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 convert to 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 Church 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 worship in the Great Mosque of Cordoba, which attracted many Muslim pilgrims. Local theologians even declared that visiting the mosque makes pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina unnecessary, thus equating Cordoba with these two most important shrines of Islam.
The status of the capital of the caliphate attracted a huge number of traders and artisans to the city and contributed to the prosperity of Cordoba. The city reached a gigantic size for those times, challenging Constantinople for the title of the largest city in Europe: according to Arab sources, in the year 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 a powerful cultural center in Europe and the Islamic world, attracting poets, writers, doctors, Sufis and scientists who lived on state pensions. The city had 27 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 the works of many ancient scientists and philosophers were translated from Hebrew and Greek into Arabic. Cordoba was famous for the production of ceramics, the finest products made of gold, silver, crystal, and 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 of caliphs began in the Cordoba Caliphate. 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 century, the Almohad forces were undermined, and they lost interest in their possessions in Andalusia, which soon fell out of their control. Internecine wars reigned in the region. 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 cora (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 the effective actions of the emirate’s 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 was formed - 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 Ishbiliya, which was reflected in the revival of construction and active cultural life, centered around the emir's palace. However, the weakening of the central government put the 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 communication with the 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 an 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 a major center of 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 this way: 400 influential townspeople, among whom were rich 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, the small city of Iliberry (Ilbira) stood on the site of Granada. 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, at the beginning of the 11th century, the Cordoba Caliphate began to weaken and disintegrate, 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 of the 13th century until the end of the 15th century, this was the only Muslim state, which managed to withstand the onslaught of Christians. One of the main reasons for this was the mountainous location of the emirate, which was advantageous 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 a 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 citizens.
27.08.2014
The Ancient Moors are one of the Berber tribes whose ancestors were the Libyans. And in turn, the Berbers included not only blacks, but also those who could not speak Greek. These tribes lived to the west of Egypt. Confirmation that the Berbers had the closest ties and relationships with Egypt is the fact that the Berber dynasty was the ruling dynasty in this state.
The Berbers began trading with the Egyptians much earlier than Rome. And when Ancient Greece flourished, the Berbers did not lose their identity. Whoever tried to conquer them: the Phoenicians, and the warriors of Carthage, Rome and Greece. The good neighborliness of the Berbers with Greece came to an end in 570 BC, when the Greeks tried to conquer the rebellious tribes by all available means. This continued until Greece disappeared from the historical scene.
Rome replaced it. But no one was able to conquer the Berbers. And Rome kept pressing and pressing. And by the 2nd century BC, part of the Berber tribes left their homeland and moved to the Iberian Peninsula. This is today's Spain and Portugal. Most of the resettled Berbers had black skin. It was then that they received the name Moors. On their initiative, not a single military conflict with neighbors was unleashed. They believed in their pagan gods while worshiping nature.
After the departure of the Roman Empire from the stage of history, the Pyrenees repeatedly changed hands: the Vandals, the Goths, and then the Arabs celebrated their greatness and strength here. In the 7th century, a new religion came onto the historical scene - Islam. Although the carriers of Islam were the Arabs, in a fairly short period of time it conquered half the world. The Berber Moors were no exception. And when, for the sake of Allah, the Arabs declared jihad, the Berbers, the inhabitants of North Africa, went along with everyone else to conquer the Iberian Peninsula. And the peninsula submitted to the conquerors.
The Pyrenees became an Islamic state, led by Musa ibn Nusayr. All Christian nobility began to serve the new masters. Only the mountains of Asturias were unconquered. The Islamists moved there too. But here’s the problem: the passage into the mountains did not allow the conquerors to penetrate. Moreover, the army of Charles Martel stood up to defend their lands. The island of Christianity continued its life in the mountains. Navarre, Castile and Barcelona also had Christian status.
The Crusades worsened the position of the Moors on the peninsula. With the conquest of Granada by the Islamists, very bad times came for the Moors. But they didn't give up. To their credit, it should be said that it was the Moors who were the learned people in the state of the Iberian Peninsula. The best teachers, doctors, architects, artisans and traders are the Moors. The royal nobility did everything to prevent these scientists from running away and leaving the country without science.
In the spring of 711, the Berber commander Tariq ibn Zayad and his army crossed the narrow strait separating Africa from Spain. Antique name This strait, or rather the rocks surrounding it, are the Pillars of Hercules, but later it received the name Gibraltar, which means “Mount of Tariq.” Two years later, almost all of Spain became a province of the Arab Caliphate. Only the hard-to-reach mountainous areas in the north of the peninsula remained unoccupied.
Several Christian kingdoms were formed here. Later they became the center of the anti-Arab movement on the peninsula, their policies marked the beginning of the Christian Reconquista.
The Arabs made their capital Cordoba, an ancient city founded by the Romans in 169 BC. There was no unity among the conquerors; in the first 40 years after the Muslim conquest, 20 rulers changed in Cordoba.
Ironically, the Spanish Arabs gained political stability through a dynastic upheaval in their ancestral homeland.
In 747, an uprising broke out in Damascus, the capital of the caliphate. The caliphs from the Umayyad dynasty, who had ruled for almost a hundred years, were overthrown, and a new dynasty came to power - the Abbasids. The capital of the caliphate moved to Baghdad. But one of the Umayyads managed to escape. It was a very young prince Abd ar-Rahman al-Muawiya. Europeans often pronounce this name as Abdurahman. He was the grandson of the deposed caliph of Damascus. First, the prince fled to North Africa, then, not finding safety here, he crossed with his supporters to Spain. In 756, the exiled prince, having captured Cordoba, announced the creation of an independent Cordoba emirate. He went down in history under the name of Abdurakhman I the Newcomer. His descendants, usually called the Spanish Umayyads, ruled Spain until the collapse of the Cordoba Caliphate in the 11th century.
In 929, the Emir of Cordoba, Abdurrahman III, declared himself a caliph, and his state, accordingly, a caliphate. The holder of the title of caliph was not just a secular ruler of the state, he was also considered a spiritual ruler, the heir of the Prophet Mohammed. But during the time of Abdurahman III, this title no longer meant power over all Muslims. The world of Islam was experiencing fragmentation, disintegration into numerous independent states. This trend has not spared the Iberian Peninsula. In the 11th century
The Cordoba Caliphate split into many small emirates. Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Zaragoza, Toledo, Malaga, Almeria, and Badajoz now had their own independent emir. In this state of affairs, the Christian kingdoms of Castile, Leon and Aragon tried to forget their quarrels and acted as allies against the Arabs. The war, called the Reconquista, was fought under the slogan of liberating Christian brothers from Muslim oppression. It continued with varying success for 400 years and ended in 1492 with the capture of Granada, the last stronghold of the Arab Nasrid state, by the combined forces of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon. The marriage union of these two monarchs led to the formation of a united Catholic Spain.
It should be noted that the rule of the Muslims, or, as they were called in Spain, the Moors, can hardly be considered a disaster for the population of the Iberian Peninsula. In the VIII-XII centuries. Islamic culture was at its peak.
This is difficult to fit into our Eurocentric consciousness, but under the rule of the Moorish sovereigns, Spain turned into the richest, most civilized and enlightened country in Europe. Irrigated agriculture developed here, and many crops unknown in other European countries were introduced. Thanks to the Arabs, the Spaniards learned to grow rice, sugar cane, mulberries and oranges.
While cities throughout Europe fell into decay, many turned into ruins, many retained only the functions of military fortresses - in Spain there was a whole constellation of cities - trading, craft and cultural centers. Arab rule left an indelible mark on the architectural appearance of Spain. Probably the most famous monument of Moorish architecture is the Alhambra - the country residence of the rulers of Granada.
At the beginning of the 8th century. The Moors and Berbers, led by the Arabs, invaded and short time captured almost the entire peninsula. In the middle of the 8th century. As part of the Arab caliphate, whose capital was in, the Emirate of Cordoba was created in the 10th century. became an independent caliphate. Its architecture is close to the architecture of the Maghreb, but also absorbed the architectural experience of Byzantium. One of the most significant works of this architecture is the Great Mosque in Cordoba, built in the 10th century. Despite the fact that in the 13th century. The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary was built inside the Cordoba Mosque, and the minaret was turned into a bell tower; the entire interior of the mosque was preserved. It contains about 900 columns made of marble, jasper, agate, a fountain for ablutions and a courtyard planted with orange trees.
(Andalusia), located in the bend of the Guadalquivir River, during its heyday in the X-XI centuries. competed in its splendor with Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. At that time, the population of Cordoba was larger than in any other city in Europe, and the number of mosques, palaces, baths and public buildings was measured in the hundreds. Unfortunately, the complex of the emir's palaces, decorated with 40 thousand columns, did not survive, but entire blocks of the snow-white buildings of the Muslim city were preserved.
(Andalusia) is the former capital of the most recent and longest existing Moorish state in southern Spain. It was created in the 13th century. and survived until 1492, i.e. the year of the discovery of America. During this period, Muslims developed trade, science, and the arts; it was an era of prosperity, the “golden age” of Granada. At this time, the architectural pearls of Granada were created - the fortress palace, the Generalife summer palace, the oldest quarter of the city of Albasin. The Albasin district is a labyrinth of narrow streets surrounded by snow-white facades of houses and walls of courtyards, behind which flower beds and orchards are hidden. The country residence of the emirs Generalife was created in the middle of the 13th century. on a hill next to the Alhambra. Graceful pavilions with cascading pools, courtyards with orange trees, rose gardens and hedges - all this bears little resemblance to the palaces of European monarchs of that time.
(“al-hamra”, i.e. “red”, based on the color of the walls made of red sandstone) is the residence of the Emir of Granada. This is the best preserved Alcazaba of the 9th century. Rising on a hill above the city, the Alhambra amazes with its proportions from afar, and from the inside with the splendor of its interior decoration, reminiscent of the scenery for Tales of the 1001 Nights. One openwork hall follows another, with even more exquisite arabesques, with even more carved columns, even more intricately decorated vaults. The Hall of Two Sisters is striking, the ceiling of which resembles a honeycomb pattern. In the Alhambra, the most famous is the Lion Court, surrounded by galleries with light openwork arcades, with a fountain in the center, the bowl of which is supported by marble sculptures of lions (late 14th century).
Similar to the Alhambra, surrounded by luxurious gardens, it was built in the 10th century. in the city of Zaragoza (Aragon). Despite significant reconstruction at the end of the 15th century, this is the largest monument of the Moorish style in the north of the country.
Moorish heritage can be seen in various parts of Spain, with the exception of the far north of the country, which was never conquered by the Arab conquerors. – former palace-fortresses of rulers, preserved in many Spanish cities: (Andalusia), Segovia (Castile-Leon), Toledo (Castilla-La Mancha), etc.
In the city (Extremadura) you can see the fortress walls built by the Moors with arches and 30 clock towers, the most famous of which is called Torre del Bujaco.
The monument of the Arab era is located near the city of Elche (Valenciana). There are about 200 thousand palm trees here. The Palmeral oasis was created in the 10th century. Arabs thanks to a very complex irrigation system. There is no other such example of Arabic knowledge in Europe agriculture. The town also preserves many buildings from the Arab era: the Altamira Palace, a defensive tower, etc.
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Why did the Moors invade Spain?
In the 8th century, by the time of the Moorish invasion, Gothia had almost collapsed on its own due to internal strife. There weren’t many real Goths here, and they didn’t want to mix with the Spanish-Romans and highlanders. The Goths often fought among themselves for the throne and over the course of 300 years they became tired of their subjects. In addition to dynastic disputes, the Goths also started religious ones.
Like most of the Spanish-Romans, the Goths were Christians, although they professed Arianism, a doctrine that the Christian Church recognized as a heresy back in 325. But in 587, the king of the Goths, Recared, declared his country Catholic. In the northern parts, uprisings began for the old faith. They continued until the end of the 7th century, when King Vititsa, who sympathized with the Arians, reigned. In 709, Vitica died, and the Catholic Goths declared Roderic (Rodrigo), count of the southern region of Baetica, king.
But there were still men in the Vititsa family - his two brothers, General Sisbert and Bishop Oppas of Seville, and four sons, one of whom, Aguila, was to inherit the throne.
The children of Vititsa rebelled. King Roderic turned out to be a more successful commander, and the sons of Vititsa urgently needed military assistance. According to some reports, they asked for it from the Arians who lived in North Africa, in the Maghreb. Not only Aryan Berbers responded to the request, but also Moors, that is, Arabs and Muslim Berbers.
Catalan landscape with a fortress-like Benedictine monastery from the 11th century. Sant Pere de Roda. Its builders were undoubtedly familiar with Moorish architecture.
As the legend says, they had one more reason to invade Spain.
The fact is that, together with the Berbers of the Maghreb, the ruler of the small region of Ceuta, named Julian, submitted to the Muslims. Ceuta was in North Africa, but belonged to the Goths. And just shortly before surrendering to the Arabs, Julian sent his daughter to the court of the Gothic king to study. One day, when she was bathing in the Tagus River, King Roderich looked out of the castle window, was captivated by the girl’s beauty and kidnapped her.
But she did not want to become his wife and committed suicide. Julian decided to take revenge on Roderic and persuaded the Muslims to overthrow him from the throne.
How did the Moors first encounter the Goths?
At first, the cautious emir of the Maghreb, Musa ibn Nusayr, sent reconnaissance to Gothia. Four hundred warriors crossed the strait, plundered the coastal villages and returned with booty. The King of the Goths, Roderic, was so busy fighting the Arian mountaineers in the north of his country that he did not even notice it.
Then in the spring of 711, Musa ibn Nusayr sent Tariq ibn Ziyad (? - c. 720), the ruler of the Maghreb city of Tangier, to Gothia. (Tariq was a Persian and became famous in battles with the Berbers. He is described as a tall, red-haired man with one eye. He left his name on the map: the Strait of Gibraltar is a corruption of Jebel Tariq, Mount Tariq.) He set out with 7 thousand warriors, mostly Berbers. A small army unhindered occupied one city in Gothia, and Tariq even managed to found his own city - Algeciras.
Musa sent him reinforcements - another 5 thousand Berbers.
The first to offer armed resistance to the Moors was the Goth Theodemir, count of a southern region. Having been defeated, he sent a message to Roderic: “Our country has been invaded by a people whose name and origin I do not know. I can’t even say where they came from, whether they fell from heaven or came out of hell.”
Roderich, having suspended the fight against the rebels in the north, hastened to meet the conquerors. The only major battle took place on the banks of the Guadalete River on July 19, 711.
The Goths had 90 thousand warriors, and the Moors only 17 thousand. With the battle cry “Gwala! Gwala! Tariq's warriors rushed towards the Goths. Here Roderic was betrayed by the brothers of the late King Vititsa, Bishop Oppas and General Sisbert, who led the two wings of his army. The Goths lost the battle, and Roderic most likely died.
“Nativity” and “Adoration of the Magi” (Catalan frescoes of the 12th century). Scientists believe that this painting was greatly influenced by miniatures of the Mozarabs (Christians - fans of Arab culture).
The legend says that he could have won if he had not violated the sacred prohibition - he had not opened the doors of the “tomb of Hercules.” She was a kind of mascot for the country. As long as it remained closed, the enemy could not penetrate its land. Therefore, 27 Gothic kings before Roderic did not dare to open its doors, each only hung up his own new lock.
A certain sage king locked the “tomb” in ancient times.
In one of her rooms there hung a picture: riders - half in turbans, and half bald and in animal skins - on small horses.
While Roderich was trying to understand what kind of people they were, he heard the noise of battle and screams - they came from the painting. The king saw a bloody battle between some strangers and his warriors, and then his horse, but without himself.
And when Roderich, shocked by what he saw, left the tomb, he received terrible news from Count Theodemir. Tariq ibn Ziyad was only supposed to conduct reconnaissance. But, without knowing it, he completely defeated the Gothic army. All that remained was to occupy the country.
How was Spain conquered?
The Moors conquered Spain in just three years. And almost no one noticed this! It’s just that three years later, in a country where 8 million people lived, instead of 80 thousand Goths, 20 thousand Moors were in power, who began to call the country itself Andalus instead of Spain. Most of the Spanish-Romans ignored this “incident”.
There weren't many battles. Most of the peninsula was conquered by Tariq ibn Ziyad, but in the summer of 712 the emir of the Maghreb, Musa ibn Nusayr, arrived here with troops, concerned that his subordinate would not seize the entire country alone. Almost encountering no resistance, the Moors marched across the entire peninsula.
They were accompanied by the troops of Oppas and Sisbert, brothers of the late King Vitica. The garrisons of the cities fled, and where they remained in place, the townspeople, and above all the Jews, who had suffered greatly under the last Gothic kings, greeted the Moors as liberators.
The large city of Cordoba in October 711 was taken by a small detachment of Arabs sent by Tariq. Cordova was defended by the old general Pelista, who fought at Guadalete. According to legend, only 400 veterans fought for him, and 700 Arabs fought against him. The traitorous shepherd showed the Arabs how to climb over the wall: one of the warriors climbed up a palm tree and, unwinding his turban, lifted the others as if on a rope. The defenders could not hold out inside the city - they took refuge in the church and sat there until the Arabs found a source from which water came to them. This source began in the mountains, and when the Arabs blocked it, the defenders of Cordoba had no choice but to surrender.
Capture of Cordoba. When night fell, the traitorous shepherd showed the Arabs how to climb over the wall. Therefore, they were able to enter the city secretly.
The capital of Gothia, Toledo, could defend itself for as long as desired, since it was located in a very advantageous location, in the center of the Castile Highlands. But its garrison fled, and the inhabitants chose not to resist, but to pray in the church for their salvation.
The children of King Vititsa, who rebelled against King Roderic, entered into an agreement with Tariq; they renounced the throne, and in return received life and lands in the vicinity of Seville, Cordoba and Toledo. Three princes agreed to these conditions (the fourth, the heir of Agil's father, died in one of the first skirmishes with the Moors).
When the Goths were convinced that the Moors had not deceived the princes, they rushed to surrender in droves. Count Theodemir, the one who first encountered the Moors, also surrendered. The region which he ruled and which the Moors left him is still called Tudmir.
Only the northern mountainous regions were not conquered. All those who did not want to submit to the Moors fled there.
By September 713, the conquest of the peninsula was almost over.
Musa ibn Nusayr solemnly entered the former capital of the Goths, Toledo, declared Spain the property of the caliph and sent a message to Damascus:
“Here the sky, in its transparency and beauty, resembles the sky of Syria; even Yemen is not superior in the mildness of its climate; With its richness of flowers and subtlety of aromas, this country evokes the lush India. It competes with Egypt in the fertility of its land, and with China in the variety and beauty of its minerals.”
The Caliph gladly took possession of the new country. An emir was appointed to Cordoba, and the whole country was called Andalus, and later the Emirate of Cordoba.
A duel between a Moor and a Christian. The design for the carpet was based on a painting in the Hall of the Kings in the Alhambra, the royal palace in Granada. In the left hand of the Moor adarga is the famous Moorish double shield.
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