Moorish Spain and the Islamic Golden Ages (711 to 1492 AD)
Moorish Spain' rule occurred as a consequence of Islamic expansion. "Education" was a primary factor in Islamic expansion...
The First Directive of the Islamic Faith: Pursuit of Knowledge and the Practical Use of its Knowledge.
Overview
Part One
The First Directive of the Islamic Faith
A Brief History of Early Islam
Part Two
Golden Age of the al-Andalus
Emir Abd-al-Rahman 1
Part Three
Original Hispanic Heritage
Education was the first canon of Islam
The Art of Papermaking
Islamic Architectural Influences
Cordova's Lifestyle
Agriculture
Tracing the Doctrine of Revered Moorish Scholars
Advances in Moorish Medicine
Cordoba
Moorish-Agriculture
Specialities-of-al-Andalus-handicraftsman
Early Islam and its Expansion
Muhammad and his followers fled Mecca in 622 AD. His extreme monotheistic beliefs of Islam, disputed the preponderant Polytheistic Meccan persuasions of Mecca.
Over the next ten years Muhammad and his followers practised their new faith in Medina. Travelling caravens from Mecca and from Medina were attacked - from both sides.
Muhammad preached, Islamic expansion was to be achieved, by starting (Jihad) religious wars with Infidel countries. Conquest was a religious duty to the Islamic faith. Conversions to Islam were many (in fact, millions), when faced by the power of the sword. Those who died, for the sake of Islamic expansion, became martyrs, attaining Paradise instantly.
From 644 AD Islamic armies swept over Central Asia toward India and China. Before the end of their period of rule, their empire was larger than that of the Roman Empire. The Iberian Peninsula was a much sought-after prize in the extension of the Islamic faith: Iberia was an important entry-point to Central Europe.
Muhammad's death 632 AD left no direct blood relatives to inherit
facts about the prophet muhammad
Abu Bakr - although not a blood relative to Muhammad - was given power to manage the worldly affairs of the Islamic Empire. His title (in abbreviated English) became caliph. Abu Bakr died, passing the office of caliph to Omar ibn al-Khattab.
Under Omar, Islam experienced its first wave of territorial expansion. Omar was assassinated in 644 AD.
Othman ibn Affan was the next caliph. During his rule, the Koran was written and completed. He too was assassinated. His death caused splits in the Islamic community that last - to this day.
Ali ibn Abi Talib, finally became caliph, he was Muhammad's cousin (and adopted son, as son-in-law). Ali too was assassinated.
Othamn's nephew, (head of the Umayyad Koresh tribes), seized control and established the first Umayyad caliphate, (the first Islamic dynasty: 661 to 750 AD). At this period, most of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain and Portugal was conquered along with what was left of North Africa.
After Ali's death the Umayyads turned the caliphate into a blood-liine succession, ruling from Damascus for almost a century until 750 AD.
The Abbasid’s overthrew the Umayyads
Purposely, severing all past Umayyad connections, they switched the caliphate capital, to Baghdad.
From 750 to 1258 AD, 37 Abbasid caliphs ruled the Islamic Empire, uninterrupted.

The Influence of Byzantinium Art
Clearly Visible in al-Hakim 11's Mihrab, Great Mosque of Cordoba.

Detail of al-Hakim 11's Mihrab shell
Zenith of Moorish Spain Artwork
The Sole Surviving Young Prince and his Umayyad Legacy for al-Andalusia
Abd al-Rahman 1, escaped from the Abbasids' persecution in 750 AD. The young prince - after five lengthy years of terrifying flight - finally arrived at the furthest frontier. He crossed the
the Straights of Gibraltar, with the intention to settle in the new territories of al-Andalus.
Allies and Loyalists Sided
The prince successfully overthrew the Abassidian Governor, entered and took possession of Cordoba.
His rule became known as The Independant Emirate, he ruled as Emir of Cordova.
His descendants referred to the Emirate as: the Umayyad Caliphate Revived.
The Umayyad dynasty reigned as Emirs of Cordova until Abd-ar-Rahman 111 declared the Cordovan Caliphate in 929 AD.
The Different Periods of Moorish Rule 711 to 1492 AD
The Dependent Emirate (711 to 756 AD)
The Independent Emirate (756 to 929 AD)
The Caliphate (929 to 1031 AD)
The Almoravid Era (1031 to 1130 AD)
Decline (1130 to 1492 AD)
Simultaneously, (because of continuous extension of the Islamic Empire) Europe became isolated, evolving into The Middle Ages.
European
Medieval Times
perspective was steeped with illogical reasoning and irrational beliefs. Barbarity and illiteracy were commonplace. Squalor was ubiquitous.
The sole Umayyad heir was well accepted by the Iberian Muslims. He was half-Syrian and half-Berber (a direct bloodline from his mother).
The Iberians called the Moors = Moors because they were largely Berbers and were black. Berbers were a major part of the invasion-force.
The ruling Arabs sustained a sense of racial superiority and purity of faith over the Berbers. Many Berbers were either of a pagan background or had been converted to Byzantine-Christianity.
First Islamic Monument on Iberian Soil
It was Emir Abd-al-Rahman 1 who introduced
islamic art and architecture
during the construction of the first Islamic monument built in the al-Andalus. The famed
Cordoba Mosque (Aljama Mezquita) incorporated much of Umayyan
Mezquita History heritage, combining local techniques of Hispano Art and Architecture, all of which evolved in creating, the unique features of the Cordovan Mosque.
Work commenced on Cordoba's Mosque in 785 AD. It was finalized - over two hundred years later.
The other Faiths
There were 7 million Christians and
Sephardic Jews that inhabited the Iberian Penninsular when the 711 to 716 AD conquest ocurred. Gradually the religious statistics changed but Muslims were never the majority in Moorish Spain.
Moorish Spain Society had Definite Ranking Status
- Arabs were supreme
- Berbers were the armed forces
- Converts: the Muladies (Christians who had converted to Islam)
- Jews (Sephardi Jews were native born converts)
- Christians
Moorish Geography Map of Europe
Map of Hispania
Ancient Iberia Map
The Phoenicians, Greeks, Spanish Carthage and Roman Spain had collectively introduced:
- Agriculture
- Irrigation
- Mathematics
- Time keeping
- The Calender
- Mining
- Architecture
- Road building
- Mosaic Art
- Pottery
- Jewellery
- Wine-Making
- Law and Civic Responsibility
Education was the first canon of Islam
Pre-Islamic civilizations, occupied by the expansion of the Islamic Empire: Eygpt, Persia, Byzantine, Israel, Syria, India, China and Greece.
These "pre-Islamic societies" possessed their own intellectual philosophies, medicine - pharmacology, discoveries and sciences. Once absorbed into the Islamic Empire "that intelligence" was incorporated into Islamic culture. From south west Asia, in the region known as : the Fertile Crescent emerged What is the Mediterranean Diet, this agricultural expertise was constantly improved on. Moorish Medicine advocated that healthy living was advantageous for all of the population.
A Major Element to Muslim Successes
The Art of Papermaking.
The Chinese had developed a cotton-paper. The paper-making secrets were extracted from Chinese prisoners - after the battle of Tallas 751 AD.
Written documents were first preserved on Clay Tablets and Papyrus. As proven with the Phoenicians: Papyrus documents perished.
Parchment was extremely expensive.
- Paper documents preserved excellently and could be copied extensively
- The secret of paper-manufacture catapulted Islam's first directive: education
- Translation, copying and reproducing of the collective wisdom of the pre-Islamic societies began - both in Baghadad and in Cordova
- Baghdad created the "House of Wisdom": It was a literary society and was an outstanding library
- An inherent love of language and elegant Arabic poetry became a focal point to the educated al-Andaluz
- Calligraphy was highly regarded
TOP

The Art of Paper-Making

Polishing Paper with Hard Stone

The Excellence of Caligraphy
- Education became Universal. Literacy existed in every Social Class – meanwhile (in comparison), 99% of Christian Europe was illiterate
- Vast Libraries
- Widespread amount of Schools
- Universities: Cordoba, Sevilla, Valencia, Málaga, Granada
Cordoba was the Connecting Point
- The Arabs Translated and studied the Ancient Masterpiece Works of: Aristotle, Archimedes, Apollonius, Euclid, Hipoocrates and Galen
- The philosophy of these works became the stimulating-point for the revival of European Civilizations
- Thousands of bookstores opened in Moorish Spain
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Islamic Architectural Influences
Spectacular Islamic Architecture expressed revered worship of Islam, to the Caliph and to God. Moorish Spain's architecture symbolized the Caliph's or Emir's power.
The Moors Reintroduced:
- Art
- Astronomy
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Science
- Chemistry

Luna Mora
The Luna Mora Festival evokes how street lighting was done during the Moorish Spain epoch. One of the evening's highlights is the themed backkground of arabigo-andalusi, flamenco and sefardi, music and dance.
Over twenty-thousand candles illuminate Guaro during Luna Mora.
- Cordoba had illuminated-paved streets with pedestrian sidewalks – several hundred years before London or Paris could boast of such amenities
- Lusterware: losa dorada, expensive gold-glazed ceramics
Moorish Agriculture
- Muslims perfected ancient and new techniques of raising river-water for irrigating fields
- The use of the Noria/water-wheel was introduced from the East
- In 961 AD, the Cordova Calender was published. Agricultural Exact Observations: soil-analysis, when to plough, when to irrigate and the correct times for planting or harvesting
- The importance of Moorish flour mills and their passage in history: Andalucia Travel Costa del Sol
- A meticulous approach to crop rotations and varied types of manure according to each soil-type
- Famous Moorish Water Gardens were created
- Harvest preservation methods
- "The Green Revolution" was the cornerstone of the wealth and success of the Cordovan Caliphate
- See: the History of Spanish Food
- New Plants - such as cotton - were introduced to the Iberian Peninsula which led to...
Specialities of al-Andalus handicraftsman
- The al-Andalus became a major manufacturer of Silk, especially in the Alpujaras
- Silk and cotton weaving
- The softest Merino Wool and its products
- Tanneries, especially in Cordoba Leather
- Taracea Craftsmanship
(beautiful inlaid wood decoration - unique to Granada)
Tracing the Doctrine of Revered Moorish Scholars
Moorish Medicine Education, New surgical techniques, Moorish Medicine Health Care new medical instruments, improvement in paediatrics, obstetrics, ophthalmology, anatomy
- Hospitals with running water
- The use of Latrines
- City Sewerage systems
- A Widespread Construction and Use of Public Baths
- The Distillation and popular use of Floral Essences
Metalwork
Excellence in intricate Gold and Silver Handicraftsmanship
Spain possessed a huge mineral wealth: copper, gold, tin, silver, lead, iron, mercury and alum were extensively mined
Spanish Perfumery
originates from Moorish Spain
Toledo sword blades were considered the best in Europe
Murcian Brass and Iron factories produced first-class work
Gunpowder was introduced to Europe by the Arabs
Cordoba under Abd-ar-Rahman 111 became the prime metropolitan-based economy of Europe. It was renowned for prosperous buisnesses such as silver-smithing. Local currency was Cordobes Gold.
The largest European urban concentration during this period was found in Cordova. the capital of the Cordovan Caliphate, in al-Andalusia.
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Resources:
'Boutique'Paper-Making Museum
Casa Andalusi,
Calle Judios 12
14004 Cordoba.
Recommended: Moorish Zaragoza
Discover the Moorish influence in Zaragoza