Today, the University of Minho receives the estate of António Losa, one of Portugal’s leading scholars of the Arabic language and culture.

 

The donation ceremony will take place at 11.30 am at the Braga District Archives (ADB), and the signing will be attended by the Vice-Chancellor of UMinho, Pedro Arezes, and António Losa’s eldest daughter, Manuela de Areia Losa. This will be followed by a visit to the documentary exhibition dedicated to the distinguished philologist, Arabist and professor from Braga.
The hundreds of documents bequeathed by António Losa – including books, correspondence, manuscripts, photographs and notes – will be divided between the ADB and the Fernão Mendes Pinto Library, which specialises in Oriental languages and cultures.

 

António Losa was a prominent figure in 20th-century cultural life in Braga, recognised for his work on the Arabic and Mozarabic languages, cultures and presence in Portugal’s historical and cultural development. He organised and participated in numerous conferences in Portugal and abroad, and also conducted research into regional history, such as that of Esposende.

 

Among his works, the collection of studies “Entre Cristãos, Mouros e Judeus: do Minho ao Mar das Índias“, edited by António Lázaro (ICS/Lab2PT/IN2PAST) and published by Lab2PT, which explores the many facets of the life and work of the Braga-born Arabist and scholar (1914–2000).