Al-Andalus
Arabic Lit 1121

Al-Andalus

Al-Andalus was referred to as the areas of the Iberian Peninsula which were occupied by the Moors between 711-1492 AD. The Iberian Peninsula is the south western most part of Europe including Spain, Portugal, and France. The Moors were Muslim people of Arab descent who invaded or settled Al-Andalus from Northern Africa.

Before the Moors came to the Iberian Peninsula, Spain was ruled under the Visigoths. Their kingdom quickly fell apart when the Moors first came to what is now referred to as Spain. When the Moors came they were actually welcomed and did not have much trouble taking over due to the worsening environment the Visigoths reign had established. Abd ar-Rahman the 1st was the founder of the Umayyad dynasty of Cordoba. He was the grandson of the tenth Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. At the age of 16, He fled his home city of Damascus due to the Abbasid revolt, which over threw the existing Umayyad caliphate. He fled from Damascus and made his way west to what was once land of the far reaching Umayyad Dynasty. It took him several years to reach Northern Africa because he was still being targeted by the newly established Abbasid dynasty. Al-Andalus had been conquered in the time of Abd ar-Rahman’s grandfather. However Abd ar-Rahman was not very sure how they would feel about him taking the thrown for himself. He was welcomed by the people and grew a large following, because most people thought he had been killed along with the rest of his family. He did face some opposition from the previous Emir, and at the river of Guadalquivir, both sides met to decide which would rule over Al-Andalus. His power would be tested several times by the old Emir, but he was never victorious.

The Moors brought many things to what was once a barren Spain. They brought many innovations with them including architecture, agriculture, art, trade, sciences, math, and most importantly stable society. They also spread a form of progressive intellectual Islam. The longest lasting and most impressionable are art, agriculture, and architecture. As seen in the documentary, there was a lot of emphasis on art which could be seen decorated in their architecture. The Alhambra is a castle/fortress in Granada, which mean the red one. It was constructed by Yusuf the 1st and Muhammed the 5th. The castle is based on a ratio and that is the principle design. It uses a square and its diagonal in construction, which is very unique and ingenious. They also created amazing pools with fountains, which also included amazing gardens as well. It was a paradise on earth at that time.

Another amazing example is the Mezquita de Cordoba, or the mosque of Cordoba. This mosque was converted into a church after the Spanish inquisition, However much of the Islamic architecture still remains in the church till this day. It was built upon several times by next generation rulers who added their own section to the mosque to leave a mark. It can also be seen that many works of literature mention the beauty of Al-Andalus and its wonderful structures.

The Muslim history was sort of wiped away from the Spanish history and neglected by those living in Spain after the Spanish inquisition which took place from 1462-1469. Around 250,000 Muslims were expelled to North Africa. A major downfall was that Abd ar-Rahman the 3rd spent much of his time on art and architecture and neglected on creating a defense which would have helped during the inquisition. He had made a rule that that towns people did not have to join the army, therefore Rahman had to hire mercenaries to defend his establishment.

People from Spain neglected to realize that Guzman El Bueno was actually of Moor descent. The powers that came after the Spanish inquisition, wiped the moors history from Spain. Most people have no idea or would not acknowledge their Muslim history. But from watching the documentary, the viewer can easily pick up the influence and impact that Islam had in transforming Al-Andalus into a paradise on earth.