-general of ICOC, architect and collector of Oriental carpets, will offer a presentation on the various design influences on carpets from architectural sources.

Accommodations

In Madrid, stay at the 4-star NH Hotel Nacional, centrally located in the “Art Triangle”

overlooking the botanical gardens. Córdoba’s 4-star Hotel Conquistador is conveniently located across from the Mezquita. Built in the style of a Moorish castle, the 4-star Alhambra Palace hotel sets the stage for your visit to historic Granada. In Seville, enjoy an authentic Andalusian style house with courtyards, fountains and wrought iron gates, blending perfectly with Barrio Santa Cruz at the Hotel Casas de la Juderia. Conclude your journey in the luxurious 5-star Hotel Tivoli, which offers traditional Portuguese hospitality in the heart of Lisbon.

Program Costs

Tour cost without roundtrip air: $3,995

For a single room add: $1,185

Program price based on a minimum of 25 participants.

Reservation Form

ICSPAN1105

An ICOC Educational Experience:

The Architecture, Carpets and Textiles of Moorish Spain and Portugal

November 3-13, 2005

Enclosed is a deposit for $_________ ($500 per person) to hold __________spaces on ICOC’s The Architecture, Carpets and Textiles of Moorish Spain and Portugal, November 3-13, 2005. Please make checks payable to Academic Travel Abroad, Inc., or complete the credit card information below and mail payment with completed reservation form to: 1920 N Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036.

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· Credit cards may be used for the tour deposit and airfare only. The balance of the program price must be paid by check upon receipt of invoice approximately 90 days prior to departure. If you elect to charge your airfare to a credit card, the international ticket will be charged to your account approximately 3 weeks prior to departure.

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Return to: Academic Travel Abroad, Inc.; 1920 N Street N.W., Suite 200, NW; Washington, D.C. 20036. For additional information, please call Academic Travel Abroad at 800-556-7896, or ICOC at 215-248-0494.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TOUR COST

· Hotel accommodations based on twin occupancy.

· All breakfasts and some other meals, as noted in the itinerary.

· All special visits, excursions; all transportation and sightseeing with expert guides as set forth in the itinerary.

· The assistance of a representative of ICOC and a Spain/Portugal-based tour manager.

· Baggage handling for one bag, plus one carry-on bag (not to exceed 44 lbs.) per person; pre-trip notes and guidelines; service charges, taxes and basic gratuities.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

Transportation to and from the departure city; transfers to and from airports; passport photos and fees; visa fees; personal items such as wines, liquors, a-la-carte orders, room service, and valet/laundry charges; expenses incurred by Academic Travel Abroad in making individual travel arrangements before or after the program; and other items not specifically mentioned as included.

SINGLE/SHARED ROOMS

A limited number of single rooms are available at extra cost on a first-come, first-served basis, but availability cannot be guaranteed. Academic Travel Abroad will assist persons requesting a roommate. However, neither a single room nor a share can be guaranteed. Participants will be notified if we are unsuccessful in finding a suitable roommate. In this case, the single supplement will be charged.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

$500 deposit upon application. Balance due upon receipt of invoice, 90 days before departure. Credit cards may be used for airfare. If payment is not received by 30 days prior to departure, your space is subject to cancellation.

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS

After confirmation on the tour, a nonrefundable processing fee of $150 per person will be charged upon written cancellation. Written cancellation between 90-61 days of departure:full refund, minus your deposit (including nonrefundable processing fee). Written cancellation between 60 and 30 days prior to departure: 50% refund of the tour price. Written cancellation within 30 days prior to departure: no refund. Airfare is fully refundable up to time of ticket issuance, generally three to four weeks before departure. Thereafter tickets are nonrefundable and no changes are allowed. Cancellation on day of departure or after tour departs: no refund. No refund for unused portions of tour, including, but not limited to, missed meals, hotel nights and sightseeing. Cancellation of program by ICOC and Academic Travel Abroad: full refund. Cancellation of the program after departure by ICOC or Academic Travel Abroad: full refund of all land fees, less the cost of service up to the time of the group’s return. NOTE: Neither ICOC nor Academic Travel Abroad accepts liability for any airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable domestic ticket to the tour departure city and return.

A NOTE ABOUT ITINERARY AND COST

While every effort will be made to carry out the program as planned, the itinerary as described is subject to modification and change by ICOC and Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. The program cost is based upon current airfares, tariffs, and currency values in effect November 2004, and assumes that a minimum of 25 participants will join the program. While we will do everything possible to maintain the listed price, it is subject to change. If it is necessary to levy a surcharge, notification will be given before time of invoicing (approximately 90 days prior to departure). In the event of cancellation due to a surcharge, all monies are fully refundable except for processing fee. All airline tickets issued by Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. are subject to a $20 per person service fee for domestic tickets and a $50 per person service fee for non-group international tickets.

INSURANCE

A package of trip cancellation, baggage and medical insurance is available through Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. for coverage of nonrefundable expenses incurred in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. $150,000 of flight insurance is automatically provided with each ticket written by Academic Travel Abroad.

HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS

To enjoy your travels to the fullest you should be in good physical and mental health. Any physical condition requiring special attention, diets, or treatment must be reported in writing when the reservation is made. We reserve the right to decline to accept or retain any person as a tour member should such a person's health, mental condition, physical infirmity, or attitude jeopardize the operation of the tour or the enjoyment of other participants.

RESPONSIBILITY

Academic Travel Abroad, Inc. and ICOC act only as agents for the passenger with respect to all transportation, hotels, and all matters of reservations and tour operation. We and our agents accept no responsibility for loss, damage, injury, accident, delay or irregularity, expense or liability caused by the defect of any vehicle or negligence or default of any independent contractors, their employees, agents, or representatives. Nor do we accept responsibility for losses or delays arising from sickness, pilferage, acts of terrorism, weather conditions or acts of God. All such losses or expenses shall be borne by the tour participant. We reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. We likewise reserve the right to decline to accept or retain any tour participant at any time without being under any obligation to assign any reason therefor. In the event of the exercise of this right, we shall be under no liability to such person(s) except to refund such amount as our absolute discretion deems reasonable to attribute to the uncompleted portion of the tour. Baggage is carried at the owner's risk entirely. It is understood that air, ship or train tickets when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the passenger and carrier concerned. The airlines and all other transportation companies involved in this tour are not to be held responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time the passengers are not on board their plane or conveyances. All services are subject to the laws of the country in which they are rendered. The tour participant agrees on behalf of himself, his dependents, heirs, executors, administrators and assigns to abide by the above conditions and to release and hold harmless, Academic Travel Abroad, Inc., and any of their representatives from any and all liability for any delays, damage, loss, injury or death occurring in relation to this tour.

CALIFORNIA SELLER OF TRAVEL PROGRAM

CST #2059002-40

ATA is a participant in the California Seller of Travel program. California law requires that certain sellers of travel have a trust account or bond. ATA has a trust account. ATA is not a participant in the California Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation.