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Moors(lat. Mauri) - Berbers and African tribes who professed Islam North West Africa and Europe between the 7th and 17th centuries. This term applies both to the Arabs and Berbers who conquered the Iberian Peninsula and settled there in the 8th century, and to those of the inhabitants of the conquered territories (and their descendants) who became Muslims. Since some of the Arab conquerors of the Iberian Peninsula belonged to Negroid race, this term was used in the 16th and XVII centuries How hallmark any person with dark skin. Because of its imprecision, the term "Moors" is rarely used by historians. The adjective "Moorish", however, is often used to refer to works of art and culture that emerged from parts of Spain that were under Muslim rule.
Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsula
At the end of the 7th century, the Arabs, having made a city in the east of the modern city their stronghold, conquered North Africa, and by 709 they had reached the shores of Atlantic Ocean. In 711, Arabs and Berbers led by Tariq ibn Ziyad landed on the Iberian Peninsula. Having defeated the Visigoths on July 19, 711 at Lake Handa and won a victory at Ecija, the Arab troops took the capital Visigothic kingdom and other cities.
The army that arrived in 712 from North Africa Musa ibn Nusayr occupied Medina Sidonia, Carmona, and Merida.
By 718, the Iberian Peninsula, with the exception of , passed into the hands of the Arabs. In 720 they invaded Gaul, occupied Septimania and. Their further advance into Europe was stopped after the defeat Arab troops Frankish cavalry and infantry of Charles Martell near October 4, 732. In 759, Pepin the Short drove the Arabs out of Narbonne and Septimania.
In the conquered Spanish territories, the Arabs formed an emirate that was part of the Umayyad Caliphate; in 756 the Umayyads founded the independent Emirate of Cordoba, and in 929 the Caliphate of Cordoba.
Minaret of the Cathedral Mosque in Cordoba - (Mezquita - Catedral de Córdoba)
Local secular and church landowners, who submitted to the conquerors, were left with part of the lands that previously belonged to them, along with the peasants. A significant part of the lands passed into the hands of the new landed nobility from among the conquerors. Most fertile lands the south and southeast were occupied by the Arabs themselves; in central and northern parts countries, the Arabs settled numerous Berber tribes that were part of their troops.
The Arab state reached its greatest power under Abdarrahman III (ruled 912-961). Development feudal relations led at the end of the 10th century to a weakening central government. In 1031, the Cordoba Caliphate broke up into many small emirates. This ultimately led to his downfall.
Reconquista
Centers of resistance Arab conquest arose in the 8th century in the north of the peninsula. The decisive stage of the Reconquista began after the collapse of the Cordoba Caliphate in 1031. In 1085, the Castilians took it, which became the capital of the Kingdom of Castile and Leon. Small Arab states Faced with this threat, they called for help from the Almoravids from North Africa, who, having won a victory in 1086 at Salak and stopping the Reconquista, subjugated all of Muslim Spain. However, in 1118 Aragon was retaken from the Moors. By the middle of the 13th century, the Moors had only a small territory left in the south - the Emirate of Granada. In the west, the Reconquista was carried out by Portugal (in 1095-1139, a county nominally dependent on Leon; from 1139 - a kingdom, in 1143 recognized as independent by Leon). In 1492, the Reconquista ended with the capture of Granada - last stronghold Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula. The Arab-Berber population remaining in Spain was forcibly converted to Christianity. In 1492, Jews were expelled from Spain, and in 1502, Moors who did not accept Christianity were expelled.
The descendants of the Muslim Moors who remained on the Iberian Peninsula were called Moriscos ( moriscos). They formed a significant part of the peasantry in some regions - such as Aragon, or
Spain was conquered by the Arabs (Moors) in the 8th century. Having landed on the Iberian Peninsula in 711, the Moors, led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, conquered Visigothic Spain for five years, turning it into the emirate of Al-Andalus, dependent on the Caliph of Damascus. Only in the Pyrenees mountains did two small, inaccessible regions, inhabited by Basques and Romanized Asturs, retain their independence.
In October 711, the Arab commander Mugit, assistant to Tariq ibn Ziyad, took Cordoba. And in 716, Emir Abul-Khattar founded one of his residences in Cordoba. For its submission, the city was made the capital of the province of Andalusia. In 756, Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muawiyah I reigned in Cordoba and formed the independent Emirate of Cordoba. In front of the gates of Cordoba, the emir built the Rusafu Palace, named after the famous Umayyad residence near Palmyra in Syria. At this time many local residents began to accept Islam (they were called muwallads). At first, the majority in Cordoba were Christian Mozarabs (literally “those who became Arabs”; they got their name because they adopted many traditions and partly the language of the Arabs) and the authorities treated them tolerantly. However, already at the end of the 8th century the authorities began to demolish Christian churches: for example, in 786 the Temple of St. Vincent was destroyed, and in its place the Great Mosque of Cordoba was built. This caused resistance from the Mozarabs, to which the authorities responded with repression.
In 888, the reign of Emir Abd Allah began. His power was limited only to Cordoba, while the districts were under the control of rebellious clans that did not recognize Abd Allah. Until 891 there was a continuous war with Omar ibn Hafsun, who captured part of the cities of the emirate. Cordoba itself was also restless - the struggle between various groups of Arabs, Berbers and Muwallads did not stop in the city. Christians gradually attacked the emirate from the north. The emir managed to achieve temporary superiority over his opponents, but in 912 he died and his son was killed. Power, as a result, went to the grandnephew of Abd Allah - Abd ar-Rahman III. In 913-914, he suppressed the main forces of Omar ibn Hafsuf, capturing 70 of his castles, and in 928 he stormed the rebel center, Bobastro Castle. On January 16, 929, Abd ar-Rahman III proclaimed himself caliph - the supreme head of all Muslims. The Emirate of Cordoba became a caliphate. In confirmation of this status, the hand of the Prophet Muhammad was displayed for veneration in the Great Mosque of Cordoba, which attracted many Muslim pilgrims. Local theologians even declared that visiting the mosque makes the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina optional, thus equating Cordoba with these two most important shrines of Islam.
The status of the capital of the caliphate attracted people to the city huge number traders and artisans, contributed to the prosperity of Cordoba. The city reached gigantic proportions for those times, challenging Constantinople for the title of the most big city Europe: according to Arabic sources, in 1000 Cordoba had 1 million inhabitants. Modern historians reduce this figure to 400-550 thousand people. Cordoba was experiencing the peak of construction, decorated with squares, gardens, baths, mosques, bazaars, palaces, among which was the magnificent country residence of the Caliph Medina Al-Sahara (or Madinat Al-Zahra). The Caliph's court became powerful cultural center Europe and the Islamic world, attracting poets, writers, doctors, Sufis and scientists who lived on government pensions. There were 27 in the city free schools for the poor and a university where people came to study not only from Muslim countries, but also from Christian Europe. The university had a library with a total collection of 400 thousand books. The library housed a workshop in which they translated from Hebrew and Greek into Arabic works of many ancient scientists and philosophers. Cordoba was famous for the production of ceramics, the finest products made of gold, silver, crystal, ivory. Gold, silver and copper money in Cordoba were minted annually in the amount of up to 200,000 dinars.
At the beginning of the 11th century, a period of uprisings and frequent changes caliphs. In 1010, Cordoba was invaded by Berbers who supported one of the contenders for the throne, the city was plundered, and the palace in Medina Al-Sahara was destroyed. In 1031, the Cordoba Caliphate broke up into several small taifa states. The Cordoba taifa was ruled by the vizier of the last caliph Hisham III. In 1069, the emir of Seville, Muhammad II al-Mu'tamid of the Abbadid dynasty, conquered Cordoba and annexed it to his state.
In 1091, Cordoba fell under the rule of the Almoravids (North African Islamic dynasty). They were called upon to support Muslims in the fight against Christians advancing from the north, but in the end they decided not to limit themselves to help, but at the same time to seize power in Andalusia. In 1147, the Almoravids were replaced by another North African dynasty, the Almohads. During the years of Almoravid and Almohad rule, Cordoba became an exclusively Muslim city: Christians and Jews either fled north to Castile and Leon or converted to Islam under pressure from repression.
IN early XIII centuries, the Almohad forces were undermined, and they lost interest in their possessions in Andalusia, which soon fell out of their control. The region reigned internecine wars. Taking advantage of this, the Castilian king Ferdinand III captured Cordoba in 1236, but rather accepted its honorable surrender.
2 Seville
In 712, the Moors besieged Seville, which then bore the Roman name Ispalis. The city withstood a siege for many months, until finally the archbishop came to an agreement with the invaders and opened the city gates in 713. During the period 713−716. the city was the capital of that part of Spain that was conquered by the Arabs, and from that time became known as Ishbilia. During this short period, the city was thoroughly put in order: destroyed buildings, a port, and fortress walls were rebuilt. When Andalusia became the independent Emirate of Cordoba, Ishbilia became the capital of the Cordoba (province) of the same name. The city quickly became Islamized, with Christians becoming a minority and living primarily in the poor suburbs.
The cessation of barbarian raids, constant wars and civil strife of the previous period had a beneficial effect on the well-being of the city; Ishbiliya became the second most important port of the emirate. However, the wealth of Ishbilia attracted the attention of other barbarians - the Vikings. In 844, they captured the city and subjected it to 7 days of plunder, and then made it the center of raids on the surrounding area. The Vikings, in the end, were defeated by the emir's troops, and some were killed, and some converted to Islam and merged with the local population. However, raids were carried out later: in 859, 966, 971, but not so successfully thanks to the construction of fortifications around the city and effective action Emirate troops. But even at this time the city showed its rebellious character. During the period described, Ishbiliya was split by the confrontation of aristocratic factions, which sometimes resulted in bloody battles, as for example in 889. After the victory, one of them tried to create an independent emirate in 899-902 and 911-913, and in 974 there was an unsuccessful popular uprising. For its disobedience, Ishbiliya was deprived of its fortress walls.
At the beginning of the 11th century, the Cordoba Caliphate began to disintegrate. During the anarchy that reigned, one of the noble townspeople, Abu l-Qasim, managed to become famous and gain the support of the population by repelling a raid on Ishbiliya by a detachment of mutinous soldiers and thanks to this seize power in the city. A small independent state- Taifa Ishbiliya. Compared to others, it turned out to be the most successful and managed to subjugate many of its neighbors. This was the reason for the rise of Ishbilia, which was reflected in the revival of construction, active cultural life, centered around the emir's palace. However, the weakening of the central government put Muslim lands under attack from Christian Castile: after the attack in 1062, Ishbilia was forced to pay tribute to the Castilian kings. The tribute placed a heavy burden on the shoulders of the townspeople, who responded with mass unrest, and when the government stopped paying tribute to please them, Castilian raids occurred. In view of this, Emir al-Mutamid was forced to call for help from Africa the fanatical warriors of Islam - the Murabites (they gave the name to the Almoravid dynasty).
The Almoravids did defeat Christian forces at the Battle of Zalaq in 1086, but then began their conquest of Andalusia, and Ishbiliya was conquered by them in 1091. As the Almoravids weakened, they were replaced by the Almohads as rulers of the city in 1147. The reign of the Almohads became a period of real prosperity for the city, especially during the reign of Emir Abu Yusuf (1184−1199). The most striking manifestation of this was the widespread construction in the city: baths, a racing stadium, gardens, squares, palaces, a minaret for the Great Mosque, a bridge over the Guadalquivir (it was converted from a Roman aqueduct), the famous Alcazar. Thanks to its convenient harbor, Ishbilia also became a large military base, from where troops could quickly be transferred to any part of the state. A large state arsenal was established in the city. The city also flourished as a major economic center, primarily tied to trade with the territory of modern Morocco, but also trade with Genoa and Pisa. Ishbilia grew to a huge size for those times - 83 thousand inhabitants, with whom only Cordoba could compete on the peninsula. However, neither the Almoravids nor the Almohads were able to truly ensure the security of the city. Its surroundings were subject to Christian raids.
After their defeat in 1212 at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, the Almohads became completely weakened and stopped caring about their Spanish possessions. In 1247, Ishbiliya was besieged and, after withstanding a 16-month siege, surrendered in 1248 only because the Castilian fleet was able to interrupt all communications with outside world along the river. The city suffered greatly during the siege and assault: of all the buildings, only the minaret of the Great Mosque remained intact. After the conquest, the city began to be called by its usual name - Seville.
3 Toledo
Toledo, the capital of the Visigothic kings, was captured by the Moors in 711. The city began to be called Thulaitulakh. After the formation of the independent Emirate of Cordoba, Toledo began to play important role in the new state. Not having come to terms with the conquests of the Arabs, the Christians entrenched in the north of the peninsula waged a war to liberate their land. Therefore, along the northern borders of the emirate, Muslims formed a special system of border possessions. The capital of their middle part, al-Tagro al-Awsat (translated as “ middle border"), was Toledo. In addition, it was the center of a separate cortex (region). The city retained its significance as the largest trade and craft center in the region, famous especially for metalworking and weapons manufacturing. Toledo was also famous as major center education and science.
Three religious communities lived in the city: Muslims, whose position was privileged, Jews and Christians, and both were freed from religious oppression subject to the payment of a special tax - jizya. Christians, apparently, were the majority. The citizens of the prosperous city more than once rebelled against the central government, and often the religious communities were in solidarity, despite differences in faith. This was the case, for example, during the uprising of 797, which the governor suppressed in the following way: 400 influential townspeople, among whom were wealthy muwalads and even the local archbishop Elipando, were invited to negotiate at a feast, where they were beheaded and their heads thrown into a ditch. This event was called "Moat Day". However, uprisings continued in 811, 829 and 932.
During the conquest of Spain, the Arabs used Berber troops, who were given lands in the north of the emirate as payment for their service. One of the noble Berber families, Banu Dil-Nun, owned land in the modern province of Cuenca. In 887, Musa, one of the representatives of the Banu Dil-Nun clan, managed to capture Toledo and rule here as an independent emir until his death in 908. After the collapse of the Cordoba Caliphate, the strengthened Banu Dil-Nun were able to seize power in a vast area, founding an independent state with its capital in Toledo (1035−1085). However, the collapse of the caliphate strengthened the onslaught of Christians, so the emirs of Toledo were forced to pay off the attacks of the Castilians. This caused an increase in taxes, which caused impoverishment and discontent among the townspeople. The opinion spread among them that it was easier to become subjects of Castile than to simultaneously support both your emir and the Castilian king.
In 1085, after the siege of Toledo, Toledo surrendered to Castile on honorable terms: citizens must pay the same taxes as the previous ruler, in return King Alfonso VI pledged to respect their personal rights and the integrity of property, as well as the right to freedom of religion.
4 Granada
Before the conquest of Spain by the Moors, on the site of Granada stood small town Iliberry (Ilbira). There is an opinion that during the conquest the city was abandoned by its inhabitants. With the establishment of the Emirate of Cordoba on the territory of Spain, the capital of the province of Elvira became Madinat Ilbir, located 10 km from the former Ilbir, as a result of which almost all the residents moved from the old city to the new one.
When the Cordoba Caliphate began to weaken and disintegrate at the beginning of the 11th century, one mercenary from the noble Algerian Berbers, Zavi ben Ziri, seized power in Elvira in 1013 and created a small independent state. Based on security requirements, he moved his capital from Madinat Ilbir further into the Sierra Nevada mountains, to the site of the former Ilbir. New city received the name Madinat Garnata, which translated from Arabic means “hill of pilgrims.” The Zirid dynasty ruled the city until 1090, and during this time its historical center, the Alcazaba Kadima district, was rebuilt.
In 1090 Madinat Gharnata submitted to the Almoravids, and in 1145 to the Almohad dynasty. The military failures of the Almohads led to the fact that from 1224 Andalusia actually left their subordination, and internecine wars began there. The most successful among the emirs was Muhammad ibn Nasr I (1238−1273), who managed to create the Nasrid state, better known as the Emirate of Granada. From the second half XIII century and until the end of the 15th century it was the only Muslim state that managed to withstand the onslaught of Christians. One of the main reasons for this was the mountainous location of the emirate, favorable for defense. Based on the same principle, Muhammad ibn Nasr in 1238 made the mountainous Madinat of Garnat his capital. The period of Nasrid rule became a time of prosperity and extensive construction for the city; the outlines acquired at that time and the division into quarters have largely been preserved to this day. At that time, the famous magnificent palace-fortress of the Alhambra and the countryside Villa Generalife were built. Madinat Garnat became the most powerful center of Muslim culture throughout the Western Mediterranean. The influx of refugees from the emirates of Andalusia, destroyed by Christians, played a significant role in this. The city became one of the most powerful and prosperous centers of crafts and trade in all of Europe. About 165 thousand inhabitants lived in Madinat Garnata - by medieval standards it was huge city. It was inhabited by different ethnic and religious groups: Arab nobility, Berber mercenaries, Jewish traders, muwallads and Christians.
After a hard civil war in Castile in 1474-1479, Queen Isabella I of Spain decided to unite the country with a successful war of conquest. During the war of 1482-1492, the Emirate of Granada was captured, and Madinat Garnata itself surrendered on January 2, 1492 on honorable terms, including: inviolability of property and freedom of religion for the townspeople.
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Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsula
Local secular and church landowners, who submitted to the conquerors, were left with part of the lands that previously belonged to them, along with the peasants. A significant part of the lands passed into the hands of the new landed nobility from among the conquerors. The most fertile lands of the south and southeast were occupied by the Arabs themselves; in the central and northern parts of the country, the Arabs settled numerous Berber tribes that were part of their troops.
The Arab state reached its greatest power under Abdarrahman III (ruled in - years). The development of feudal relations led at the end of the 10th century to the weakening of central power. In the year, the Cordoba Caliphate split into many small emirates. This ultimately led to his downfall.
Reconquista
Centers of resistance to the Arab conquest arose in the 8th century in the north of the peninsula. The decisive stage of the Reconquista began after the collapse of the Cordoba Caliphate in 1031. In the year the Castilians took Toledo, which became the capital of the Leono-Castilian kingdom. The small Arab states, faced with this threat, called for help from the Almoravids of North Africa, who, having won a victory in the year at Salak and stopping the progress of the Reconquista, subjugated all of Muslim Spain. However, in the year Aragon recaptured Zaragoza from the Moors. By the middle of the 13th century, the Moors had only a small territory left in the south - the Emirate of Granada. In the west, the Reconquista was carried out by Portugal (in - a county nominally dependent on Leon; since 1139 - a kingdom recognized as independent by Leon). In the year the Reconquista ended with the capture of Granada, the last stronghold of Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula. The Arab-Berber population remaining in Spain was forcibly converted to Christianity. In 1492, Jews were expelled from Spain, and in the same year, Moors who did not accept Christianity were expelled.
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Notes
See also
Literature
- Stanley Lane-Poole, History of the Moors in Spain.
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Moors(ethnography). - M. is now called part of the population of Barbary (among the ancients “Mauritania” or “Maurusia”), of very mixed origin. Classic word"M.", which gives the name to the region, apparently means "black people." The origin and ethnic affinities of ancient M. are still not entirely clear. They think (mainly on the basis of comparative philology) that the inhabitants of the entire northern. strips of Africa (both M. itself and the Numidians) were related tribes and that their pure or most pure descendants are the current Berbers (see) of the mountain districts ("Amazirgi") and the Tuaregs of the southern strip of the Atlas. On the coastal plains of the country M., probably as early as prehistoric times, mixed with Semitic or Hamitic newcomers; mixing with the Romans, Vandals and especially with the Arabs was to occur even more strongly. The new, mixed tribe began to differ noticeably from the highlanders, that is, pure M.; however, the name M. was preserved not by the highlanders, but by the inhabitants of the cities and coastal plains of Barbary. And now the name M. is applied to the urban population of Barbary. In appearance, M. are very cute, beautiful, with a somewhat thoughtful expression on their faces, but they are cowardly, fanatical, sensual, cruel, insidious and mentally stupid. A significant part of M. is engaged in trade and coffee cultivation, the rest - in crafts, gardening, and agriculture. They speak Arabic, but not in pure dialect.
Story. For the first time history knows M. during the Yugurtian War (110-116): Mauritania, the region west of Mulukha, was then already a regular and organized state under the control of King Bokh. In 25 BC. Augustus gave it to the Numidian king Juba II. From 42 AD. it became a Roman province (see Mauritania). When the Vandals invaded here in 429 and founded their kingdom, they found no less than 170 cities with episcopal sees. Belisarius (533) returned Mauritania to the Roman Empire. Beginning in 667, the brave Arab commander, Koreish Okba, began to carry out a series of raids on West from Egypt and, according to Muslim historians, even reached the Atlantic Ocean; but the Berbers and Byzantines stubbornly resisted, and only during the reign of Walid did the commander Musa between 706-709. subjugated the entire North to the caliphate. Africa. The dominance of the caliphs was in the North. Africa does not last long: in the 9th century we see many autonomous kingdoms or principalities here (Aghlabites in Keyrovan, Idrisites in Fez, etc.). In 909, the powerful Ketame Berber tribe accepted the Fatimid dynasty (see Ismailis and Fatimids), which soon extended its power to the entire North. Africa, including Egypt. Egypt became the residence of the Fatimids, and Z. was in their vassalage, under the control of the Zirid dynasty, which lasted until the time of the Almoravids, who in turn submitted to the Almohads. Last Dynasty was overthrown by the Merinids (1269 - capture of Morocco). Further history Mauritania (Rep. Morocco) - continuous civil strife, not very interesting; but this period is distinguished by a remarkable rise in civilization in M. At this time, M. had a living connection with Spain. Since the Arabs who conquered Spain came from Mauritania and since many Berbers subsequently flowed into Spain, Europeans began to call M. and Spanish Muslims (although most theirs was Gallo-Roman or Germanic tribe). At the end of the 15th century. they were finally defeated by Ferdinand the Catholic; the part that remained faithful to Islam was expelled and went mainly to the North. Africa, the other part outwardly converted to Christianity and remained to live in Spain, called Moriscos. Philip II wanted this calm, hardworking population to either completely convert to Christianity or be exterminated; his oppression and persecution caused an open revolt of the Moriscos (1568-1570), after which 100,000 of them were expelled and retired to tribal Africa. There since the 14th century. The Spaniards and Portuguese began to spread their influence, but now M. immediately gave them a decisive rebuff. M.'s hatred of Christians was strengthened by Philip III, who expelled the last remnants of the Moriscos (about 500,000) from Spain in 1609. From that time on, M. became a formidable scourge of Christian courts, like pirates who did not recognize any international relations; only in modern times they have lost their meaning. The Moroccan Sultan Suleiman (1794-1822) was forced to abolish Christian slavery in his domains and stop piracy.
Literature. Leo Africanus, Descriptio Africae; Ibn Heldun, “History of the Berbers” (trans. Slan), Renu in his “Description géogr. de l'emp. de Maroc" (P., 1846) reviewed all European works on M.; see also Tissot, “Rech. sur la geogr. comparée de la Mauret. Ting." (P., 1877); Dozy, “Hist. des musulmans d'Espagne jusqu'a la conquete de l'Andalousie par les Almoravides" (Leid., 1861); Rochau, “Die Moriscos in Spanien” (Lpc., 1853). With great difficulty Conde "Hist. de los Arabes en Espańa" (Madrid, 1820-21; German translation by Rutschmann, Karlsruhe, 1824-25) cannot be used without the help of Dosi.
Moor - who is this? A representative of a cruel and willful people or one who made an invaluable contribution to the development of cultures different countries? What is truth and what is fiction?
The Birth of an Empire
The inhabitants of Mauritania, located in northern Africa, were called Moors. Their history is inextricably linked with the development of Islam.
In the 12th century, the city of Medina was founded by the Prophet Muhammad. After this, the people, who had previously adhered to a nomadic lifestyle, found a permanent place to live. Then they began their development, conquering new lands, preaching Islam to the east and west.
Thirst for knowledge
Moor - who is important to whom conquests are important? Contrary to the generally accepted attitude towards the Moors as uneducated people, it must be said that this is a big misconception. For a Muslim, knowledge had important. Due to the heat of the day nomadic peoples moved at night. The result was the emergence of such a science as astronomy. When meeting with representatives of other cultures, the Moors tried to gain as much new knowledge as possible. They gave special meaning books. Their value was very great and a large number of them were published.
Due to the fact that the Crusaders created an unflattering reputation for Muslims, many do not know exactly who the Moor is? Believing that this is a synonym for the word "barbarian".
In fact, Arab culture was open to new knowledge. After the capture of Egypt, the Moors gained access to which allowed them to seriously expand their horizons. Many works have been translated into Arabic. It should be noted that the Arabs and Berbers who professed Islam were also called Moors.
She tried to protect herself as much as possible from new knowledge, which significantly hampered her development.
Moors in Europe
Having overcome Gibraltar in 711, the Moors came to large territory all the way to France. Considering the fact that Europe at that time was in a deep crisis, many cities were only too glad to receive a fairly strong patron who could protect them from warriors and tribal raids. Despite the fact that Islam was unknown to the population Iberian Peninsula, they began to accept quite easily new religion. Many cities were rebuilt practically from scratch, with Cordoba becoming the main one. The Moor - who is he and what is his contribution to the development of Spain? New technologies were introduced: an irrigation system was used to water gardens, and houses had running water and sewerage systems.
Of particular importance was paper, which was discovered in Europe thanks to the Arabs. It is not surprising that there were 10 libraries in Cordoba. The foundations of modern algebra and chemistry were born in Toledo; only here it was possible to study works on mathematics and astronomy.
The Crusades, which aimed to rid the countries of Europe from the invaders - the Moors, mercilessly destroyed them, buildings and everything technical structures. People were forced, under pain of death and confiscation of property, to convert to Catholicism. Thus, a new but ambitious culture replaced a more developed one, which gave Europe a lot of influence over the 12th centuries.
Quite often you can hear the phrase: “The Moor has done his job, the Moor can leave.” This is a quote from the play “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa”, written by I. F. Schiller in late XVIII century. The phrase is a symbol of the unprincipled use of a person for one’s own purposes. The attitude towards him was as if he were a tool to achieve a goal, which was no longer needed after the action was completed.
