Al-Hakam II was Caliph of Cordoba, in 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 Cordoba 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 Christians 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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