Ziryab

9th-century Persian polymath who transformed Andalusian culture through music, cuisine, and fashion innovations

Abu l-Hasan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi‘ (789–857), called Ziryab (Blackbird), reshaped Al-Andalus after fleeing Baghdad. At Córdoba's court, he revolutionized music by adding a fifth string to the lute and creating the nuba musical suite structure still used in Arab music.

As a cultural influencer, he introduced:

• Seasonal fashion cycles and asymmetric haircuts
• The concept of multi-course meals served sequentially
• Toothpaste formulas and underarm deodorants
• Chess to Europe via Persia

His style academy made Córdoba the Mediterranean's cultural capital. The zīrajāb tuning system influenced troubadours, seeding European classical traditions. Ibn Hayyan wrote: He was the perfect model of elegance.