[HIGHLIGHTS] Mediterranean pirates who transported Arab treasures to Europe. The trip of the Moroccan library of Moulay Zidane to the Spanish El Escorial

In 1612, a Spanish fleet seized a French ship carrying a cargo of Arabic manuscripts stolen from the Sultan of Morocco, Moulay Zeidane. The collection, also known as the "Zidani Treasury", arrived at the Spanish Royal Library "Escoral", which became an important repository of Arabic books in Europe.

The political and legal debates that followed the seizure of the library and its cultural content provide an important insight into the development of maritime law, says Daniel Hirchenson.