Showing posts with label Al-Andalus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al-Andalus. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Das arabische Erbe: vielschichtige Kultur | Karambolage España | ARTE

Dec 13, 2023 | Chloé Merccion erkundet ein wichtiges Kapitel der spanischen Geschichte: das arabische Erbe des Landes.

Autorin: Chloé Merccion
Regie: Stéphanie Cazaentre
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 22/06/2053


Thursday, August 31, 2023

Omar of the Orient: The Secret Muslim History of Spanish Culture

Sep 1, 2023 | Islam was a social and political force in Spain for over 800 years; 3 times the entire history of the United States; and yet, the impact the Muslims had on Spain and modern Spanish culture is rarely ever acknowledged.

In this episode, Omar tells us the story of how Islam entered Spain, how the Muslims of that time still have influence on modern Spanish Culture and some possible reasons why Spain's Muslim past is rarely discussed today.


Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Al-Andalus | History of Islamic Spain | Part 1 | الأندلس

May 10. 2009 | Muslim Spain, Muslim Iberia, or Islamic Iberia, was a medieval Muslim territory and cultural domain that in its early period occupied most of Iberia, today's Portugal and Spain. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied the northwest of the Iberian peninsula and a part of present day southern France Septimania (8th century) and for nearly a century (9th–10th centuries) extended its control from Fraxinet over the Alpine passes which connect Italy with the remainder of Western Europe During the Islamic 'golden age' between the 8th and 14th century, al-Andalus became a hub for social and cultural exchange, while the arts, science, architecture, agriculture, medicine and mathemathics flourished.

Many attribute these achievements to religious tolerance and collaboration between Muslims, Christians and Jews, which is why that period of history is also sometimes referred to as La Convivencia, or co-existence.

The era also produced some of the most significant scholars, poets, musicians, philosophers, historians and thinkers of the medieval age - such as Ibn Arabi, Ibn Rushd (also known as Averroes), al-Zarqali (Arzachel in Latin), al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis in Latin) and Ibn Firnas, among others.


The Secret Muslim History of Spanish Culture

Sept 1, 2022 | Islam was a social and political force in Spain for over 800 years; 3 times the entire history of the United States. And yet, the impact the Muslims had on Spain and modern Spanish culture is rarely ever acknowledged.

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Islamic 12th-Century Bathhouse Uncovered in Seville Tapas Bar

THE GUARDIAN: Dazzling geometric motifs dating from Almohad caliphate discovered during renovation of city’s bar

A magnificently decorated 12th-century Islamic bathhouse, replete with dazzling geometric motifs and skylights in the form of eight-pointed stars, has emerged, a little improbably, from the walls and vaulted ceilings of a popular tapas bar in the heart of the southern Spanish city of Seville.

Last summer, the owners of the Cervercería Giralda – which has been pouring cañas and copas near Seville’s cathedral since 1923 – decided to take advantage of local roadworks and the coronavirus pandemic to set about a long-delayed renovation.

Although local legend and the odd historical document had suggested the site may once have been an ancient hammam, most people had assumed the Giralda’s retro look was down to the neomudéjar, or Islamic revival style, in which the architect Vicente Traver built the bar and hotel above it in the early 1920s. » | Sam Jones in Madrid | Thursday, February 18, 2021

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Al-Andalus sous la domination des musulmans espagnols (711 – 1492)

ANDALOUSIE: La conquête d’ Al-Andalus par les musulmans, puisque c’est ainsi qu’il nommèrent l’Espagne, se caractérisa par sa rapidité et sa facilité. Au début du 8ème siècle, le royaume wisigoth qui dominait l’Espagne était très affaibli par la corruption et la lutte de ses gouvernants, ce qui supposa que l’occupation des territoires par les musulmansayant traversé le détroit, fut très rapide.

Les communautés chrétiennes et juives furent tolérées en échange de tributs, raison pour laquelle la population d’Al-Andalus fut un tel mélange de races et de croyances.

A priori, il semble difficile de comprendre comment les peuples musulmans, qui tiennent la « guerre sainte » comme un de leurs percepts fondamentaux, permirent à d’autres religions de coexister dans les terres qu’ils occupaient. L’explication en est que les religions juives et chrétiennes sont toutes deux monothéistes, apparentées à l’Islam par le biais d’Abraham (père des trois religions). De plus, pour les musulmans, juifs et chrétiens étaient des « frères » qui se trompaient simplement et qui ne voulaient pas accepter le message d’Allah. Les musulmans appelaient les chrétiens et les juifs Ahl-al-kitab, les « gents du livre » (la Bible), duquel ils assumaient même une partie des traditions et des révélations antérieures. Pour ces raisons, ils leur octroyèrent un statut spécial.

Ce qui caractéristique le séjour des musulmans en Al-Andalus fut la fragmentation et la fragilité de ses territoires, qui firent qu’ Al-Andalus ne connut jamais de domination pacifique. Ce furent des temps de guerres continuelles, tantôt avec les chrétiens, qui petit à petit formaient un siège par le nord ; tantôt avec les musulmans eux-mêmes ; ou encore avec des tribus du nord de l’Afrique, qui tentaient également sans cesse des invasions par le sud. En conséquence, pour pouvoir maintenir la paix sur les territoires, les dominateurs devaient maintenir la paix en ayant recours à des politiques de pactes et d’alliances. Ainsi la domination musulmane en Al-Andalus et Grenade passa par diverses périodes bien distinctes. » | Pas d'attribution d'écriture | Sans date

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Lessons from the Golden Era of Andalusia [ الاندلس ] | Al Jazeera World

Saadane Benbabaali is an Algerian academic whose ancestors came from what is now the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. He has retired from teaching literature and Arabic at Paris University III. But for 15 years, Benbabaali has led groups of students on annual trips to Andalusia to share his passion and knowledge about the region and its rich history.

He believes that the period of Arab Muslim rule over the Iberian Peninsula was arguably the only time in European history when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived relatively peacefully together, producing a common culture and harmonious society.

He also thinks that the period and place have powerful lessons for what he sees as today's fractured world. … [Cont’d: https://youtu.be/GGotnIfQaQg ]


Monday, July 06, 2020

Arabs in Spain – Award Winning Documentary


Fascinating and beautifully shot documentary which examines the spread of Islam and how its crusaders finally took most of Spain, arriving from Morocco in 711. In one summer the "Arabs had taken half of the peninsular and in five years controlled almost all of the country".

Thursday, November 28, 2019

A Short History of The Moors –Trailer


Granada, the word in Spanish means pomegranate, a fruit brought to Spain by Moslem tribes from North Africa, in the 8th century.

They were known as the Moors and they came to Europe from what is now known as Morocco. For nearly 800 years the Moors ruled in Granada. And for nearly as long in a wider territory of that became known as Moorish Spain or Al-Andalus.

In Granada, where the Moors first came in 711, they built a fortress palace, the Alhambra. It was never conquered by their enemies but in 1492 the Moors surrendered their citadel, by then the last outpost of Moorish Spain, to the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabel. It would bring to an end an era and mark the beginnings of the Spanish Inquisition.r

But much of what the Moors built on the Iberian Peninsula and in their North African homelands has survived, and can still be visited today. In this episode of Short History of the World, we explore the rich architectural legacy of the Moors, the dynasties that built an empire, and what they left behind.


Monday, November 25, 2019

Spain's Islamic Legacy Source of Controversy | Focus on Europe


Andalusia has a rich Islamic past. Its Mosque of Cordoba is world-famous. But now that some Arab countries have donated money to restore such architectural treasures, Spain's right-wing populists are stoking fears.

In Search of the Spirit of Al-Andalus


With the Moorish architecture of Granada's Alhambra and Córdoba cathedral as a backdrop, Marcel Theroux meets a group of Spanish Muslims who are drawing on the area's Islamic legacy to a promote a new religious tolerance

Tuesday, January 01, 2019

Documentary: Portugal's Moorish Legacy


In this documentary, we uncover the influence that 500 years of Muslim occupation had on Portugal and Portuguese culture. We visit some important sights and hear from Portuguese people regarding their views on this significant part of their history.

While in Spain, the seven centuries of Muslim rule is very well-known, in Portugal it typically goes unnoticed. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.

The Muslims invaded present-day Portugal in the year 711 and established their capital in what is modern day "Silves". A significant part of this documentary takes us to Silves, which is still one of the best places in Portugal to see the influence of the Muslim period. Silves was the main access route to the inland areas of the Algarve, and the Silves castle, which was built by the Almoravid Arabs in the 11th century, is the best-preserved and most significant castle in the region. One of Portugal's main tourist attractions are its the beautiful beaches in the Algarve region. The name Algarve itself is derived from the Arabic word "al-Gharb", meaning the West. Portugal was the most Western part of the Muslim Empire and it was officially referred to as al-Gharb al-Andalus, meaning West of Al-Andalus. Nowadays Al-Andalus is often referred to as Muslim Spain, or Islamic Iberia.

It is not just the physical monuments which make Portugal’s Muslim past evident, but you can also find it in the country’s language and culture, even though the entire Reconquest centred around getting rid of Islamic influence altogether. Some Arabic words have permanently entered the Portuguese language, words for sugar, rice, olive oil, lettuce, village, the West and many others. Even Portugal’s most popular holiday spot, Albufeira, gets its name from Arabic, having then been called (Albuhayra) which means the lake in Arabic. The journey also takes us to Sintra, among other places, where the massive Moorish Castle stands. It was built by Muslims between the 9th and 10th centuries, the castle was vital in order to protect its population.

The southernmost region of Portugal, was finally conquered by Christians and taken away from the Muslims in 1249, and in 1255 the capital shifted to Lisbon. Neighbouring Spain would not complete its Reconquista until 1492.


Saturday, August 19, 2017

The Islamic State's Claim to Spain


Spain hasn’t been in ISIS’ crosshairs as much as France and Britain, but it has been as a through-point for ISIS recruits and target of its propaganda for years.

Friday, May 19, 2017

Al Andalus – Spain – الأندلس


Ryan M. Reeves (PhD Cambridge) is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Islamic State: "We Will Take Spain Back"

A tweeted photo of an Islamic State supporter holding the
IS black flag of jihad in front of Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza.
GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Calls to reconquer al-Andalus are becoming more frequent and more strident.

"Clearly Spain forms part of the strategic objectives of global jihad. We are not the only ones but we are in their sights." — Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz.


Radical Muslims in Spain have launched a social media campaign aimed at generating support for the jihadist group Islamic State [IS].

The campaign involves posters that include images of famous Spanish landmarks and monuments emblazoned with Arabic slogans such as, "We are all the Islamic State" and "Long Live the Islamic State."

One poster includes an image of the medieval Islamic Aljafería Palace in the Spanish city of Zaragoza and the black flag associated with the IS. Another uses an image of the famous La Concha beach in the Basque city of San Sebastián. Yet another includes an image of the statue of Jesus Christ on Monte Urgull in San Sebastián, with the Arabic words "Al-Andalus Country" instead of "Basque Country."

Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given to those parts of Spain, Portugal and France that were occupied by Muslim conquerors (also known as the Moors) from 711 to 1492. As the Basque Country is surrounded by mountains, however, the Moors never succeeded in occupying it. The poster campaign comes after IS jihadists produced a video in which they vow to liberate al-Andalus from non-Muslims and make it part of their new Islamic Caliphate.

The video shows a jihadist speaking in Spanish with a heavy North African accent. He says:
"I say to the entire world as a warning: We are living under the Islamic flag, the Islamic caliphate. We will die for it until we liberate those occupied lands, from Jakarta to Andalusia. And I declare: Spain is the land of our forefathers and we are going to take it back with the power of Allah."
Radical Muslims (and many moderate Muslims) believe that all territories Muslims lost during the Christian Reconquista of Spain still belong to the realm of Islam. They claim that Islamic law gives them the right to return there and re-establish Muslim rule.

In recent years, the return of "occupied" Al-Andalus to the fold of Islam has become an obsession for Muslims of all stripes, and calls to reconquer al-Andalus have become more frequent and more strident.

Commenting on the latest video, Spain's Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Martínez, said Spanish police were remaining "vigilant" in the face of a "grave" jihadist threat. » | Soeren Kern | Sunday, August 17, 2014

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

If Spain Welcomes Back Its Jews, Will Its Muslims Be Next?

The Alhambra in Granada, Andalusia, was built by Moors
beginning around AD 889, who officially stayed in Spain
for several centuries.
THE GUARDIAN: A proposed law will fast-track naturalisation of Jews whose ancestors were expelled 500 years ago. Now the descendants of Muslims who were ousted are also seeking the right to return

Perched dramatically on a rocky mountain, the small city of Toledo overlooks a bend in the Tagus river. Within its maze of cobblestone streets are buildings that once housed mosques, churches and synagogues, hinting at the varied cultures that once called this medieval city home.

Earlier this month, about 50 miles away from Toledo, the Spanish government sought to strengthen its ties with one of these cultures, announcing plans to fast-track the naturalisation of Sephardic Jews, whose ancestors were expelled five centuries ago from Spain.

The bill, said the Spanish government, would "correct a historical wrong". The legislation has yet to be approved by parliament, but already consulates in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem said they have been flooded with requests for information. Up to 3.5 million people around the world are thought to have Sephardic – Hebrew for "Spanish" – Jewish ancestry.

Now the descendants of another group who figured prominently in Spain's colourful past – before also being expelled – say it's only fair that the same right of return be extended to them.

Shortly after banishing the country's Jewish population, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand turned their attention to Spain's Muslims, forcing them to covert to Christianity or face expulsion. The Muslims who converted, known as Moriscos, often did so in name only, holding on tightly to their customs and traditions.

In the early 1600s – nearly 120 years after Jews in Spain were told to leave – the Moriscos were also expelled. An estimated 275,000 people were forcibly resettled, the majority of them heading to Morocco, some to Algeria and Tunisia.

A group representing Moriscos in Morocco recently sent a letter to Spain's King Juan Carlos asking the country to make the same conciliatory gesture to the descendants of Muslims. Speaking from Rabat, the president of L'Association pour la Mémoire des Andalous strongly criticised Spain's double standard in offering to naturalise the descendants of Jews ousted from Spain but not Muslims. The Spanish government "should grant the same rights to all those who were expelled", Najib Loubaris told news agency EFE. "Otherwise the decision is selective, not to mention racist." » | Ashifa Kassam in Madrid | Monday, February 24, 2014