Muslim Spain (711-1492)

The Mediterranean peoples were aware of Spain from very early times. Civilization in Spain actually dates back to the Stone Age. There were many people who inhabited Spain most notably the Basques. Later the Carthaginians settled on the east coast and in the Balearic Islands, where Greek colonies also sprang up. In the 3d century BC, the Carthaginians under Hamilcar Barca began to conquer most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearics and established Cartagena as capital. In the Punic war the…

of Christian and Islamic Architecture in Spain By the 6th century a Germanic tribe called the Visigoths, converts to Arian Christianity, had established themselves as the aristocratic elite. The Christians built many monumental basilica-plan churches. The Santa Maria de Quintanilla de las Vinas, Burgos, Spain and San Juan de Banos de Cerrato are two such churches that still remain today. In the beginning of the 8th century Islamic Muslims conquered Spain and ended Visigothic rule. They constructed…

of Spain is a picturesque country with a very interesting history, vast art scene, and rich culture. People first came to Spain in about 2500 B.C but in 715 A.D, the Muslims conquered Spain which stayed under Muslim rule for over 700 years. In 1492, the Christians overthrew the Muslims, and from the 15th to the 17th century, Spain was the most powerful country in the world. In 1939, a General in Spain’s Army and a staunch dictator launched a coup against the elected second republic and Spain split…

In 1490 there was no such country as spain, yet within a century it had become the most powerful nation in europe and within another century had sunk to the status of a third rate power. Describe and analyze the major social economic and political reasons for spains rise and fall. Throughout history, as we study Spain we can clearly recognize high and low points in their success. In the fifteen hundreds Spain had no influence on European affairs, Spain essentially vanished out of Europe. However…

Unification of Spain: the Good, the Bad, and the Really Ugly | Alexis Wilson | The Europeans wanted to expand their minds and their wealth with what the “unknown” world had to “offer”. When I say offer, I mean what they could take and run with without consequence. The Europeans wanted to “expose” and “enlighten” the new world people with their religion. When I say “expose” and “enlighten”, I mean force the new world people to convert to Christianity or they would be slowly tortured…

following is an overview of the culture of Spain. 1. Values and attitudes Family, including extended family is extremely important in Spanish culture and is the basis of society. Families provide a social and sometimes financial support network. Increased individualism is having its effect, however, as families become less close, family size decreases and a respect for personal preference decreases the frequency of people working for their family businesses (Spain - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette)…

Explain why the Arab invasions of 710 and 711 were so successful. In answering this question we must first appreciate the difficulty historians face in discovering the real truth of the early Arab invasions, a fact well demonstrated in the varying estimates of Arab invasion forces (ranging from 1,700-9000 in current publications). Scant contemporary evidence exists beyond a short narrative present in a Spanish chronicle of 754, a vital surviving Islamic administrative document of the time, and…

The Islamic storming of Spain was a tempestuous and conflicted time in history. Today it is often portrayed by historians as a battle of good versus evil; a forfeiting of an ebullient culture that diminished at the hand of Abd Al-Raḥmān 's Muslim-led army that began infiltrating Spain from North Africa in AD 711. However, what ensued thereafter was a convergence of great knowledge, trade innovation, and hydraulic technology that had not existed in the region before Islamic arrival. The idealistic…

The economy of Spain has taken a downturn in 2011 since the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Unlike the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, where Spain was a global empire, modern Spain is facing a very stagnant economy. Spain’s “unemployment rate reached a record of 27 percent” in 2011. This shows that more than 1 in 5 Spaniards is struggling to feed their family. Luckily, things had gotten better. The October 2015 unemployment report shows that the number of those who are not working is down…

Cultural Awareness: Spain Spain is a part of the European Union and makes up most of the Iberian Peninsula. Spain boarders the Pyrenees Mountains, which separates Spain from France and the Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from North Africa. As of 2012, Spain has a population of about 47 million people, making it the 27th largest country in the world. Native Spaniards make up 88 percent of the population. Over the last 40 years Spain grew and became more economically advanced, but it still…