Discover the Legacy of Al-Andalus

The Moorish Civilization of Al-Andalus in Spain

• The Moors were Muslims who invaded Spain and part of France in 711 AD.
• The Moorish civilization of Al-Andalus was a multi-racial melting pot of Jews, Muslims and Christians.
• In a climate of religious tolerance, art, culture, landscaping and ideas flourished in Al-Andalus.
• The Moors mastered the techniques of irrigation, creating landscapes and gardens that are oases of shade and bounty.
• Cordoba was Europe's intellectual center in the 10th century and had half a million inhabitants.
• The mosque of Cordoba, the largest in the world, was founded in 785 AD and is now a church.
• Granada was the capital of the Moorish Nazrid dynasty (1232-1492) and is fabulously set in the midst of the snow-capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada.
• The Alhambra in Granada blends architecture and landscaped gardens in an amazing orchestration of light and space.
• The Moors played a role in opening a thriving era of scientific discovery in astronomy, medicine, botany, philosophy and mathematics.
• The Arabic numeral system was transmitted to Europe via Spain by the Moors.
• The Moors introduced all kinds of exotic plants and foods to southern Europe, such as almonds, citrus fruits, sugarcane, cumin, saffron, nutmeg, pomegranates, persimmons and palm trees.
• The Moors were defeated in 1492 and those who did not convert to Christianity were expelled or enslaved.