Al-Gafiqi (o Al-Gafeqi)
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In the Plaza del Cardenal Salazar, in front of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, stands the monument to this 12th century Arab doctor who was born in Gafiq (Belalcázar).
He studied medicine by following the works of prestigious Arab doctors of the day as well as the work Hippocrates, and later made the pilgrimage to Arabia to fulfil his religious oaths and to broaden his knowledge in the libraries and hospitals of the Islamic world.
His celebrated manuscript Guide to the Oculist, written in Arabic, of which a copy survives in the library of El Escorial, is an outstanding historical, scientific and literary achievement. He was an expert in making creams, eye drops and ointments for use in ophthalmology and was the first to stress the importance of diet in ensuring healthy sight.
