The Moorish Influence In Spain

The Moors are Muslims who travelled all over Europe, and eventually Spain. They called

Spain Al Andalus, meaning “Land of the Vandals”. The Vencians, Greeks and Romans

conquered Spain hundreds of years before the Moors. Romans conquered the entire

empire and its mark was left on Spain: roads and aqueducts lined the rural towns and

countryside. Many tribes began migrating into Spain. The Visigoths united Spain under a

state religion, Christianity. However, it was a military aristocracy and there were many

civil wars as people fought to become leader. During a civil war, a small Moorish army

invaded from the south, sailing across from Africa. The Visigoths were weakened

because of the war and were unable to fight back. The Moors were able to take out the

Visigoths and invade the entire peninsula of Spain in about a decade, a remarkably fast

time. The Franks halted their advance into the middle of Europe. Abd Al-Rahman I

became the first caliph, or ruler, of Moorish Spain. Within 200 years Abd Al-Rahman

and leaders after him, turned Spain into a culturally rich empire with dazzling

architecture, art, and learning centers. Cordova, Moorish Spains capital city, was the

intellectual center of Europe. Scholars and artists came from all over Europe to Spain to

be inspired and influenced by the culture. The Great Mosque was built in Cordova. Inside

this mosque, hailed as the most beautiful mosque in the world, there are vertical lines to

draw your eyes upward, towards the heavens. Students from France and England

travelled to Cordova, to listen to the Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars to learn

philosophy, science and medicine. There was a tolerance in Spain, that was not so in the

rest of Europe. The outspoken Christians were prosecuted though, as they wished to take
back Spain for themselves. They were kept “in check” by random raids, and it took 800

years before they were able to overcome the Moors. The Renaissance began in the 12th

century in Spain and even more ideas came forth. It was a time of prosperity and Spain

was more advanced in science and math than the rest of Europe. However, the period of

intellect and economic prosperity began to decline and the Moors began fighting each

other. The Christians that were driven into hiding in the North began building their army

and getting ready to take over as the Moors delved further and further into civil war.

Finally after 800 years the Christians attacked and drove the Moors out of Spain, and

Spain became and remained a Christian nation. The Moors, originating from Africa and

the Middle East, spoke Arabic, and some of our words today are because of the Moors:

alcohol and algebra. We have decimals, credit and cheque, and banking because of the

Arabs. Chess became a popular game and chivalry was first started in Spain. The

marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella secured Spain’s religion as Christianity and led to the

final crusade of getting the Moors out. They defeated Grenada; the last Moorish part of

Spain and the Reconquista was complete. They then marched in Alhambra and placed a

cross on the top of the palace, Spain was once again a Christian nation.