When was the Al-Andalus period?
711 to 1492From 711 to 1492 al-Andalus was the occidental frontier of Islam. Floating on the western edge of the Mediterranean, cut off from the European continent by jagged mountains, it was geographically isolated from both North Africa and Europe, from Islamic as well as Christian lands.
How did Al-Andalus fall?
At the Battle of Poitiers in 732, the al-Andalus raiding army was defeated by Charles Martel.
When was the conquest of Al-Andalus?
711 to 718The Umayyad conquest of Hispania, also known as the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom, was the initial expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate over Hispania (in the Iberian Peninsula) from 711 to 718....Umayyad conquest of Hispania.Date711–718Territorial changesMuslim conquest of Iberia Establishment of Wilayat al-Andalus2 more rows
What was Spain called before Andalus?
Roman HispaniaRoman Hispania (2nd century BC – 5th century AD) Hispania was the name used for the Iberian Peninsula under Roman rule from the 2nd century BC. The populations of the peninsula were gradually culturally Romanized, and local leaders were admitted into the Roman aristocratic class.
Who ruled Spain for over 700 years?
History confirms that the Moors ruled in Europe — primarily Spain and Portugal — for almost 700 years. They were known for their influence in European culture, but not many people know that the Moors were actually Europeans of African descent.
Who conquered Spain in 1492?
The Reconquista began with the Battle of Covadonga about 718, when Asturias engaged the Moors, and it ended in 1492, when Ferdinand and Isabella (the Catholic Monarchs) conquered Granada.
When was Islam defeated in Spain?
It was not until 1492 that the Emirate of Granada with city of Granada and the Alhambra and Generalife Palaces, the last remaining Muslim territory in al-Andalus, fell in the Battle of Granada to forces of the Catholic Monarchs (los Reyes Catolicos), Queen Isabella I of Castile and her husband King Ferdinand II of ...
Who invaded Spain in 711 AD?
After the Muslim conquest of Iberia between 711 and 714 AD, the Umayyad emirs (leaders) established Córdoba as the capital of Al-Andalus. The rapid success of the Islamic forces can be explained by the fact that Hispano-Visigoth society had not yet succeeded in achieving a compact and homogeneous integration.
How long did Al-Andalus last?
Al-Andalus, also called Muslim Spain, Muslim kingdom that occupied much of the Iberian Peninsula from 711 ce until the collapse of the Spanish Umayyad dynasty in the early 11th century.
What was Spain before 1492?
Hispania, in Roman times, region comprising the Iberian Peninsula, now occupied by Portugal and Spain. The origins of the name are disputed.
Who lived in Spain before Romans?
In Hispania before the Romans, the Spanish peninsula was inhabited by several tribes which were divided between Celts and Iberos. The Fenitians and Greeks started to arrive and founded Gades and Ampurias. By the way, the name of Iberia was given by the Greeks because of the river Ebro, which in Greek is Iber.
Why was Al-Andalus important?
Al-Andalus is especially significant because it brought an Islamic presence directly into Europe, which took over nearly all of Spain for a period of time, and spread far and wide through Europe.
Who ruled Al-Andalus?
ʿAbd Allāh died in October 912, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ascended the throne when he was just 21 years old. He would govern Muslim Spain for nearly half a century.
Are the Moors African?
Moors were people who lived in North Africa and this word is used generally by European sometimes to denote Muslims or Black people. However, once Iberia was captured from the Visigoths during the Middle Ages, they began to move more and more into modern-day Spain and Portugal.
Which king annexed Spain?
The Frankish annexation of Narbonne and of the hitherto independent duchy of Aquitaine further weakened the Pyrenean frontier, and, when a dissident governor of Zaragoza appealed to the Franks, their king, Charlemagne, invaded Spain, only to find the gates of Zaragoza shut against him.
Which kingdom allied itself with its Basque neighbours and repopulated the frontier of Castile?
In the north, Alfonso II’s small Asturian kingdom had allied itself with its Basque neighbours and repopulated the frontier of Castile. It occupied the new capital of Oviedo and attracted the bishops of Galicia, where the discovery of the supposed tomb of St. James at Padrón had turned the nearby town of Santiago de Compostela into a significant Christian religious centre.
What was the name of the king that razed Santiago de Compostela?
He sacked the capitals of virtually every Christian kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, and in 997 he razed Santiago de Compostela. Although Hishām II retained the nominal title of caliph, in 994 Manṣūr began to style himself as al-Malik al-Karīm (“Noble King”) as a reflection of the power he wielded.
How did Umayyad anger the Arab aristocracy?
He lost control of the Berber generals and angered the Arab aristocracy by having himself proclaimed successor to the caliph. In 1009 a revolution in Cordóba led to the deposition of Hishām II and murder of Sanchuelo. No Umayyad could control the Berbers, who sacked the capital and began to demand land in Al-Andalus.
What countries did the Byzantine Empire conquer?
Initial Muslim conquests. The Byzantine Empire, weakened by its wars with Persia and the alienation of its Coptic Christian and Jewish populations, lost Syria (636) and Egypt (640) to the nascent Muslim caliphate, which then invaded Libya.
What is the name of the Muslim kingdom in Spain?
Al-Andalus, also called Muslim Spain, Muslim kingdom that occupied much of the Iberian Peninsula from 711 ce until the collapse of the Spanish Umayyad dynasty in the early 11th century. The Arabic name Al-Andalus was originally applied by the Muslims ( Moors) to the entire Iberian Peninsula; it likely refers to the Vandals who occupied ...
Who led the expedition to Morocco?
From there ʿUqbah ibn Nafiʿ (Sīdī ʿUqbah) led an expedition to Morocco ( c. 680-682). ʿUqbah was killed on the return journey, and it was not until 705 that the caliph al-Walid appointed a new governor, Mūsā ibn Nuṣayr.
Etymology of al-Andalus
The etymology of the word "al-Andalus" is disputed. Furthermore, the extent of Iberian territory encompassed by the name changed over the centuries.
Emirate and Caliphate of Córdoba
The interior of the Great Mosque of Córdoba, present day Cathedral of Cordoba. The mosque is one of the finest examples of Arab-Islamic architecture in the Umayyad style.
First Taifa Period
The Córdoba Caliphate effectively collapsed during a ruinous civil war between 1009 and 1013, although it was not finally abolished until 1031. Al-Andalus then broke up into a number of mostly independent states called taifas.
Society
A manuscript page of the Qur'an in the script developed in al-Andalus, 12th century.
Culture
The interiors of the Alhambra in Spain are decorated with arabesque designs.
External links
Paper by Georg Bossong evaluating proposals for the etymology of "al-Andalus". In German.
What is Al-Andalus history?
Al-Andalus. History of the Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain. The Arrival of the Moors. Hidden in some bushes outside the walls of Toledo, a young man watches a beautiful young woman as she bathes in the river Tagus, Eventually overcome by passion, he seduces her. She complains to her father who is the governor of the far away outpost of Ceuta, ...
When did Al Andalus conquer Castile?
Al Andalus in the late 11th century, with main taifa kingdoms. In 1212, the Almohads were defeated at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in the Sierra Morena, the mountain range that separates Andalusia and Castile.
What did the King of Spain put in the tower?
Another has a more prophetic ring. A certain king of Spain had deposited in a tower an urn containing a parchment. He sealed the tower with a padlock and imposed on his successors, each in turn, the obligation of respecting the integrity of the tower and of adding another padlock to its door.
What was the Muslim army after Roderic's defeat?
After Roderic’s defeat, the Muslim armies (now reinforced by more soldiers from across the straits of Gibraltar) faced little opposition as they moved rapidly north. There was some urban defiance –Mérida in particular, Córdoba, Zaragoza– which appears to have cost their inhabitants dearly, and was probably a disincentive for others to follow suit. But equally productive and less demanding, since it did not require the establishment of garrisons, was a peaceful agreement between the conquerors and conquered.
Where did Tariq Ibn Ziyad land?
What we do know is that in 711 an invading force of Muslims, led by a general named Tariq ibn Ziyad, landed near Gibraltar. In the following year, Tariq’s forces engaged Roderic and his army somewhere in the hills behind Tarifa or along the Guadalete River in the western part of the region we now know as Andalusia.
When did the Caliphate of Cordoba become a caliphate?
It only became a caliphate in 929 under Abd al-Rahman III, and remained a caliphate until the fall of Cordoba in 1031. A case in point is a treaty arranged with a certain Theodemir, the Visigoth chief of Murcia.
Who controlled the Maghreb in 1212?
There was a hiatus between 1085 (when the taifa of Toledo fell to Alfonso VI, King of the Christian kingdoms of León and Castile) and 1212, during which two fundamentalist groups from the Maghreb, the Almoravids (1086-1145) and the Almohads (1145-1212), successively exerted control over al-Andalus. Al Andalus in the late 11th century, ...
Where did Al-Andalus import gold?
In return al-Andalus imported goods not easily accessible at home: e.g. gold and ivory from south of the Sahara. The gold –from the Upper Niger area, known then as Sudan– became the basis of exchange in Europe until the discovery of America.
What was the economic prosperity of Al-Andalus?
For the Romans, Hispania was a mineral and agriculture storehouse, and like the Romans, the Moors too exploited and cultivated the land with great skill and converted it into one of the wealthiest countries of the Mediterranean.The economic prosperity of al-Andalus was the product of a healthy combination of commerce, agriculture and industry. We know from the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans that trans Mediterranean commerce was a long established activity.
What was the main cog that made possible the blooming of Al-Andalus?
The vital cog that made possible the blooming of al-Andalus was irrigation, feeding the gardens and converting arid areas into green oases. The Moors did not introduce irrigation to the peninsula, but what they did do was improve and expand significantly on what the Romans had started. Roman irrigation had been primarily based on gravity which limited the amount of land that could be irrigated.
Who was the Persian scholar who was exiled from the court of the Caliph of Baghdad?
The consumption of food was already an art by the 10th century. In the 9th century, Ali ibn Nafi, a famous Persian scholar exiled from the court of the Caliph of Baghdad, landed in Córdoba. Although renowned as musician, astronomer and geographer, Nafi –or Ziryab as he was better known– is best remembered now as arbiter of good taste.
What was the largest city in Europe in the 10th century?
By the 10th century, Córdoba had become the largest city in Europe, with a population of approximately 100.000. It was a sophisticated magnate attracting people from Europe and all corners of the Mediterranean. Culture flourished and learning was highly esteemed. Andalusis were recognised as leading scholars in algebra (an Arabic word), astronomy, medicine, botany, geography, history etc., fields which had a wide impact on European life in the Middle Ages.
Cosa è gharb al-Andalus?
Gharb al-Andalus significa in arabo "l'occidente di al-Andalus" ed è appunto il nome che fu dato dai musulmani alla zona occidentale dell'al-Andalus, corrispondente a gran parte del territorio del Portogallo. Le dinastie musulmane controllarono e governarono questi luoghi dal 711 al 1249, anno della conquista di Faro da parte del re portoghese Alfonso III. La futura capitale lusitana, Lisbona (in arabo al-Ušbūnah), era stata precedentemente conquistata da Alfonso I del Portogallo nel 1147.
Dove si trova la statua di Almanzor?
Statua di Almanzor eretta ad Algeciras nell'estate del 2002, in commemorazione del millenario della sua morte.
Chi ha conquistato la Mauretania?
Nel 698 il califfo omayyade ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān nominò wālī della Mauretania il generale yemenita Mūsā b. Nuṣayr, che portò a termine la conquista dei territori berberi e migliorò la flotta per la futura conquista delle isole Baleari a danno dei Bizantini .
Chi fu il primo emiro indipendente?
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān I al-Dākhil, "l'Immigrante", diventò il primo emiro indipendente da Baghdad, insediandosi nell'Alcazar (dall' arabo al-Qaṣr, "il Palazzo") di Cordova .
Chi ha conquistato Cordova?
Al-Ḥurr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Thaqafī, che, appena nominato aveva spostato, nel 716, la capitale da Siviglia a Cordova, fu il Wālī che portò a termine la conquista della penisola Iberica, occupando Barcino (Barcellona), ultimo baluardo dei Visigoti, nel 718.
Where did the name "Andalusia" come from?
The name "Andalusia" is derived from the Arabic word Al-Andalus (الأندلس). The toponym al-Andalus is first attested by inscriptions on coins minted in 716 by the new Muslim government of Iberia. These coins, called dinars, were inscribed in both Latin and Arabic.
How big is Andalusia?
Location. Andalusia has a surface area of 87,597 square kilometres (33,821 sq mi), 17.3% of the territory of Spain. Andalusia alone is comparable in extent and in the variety of its terrain to any of several of the smaller European countries.
What are the three main soils of Andalusia?
The soils of Andalusia can be divided into three large areas: the Sierra Morena, Cordillera Subbética , and the Baetic Depression and the Surco Intrabético. The Sierra Morena, due to its morphology and the acidic content of its rocks, developed principally relatively poor, shallow soils, suitable only for forests.
What are the main mountain ranges of Andalusia?
The main mountain ranges of Andalusia are the Sierra Morena and the Baetic System , consisting of the Subbaetic and Penibaetic Mountains, separated by the Intrabaetic Basin. In the north, the Sierra Morena separates Andalusia from the plains of Extremadura and Castile–La Mancha on Spain's Meseta Central.
How many municipalities are there in Andalusia?
Beyond the level of provinces, Andalusia is further divided into 774 municipalities ( municipios ). The municipalities of Andalusia are regulated by Title III of the Statute of Autonomy, Articles 91–95, which establishes the municipality as the basic territorial entity of Andalusia, each of which has legal personhood and autonomy in many aspects of its internal affairs. At the municipal level, representation, government and administration is performed by the ayuntamiento (municipal government), which has competency for urban planning, community social services, supply and treatment of water, collection and treatment of waste, and promotion of tourism, culture, and sports, among other matters established by law.
How many species of vertebrate are there in Andalusia?
The biodiversity of Andalusia extends to its fauna as well. More than 400 of the 630 vertebrate species extant in Spain can be found in Andalusia. Spanning the Mediterranean and Atlantic basins, and adjacent to the Strait of Gibraltar, Andalusia is on the migratory route of many of the numerous flocks of birds that travel annually from Europe to Africa and back.
When did the plague start in Spain?
In the first half of the 16th century plague was still prevalent in Spain. According to George C. Kohn, "One of the worst epidemics of the century, whose miseries were accompanied by severe drought and food shortage, started in 1505; by 1507, about 100,000 people had died in Andalusia alone.
When were Al Andalus built?
The lounge, bar and restaurant carriages of Al Andalus were built in France between 1929 and 1930 by the Wagon-Lits Company and have now been restored to their original splendour.
How long is the Al Andalus train?
Al Andalus luxury train runs the The Andalusian (7 days / 6 nights) to Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Ronda, and Cadiz, Southern Spain, through varied scenery - the Sierra Nevada to the Atlantic Ocean. Andalucia’s cultural influences encompass the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines and of course the Moors, until the Christian Spanish era which is modern Spain. Club price from €3,797.
What is included in Al Andalus?
Included. All meals - breakfast, dinners and lunches, on Al Andalus or in top restaurants (with wine, water, soft drinks, tea / coffee); welcome reception; farewell gala dinner; free mineral water in cabin minibar; activities onboard: music and live performances, parties in the pub car, show cooking and cocktails, dancing, etc; tickets to museums, attractions and shows; excursions and scheduled tours; taxes and services; daily newspapers and magazines; security; multilingual guides; professional crew.
How many sleeper carriages are there in Al Andalus?
Al Andalus has seven beautifully-renovated sleeper carriages, five of which are original Wagon-Lits carriages dating from 1929. All suites are individually air-conditioned, with train stewards available at all times.
How long did it take to travel through Andalusia?
The Andalusian (7 days / 6 nights) travels through Andalusia, with visits to (amongst other places) Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Ronda and Cadiz, thus taking in a wide sweep of Southern Spain, whilst being transported through stunning scenery from the mountains of the Sierra Nevada to the Atlantic Ocean. Andalucia today is the result of cultural influences that encompasses the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines and of course the Moors, all before the Christian Spanish era that has become modern Spain.
What are the influences of Andalucia?
Andalucia today is the result of cultural influences that encompasses the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines and of course the Moors , all before the Christian Spanish era that has become modern Spain. The Lusitanian - (4 days / 3 nights). Seville, Merida, Lisbon, Porto or Porto to Seville.
Where is the most extensive historic city centre in Spain?
Wednesday: Seville - Merida. Following check-in and whilst your luggage is being taken to Al Andalus, you have free time in Seville before returning to the Hotel Alfonso XIII for lunch. The capital of Andalusia, Seville boasts the most extensive historic city centre in Spain, home to the Gothic Cathedral with Giralda its bell tower, the Royal Alcazar and the General Archive of the Indies.
