rem . ▁He ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁open ly ▁kept ▁a ▁male ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁female ▁ha rem . ▁This ▁likely ▁influenced ▁the ▁po lem ical ▁story ▁of ▁his ▁falling ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁a ▁ 1 3 - year - old ▁boy ▁( l ater ▁en sh r ined ▁as ▁a ▁Christian ▁mart yr ▁and ▁canon ised ▁as ▁Saint ▁Pel ag ius ▁of ▁C ór dob a ) ▁who ▁refused ▁the ▁C ali ph ' s ▁adv ances . ▁The ▁love ▁story ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁construct ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁an ▁original ▁tale , ▁however , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁ordered ▁the ▁boy - s lave ▁to ▁convert ▁to ▁Islam . ▁Either ▁way , ▁en rag ed , ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁boy ▁tort ured ▁and ▁dis member ed , ▁thus ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁the ▁Christian ▁per ception ▁of ▁Muslim ▁brut ality . ▁ ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁spent ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁years ▁in ▁his ▁new ▁palace ▁outside ▁C ór dob a . ▁He ▁died ▁ 1 5 ▁October ▁ 9 6 1 ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁his ▁son ▁al - H ak am   II . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁Abd ▁al - R ah man ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁human ist ▁and ▁patron ▁of ▁arts , ▁especially ▁architecture . ▁A ▁third ▁of ▁his ▁re venue ▁su ffic ed ▁for ▁the ▁ordinary ▁exp enses ▁of ▁government , ▁a ▁third ▁was ▁ho arded , ▁and ▁a ▁third ▁was ▁spent ▁on ▁buildings . ▁After ▁declaring ▁the ▁cal i ph ate , ▁he ▁had ▁a