Speaker
Description
Tariq Ibn Ziyad led an Amazigh–the indigenous people of North Africa–force that arrived on the coasts of al-Andalus in 711, initiating the invasion that would lead to the capture of much of Spain and the fall of the faltering Visigothic kingdom in a matter of months. Except for a small area in the northwest of the Peninsula, which is today known as Asturias, the Muslims were successful in eradicating the preceding Visigothic state and civilization. Muslims created an Islamic administration and created new laws and customs after conquering al-Andalus, much as they had done in other parts of the empire. Religion served as the basis for the categorization and division of the various social groupings, and it also shaped how they interacted with one another. This historical event changed to a great extent the course of Spanish history and all medieval European history at large (MARÍN-GUZMÁN, 1991; Roth, 1976).
The Muslims of Spain—later referred to as the Moors—ruled over the country's politics, culture, and economy for several centuries. The Moors made scientific, mathematical, literary, agricultural, industrial, horticultural, and architectural contributions to Spanish civilization. They also founded respected universities and libraries all around Spain. However, in 1492 catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella started the Reconquista warfare to reclaim the peninsula back from the Moors. They persecuted and discriminated against Jews and Moors, eventually expelling them from Spain until the last one of them in 1609 (Woodward, 1956; MARÍN-GUZMÁN, 1991).
From sociological and anthropological perspectives, al-Andalus was a melting pot of Mediterranean civilizations, a synthesis of influences from Greco-Roman, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, and Romani cultures (Llorent-Bedmar & Cortés-Vázquez, 2023). These civilizations left their mark on many aspects of Spanish daily lives, sometimes without knowing where they came from, and some of which are now registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites. How did the seven-century-long Muslim conquest of Spain bring about these rich cultural legacies that made Spain stand out from its neighbors? This essay will delve into three key areas – calligraphy, architecture, and Flamenco dance – to illuminate how the Islamic presence fostered a rich and vibrant legacy.
