As the capital of the Umayyad al-Andalus Cordoba played an important role in the spread and advancement of science. A synthesis of all the knowledge acquired by earlier civilizations was carried out and, depending on the political situation, scientific research was promoted. However, this patronage was closely linked to economic, religions and political factors. Furthermore, it is necessary to take into consideration the fact that the history of Andalusian science has been studied by different methodological schools and has also been used, at times, for political and non-academic purposes.