ISLAMIC SPAIN

ANDALUSI SOCIETY

THREE FAITHS, ONE LAND

ARTS & SCIENCE

TIMELINES

FILM & OUTREACH

FOR TEACHERS

Andalusi Society

	Islam was at one and the same time the great enemy and the great source of higher material and intellectual culture.
	Montgomery Watt, Influence of Islam on Medieval Europe

Key Figures  Major Battles  The Cities  Women of Al-Andalus  The Rulers

In 711, the Islamic Empire enters Spain, a land already rich in Christian Roman, Visigothic and Jewish cultures. By 732, the Islamic Empire unites most of the peninsula, calling it Al-Andalus.

Jews and Christians worship freely without fear of persecution. Yet, in the following decades, Al-Andalus is an often turbulent melting pot of cultures and allegiances: Amazighs (Berbers), Arab and native Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

During this time, Al-Andalus also witnesses the emergence of major figures, the birth of vital cities, the rise and demise of ruling dynasties, decisive battles, and an important role for women. All these contribute to a culturally rich, diverse, and thriving civilization.