• Remove ads on the forum by becoming a donating member. More here.

Search 74,075 Camino Questions

Looking for Books on the Arab Occupation of Spain

Philtration

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
CF 2021, 2023
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!


Maybe search for titles with Convivencia in them?

Like this one.


Let us never forget that the Muslims brought philosophy and medicine into Andalucia and Spain when other religions were still living in the " dark ages ".

Belgian Luk Corluy wrote this excellent book but unfortunately not translated.

 
Last edited:
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
FYI, Arabic is the language, Arab is the adjective.


Arabs are a people whose place of ethnic origin is the Arabian Peninsula.

The language which they speak, and which has spread widely to other areas, is Arabic. “Arabic” is not generally used as an adjective except when referring to the language or in a few traditional phrases such as “gum arabic” and “arabic numerals.” Note that in these few phrases the word is not capitalized. Otherwise it is “Arab customs,” “Arab groups,” “Arab countries,” etc.
 
I've had little luck finding books on the subjects
Me, I'd go to my local library and ask the Librarian what they could find..

That's what I did after returning from Spain in 1978 and wondering what "Peregrino" and "Camino" meant. Collins English / Spanish dictionary wasn't much help but the staff in the British Library were amazing. After four or five hours I came out and headed for the Princess Louise with a reading list nearly as long as Jeffrey Barnard's bar tab.

I am very conscious that nowadays the Internet can tell me everything I want to know even though I don't know I want to need to to know it. Captain Scott's shoe size anyone? What it fails to do is filter out the lumps in the shit flow... Dan Brown, authority on the Templars? Anyone gonna salute that Flag? How about Harrison Ford? No? Ok, so we're stuck with obscure academics and the occasional Time Life article. So it goes...
 
You would have to try really hard to find a Spanish history book which doesn’t address these subjects.

I’ve just finished Giles Tremlett’s Brief History of Spain (in Spanish) and it’s well described - and surprisingly different to the simplistic story.

Start with a general history and look at the bibliography.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Tremlett's "Ghosts of Spain" is also worth a read; if only to place the history into its present context
I’ll have a go at that. I found his style (even in Spanish) entertaining and informative.(edit: just ordered the Spanish language version)

I’ve embarked on Anthony Beevor’s ‘Spanish Civil War’ twice now, and given up. I’m certain it’s an authoritative reference work, but it’s hard going.
 
Last edited:
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
still living in the " dark ages
I know where thats coming from but they weren't dark ages for the people that lived 'em. Just look at the textiles, the jewellery, the statuary, the social structures, the emergence of cohesive religious practice before the impositions of Rome. They are only "dark" because for centuries no-one was prepared to shine a light into the gloom
 
I know where thats coming from but they weren't dark ages for the people that lived 'em. Just look at the textiles, the jewellery, the statuary, the social structures, the emergence of cohesive religious practice before the impositions of Rome. They are only "dark" because for centuries no-one was prepared to shine a light into the gloom
Absolutely! I expressed myself wrongly. I was trying to explain that muslims in that era introduced new inventions and views that were still unknown for christians in those regions.
Sometimes my English fails me.
 
Sometimes my English fails me.
No more than it does me and him!

Apart from introducing most of the advanced practices in the arts and sciences the ‘moors’ grew the majority of the food. According to Tremlett, after a lot of huffing and puffing, the ‘expulsion’ was not unlike the current UK immigration policy, lots of bloodcurdling threats then nothing happened for a couple of hundred years.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
@SabsP, no criticism was intended.

In Southern Italy this spring I spent time looking at the astonishing reminders of the Phoenician, Greek, and Roman colonisers of those lands. All now promoted and flourished as yet another attraction for the Tourist. And around Maratrea I was looking at the rich citrus groves and the astonishing, intricate, gravity fed, irrigation systems and thought: oh well, at least in Spain the impact of the Arab cultures is acknowledged
 
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
I enjoy Jasons Websters books. I found 'Violencia' A new history of Spain was very readable.
 
Something to keep in mind: some might say that "occupation" of the Iberian peninsula by Arabs is no more accurate than "occupation" by Christians, Jews, or Visigoths, Sueri, Romans, or Iberians...Parts of the Iberian peninsula were inhabited, and sometimes ruled, by Arabs for long periods of time, just like parts of the Iberian peninsula were inhabited by Jews, Christians, etc. In the current prevailing linguistic culture, the expression "reconquista" is commonly used, but more frequently challenged by modern historians. I appreciate Raymond Carr's observation that the label "'reconquista' is...the foundational myth of conservative nationalism." For me, that helps me sit in a different place in the circle and see history from a fresh perspective.

You might enjoy Carr's compilation, "Spain, A History," Oxford Press. Buen lectura!
 
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
I can recommend

HOMAGE TO AL-ANDALUS

THE RISE AND FALL OF ISLAMIC SPAIN

by Michael B. Barry



See https://andalus.ie/books/homage-to-al-andalus/
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
Someone on this forum recommended Michener’s IBERIA a while back. I am about halfway through its 800+ pages and really enjoying the author’s style of writing. It’s kind of a deep dive into Spanish culture, one region at a time. Not specifically about Muslims in Spain, but covers that also. The last chapter is on Santiago de Compostela.

The book is long out of print and I had to wait a couple weeks for my local library to retrieve it from their dungeon, but it’s been worth the wait.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
The Wikipedia page for ‘Moorish occupation of Spain’ has an impressive reference list.
 
Hi Philtration and fellow Coug. It's an older book and probably only found deep in the bowels of Holland Library but, The History of Spain, by Louis Bertrand and Sir Charles Petrie, treats Musulman Spain in great detail. I agree with Tincatinker, Ghosts of Spain, by Giles Tremlett, is worthwhile. One final book that I recently finished is Dogs of God, by James Reston, Jr., Columbus, The Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors. Happy reading!
 
Written a while back by one of my college professors - Richard Fletcher Moorish Spain. Eminently readable!
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
The Great Courses Company has very good courses on Spanish history. There is one which is a little more directly pertinent. It is "The Other 1492" by Teofilo Ruiz. It is a 12 lecture course covering the origins, conduct and consequences of the Reconquista. Highly recommended. You can get it in many public libraries.
 
Last edited:
A Vanished World by Chris Lowney
Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving (1857 edition)
A Brief History of Spain by Jeremy Black
Granada, A Pomegranate in the Hand of God by Steven Nightingale
Buen Camino
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend “The Ornament of the World” by Maria Rosa Menocal. The subtitle is “How Muslims, Jews, and Christians created a culture of tolerance in medieval Spain.” The book covers broad politics of the era, but the focus is on the rich artistic and cultural climate.
 
Aussie Richard Fidler has written a great book on Islam’s golden age. It includes references to Spain. I found it filled in the many deficits of information I had in the Moorish Empire and clarified misinformation about that culture. It was an excellent audio book.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1060.jpeg
    IMG_1060.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 1
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
I like Maria Rosa Menocal's Ornament of the World. She provides an interesting and beautiful background how Muslims came to Spain, how the caliphates developed southern Spain (al-Andalus / Andalusia) with the introduction of innovations in arts, literature, philosophy, politics, and science that resulted to the harmonious synergy of Muslims, Jews, and Christians in medieval Spain.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I can help with terminology a bit. Al-Andalus is the most common term for the various Muslim kingdoms in Iberia. This would be your best search term!

Only the first major dynasty, the Umayyad, were actually Arab. This is the classical "golden age" of poetry, art, science, and music that most of us think about when we imagine Al-Andalus.

The other two major kingdoms, Almoravid and Almohad, were Berber dynasties with their capitals in Morocco. These were a bit more fundamentalist and austere. In between the major dynasties al-Andalus was divided between various independent Taifa kingdoms.

I know two novels that might interest you:

Leo Africanus, Amin Maalouf. This is the fictional autobiography of a real historical geographer who was born in Granada, fled the inquisition, and grew up surrounded by Andalusian exiles in Fez. Only the initial chapters deal with al-Andalus, but I'd still highly recommend it.

Sidi, Arturo Pérez-Reverte. El Cid was a Castillian knight who fought for both Christian and Muslim kingdoms. This is an adventure novel based on some of his campaigns. It's an exciting read, and it also makes you realize that the reconquista was far more complex than simply a territorial battle between Catholics and Muslims. El Cid is also a foundational character for modern Spain.

I haven't found a great history book; most of what I've learned has been from general podcasts or books on Spanish history or medieval history where a few chapters will be devoted to al-Andalus.
 
Last edited:
Using "Al-Andalus" helped a lot with the search! I found 'Kingdoms of Faith and 'Ornament of the World' in my library. 'Sidi' is only available in Castellan unfortunately. I've got my summer reading assignment filled for the moment!

I read Paul Preston's 'A People Betrayed' a while ago. It's a good but depressing coverage of the late 1800's up to the transition after Franco's death (a depressing time in Spain).
I can help with terminology a bit. Al-Andalus is the most common term for the various Muslim kingdoms in Iberia. This would be your best search term!

Only the first major dynasty, the Umayyad, were actually Arab. This is the classical "golden age" of poetry, art, science, and music that most of us think about when we imagine Al-Andalus.

The other two major kingdoms, Almoravid and Almohad, were Berber dynasties with their capitals in Morocco. These were a bit more fundamentalist and austere. In between the major dynasties al-Andalus was divided between various independent Taifa kingdoms.

I know two novels that might interest you:

Leo Africanus, Amin Maalouf. This is the fictional autobiography of a real historical geographer who was born in Granada, fled the inquisition, and grew up surrounded by Andalusian exiles in Fez. Only the initial chapters deal with al-Andalus, but I'd still highly recommend it.

Sidi, Arturo Pérez-Reverte. El Cid was a Castillian knight who fought for both Christian and Muslim kingdoms. This is an adventure novel based on some of his campaigns. It's an exciting read, and it also makes you realize that the reconquista was far more complex than simply a territorial battle between Catholics and Muslims. El Cid is also a foundational character for modern Spain.

I haven't found a great history book; most of what I've learned has been from general podcasts or books on Spanish history or medieval history where a few chapters will be devoted to al-Andalus.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Hi Philtration and fellow Coug. It's an older book and probably only found deep in the bowels of Holland Library but, The History of Spain, by Louis Bertrand and Sir Charles Petrie, treats Musulman Spain in great detail. I agree with Tincatinker, Ghosts of Spain, by Giles Tremlett, is worthwhile. One final book that I recently finished is Dogs of God, by James Reston, Jr., Columbus, The Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors. Happy reading!

Although we lived in Pullman for several years, I'm actually a University of Alaska - Fairbanks alum. Go Nanooks!
 
Ivar, our Forum Founder is also a Washington State Alum. Go Cougars. I'd sure love some of that Cougar Gold cheese and their wonderful ice cream. Not every University has their own dairy and creamery :)

I had no idea Ivar was a Coug. That guy gets around! We don't live far from there now, and get back to Pullman occasionally. The only place you can get a can of Cougar Gold and ice cream at Ferdinands!
 
Just found "The Alhambra" by Robert Irwin in my local used book store this morning. Very detailed description of the Alhambra and its history, with lots of Muslims in Spain history. I plan to walk from Granada to Cordova next spring with my oldest daughter and her partner. When my wife, son in law and I walked to Granada from Almeria last spring we spent much of a day in the Alhambra. We paid for all day tickets to wander around and read all the guide posts and listen to our radio guides. But this spring when my youngest daughter and I walked to Cordoba from Malaga we paid for a guided tour of the Alcazar in Malaga and then again in the Mesquita in Cordoba, both in English. Felt a little funny at first, lead around by the nose so to speak with a bunch of tourists, but, holy moly we learned so much more by having knowledgeable local guides, one of whom was a university archeologist. So next spring we will have a guided tour of the Alhambra before walking out of Granada. One more thing: walking into Granada on the Camino Mozarabe is rather stunning. Buen Camino
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
The Great Courses Company has very good courses on Spanish history. There is one which is a little more directly pertinent. It is "The Other 1492" by Teofilo Ruiz. It is a 12 lecture course covering the origins, conduct and consequences of the Reconquista. Highly recommended. You can get it in many public libraries.
Many years ago I took a number of their courses including "The Other 1492", and "Turning Points in Medieval History" by Dorsey Armstrong, PhD, and several of their Greek history courses. They were all well worthwhile, in my opinion.

At that time, The Great Courses had an annual sale in which prices were very deeply discounted. Perhaps they still do that. It might be prudent to study the course catalogue, make one's choices, and then wait for the sale.
 
Just found "The Alhambra" by Robert Irwin in my local used book store this morning. Very detailed description of the Alhambra and its history, with lots of Muslims in Spain history. I plan to walk from Granada to Cordova next spring with my oldest daughter and her partner. When my wife, son in law and I walked to Granada from Almeria last spring we spent much of a day in the Alhambra. We paid for all day tickets to wander around and read all the guide posts and listen to our radio guides. But this spring when my youngest daughter and I walked to Cordoba from Malaga we paid for a guided tour of the Alcazar in Malaga and then again in the Mesquita in Cordoba, both in English. Felt a little funny at first, lead around by the nose so to speak with a bunch of tourists, but, holy moly we learned so much more by having knowledgeable local guides, one of whom was a university archeologist. So next spring we will have a guided tour of the Alhambra before walking out of Granada. One more thing: walking into Granada on the Camino Mozarabe is rather stunning. Buen Camino

Be sure to get your Alhambra tickets a couple of months in advance. There is only one source for tickets and they can't be resold. This spring we started looking a month before and had a tough time getting two tickets. https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/
 
The other two major kingdoms, Almoravid and Almohad, were Berber dynasties with their capitals in Morocco. These were a bit more fundamentalist and austere. In between the major dynasties al-Andalus was divided between various independent Taifa kingdoms
i think they were much more fundamentalist. Many christians and jews had to leave and some of them went to the Escuela de Traductores de Toledo.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Just found "The Alhambra" by Robert Irwin in my local used book store this morning. Very detailed description of the Alhambra and its history, with lots of Muslims in Spain history. I plan to walk from Granada to Cordova next spring with my oldest daughter and her partner. When my wife, son in law and I walked to Granada from Almeria last spring we spent much of a day in the Alhambra. We paid for all day tickets to wander around and read all the guide posts and listen to our radio guides. But this spring when my youngest daughter and I walked to Cordoba from Malaga we paid for a guided tour of the Alcazar in Malaga and then again in the Mesquita in Cordoba, both in English. Felt a little funny at first, lead around by the nose so to speak with a bunch of tourists, but, holy moly we learned so much more by having knowledgeable local guides, one of whom was a university archeologist. So next spring we will have a guided tour of the Alhambra before walking out of Granada. One more thing: walking into Granada on the Camino Mozarabe is rather stunning. Buen Camino
I joined a tour of the Alhambra with a knowledgeable local guide with university level studies. It was amazing. It felt like I was bring introduced to a family member.
 
The title The Ornament of the World was familiar to me. I think I saw a documentary with that name but not being sure if it was a Public Broadcasting Service television production or a YouTube video I did a search of YouTube. A lot came up and these two were nearly two hours.

[Edit: I saw the PBS documentary on television. YouTube has these two copies of it. The second one is missing several minutes of the opening so I won't link to it but I'll give its video id so you can find it in case the first video is removed.]

1) YouTube video id: aoMs783m624

2) YouTube video id: JE7oXDqxT18

Two ads for two different audio book websites came up also with ways to get it free.



And some traditional book versions can be bought off ebay
 
Last edited:
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I know where thats coming from but they weren't dark ages for the people that lived 'em. Just look at the textiles, the jewellery, the statuary, the social structures, the emergence of cohesive religious practice before the impositions of Rome. They are only "dark" because for centuries no-one was prepared to shine a light into the gloom
The Byzantines and Arabs preserved the knowledge of Science, Mathematics, Medicine and Engineering from the Romano-Greco world. When the Western Roman church became dominant much of this knowledge was either lost or rejected and eventually had to be relearned from the Arabic world.

When the Catholic monarchs finally reconquered the Iberian peninsular, Queen Isabella ordered the destruction of all Moorish writings except those concerning medicine. there was a recent case of hidden Moorish writings being rediscovered during building work in Spain.
 
This is an amazing YouTube documentary.

When The Moors Ruled In Europe is a documentary movie presented by the English historian Bettany Hughes.

.

Great contribution to the forming of Spain who wasn't united until they conquered the Moors after hundreds of years. They were individual kingdoms. Technically was the union of Castile and Aragon. So a conquest not a Reconquista.
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
What [internet] fails to do is filter out the lumps
Internet makes it a lot easier than printing to spread garbage. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of garbage in print. I encountered a book in a library on the Pearl Harbor invasion that starts out with “… a day like any other. Children getting ready for school; fathers getting ready for work …"

Written long before internet: “history is written by the winner” and “the lie goes around the world before the truth gets its pants on"
 
Internet makes it a lot easier than printing to spread garbage. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of garbage in print. I encountered a book in a library on the Pearl Harbor invasion that starts out with “… a day like any other. Children getting ready for school; fathers getting ready for work …"

Written long before internet: “history is written by the winner” and “the lie goes around the world before the truth gets its pants on"
Not sure I understand your point , but am assuming you are trying to make one.
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
Great acourses has a class on “The Other 1492”. Have it and recommend.
 
Internet makes it a lot easier than printing to spread garbage. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of garbage in print. I encountered a book in a library on the Pearl Harbor invasion that starts out with “… a day like any other. Children getting ready for school; fathers getting ready for work …"

Written long before internet: “history is written by the winner” and “the lie goes around the world before the truth gets its pants on"
I agree history is always an interpretation. in hard copy or not. Yes we are missing accounts from the non Spanish side. When I went to school in Spain of course we learnt 1492 America was discovered , ok thats a topic by itself and the last moorish califat ended. We third graders assumed the moors went back over the sea. Only there was no place to go back to. Nobody told us about the rich jewish culture and its end then. They had no where to go. So where are the books written by the “looser” of that war? I think that’s your point?
 
Just finished reading The Alhambra by Robert Irwin. He rather demolishes the fairy tales told by Washington Irving In Tales of the Alhambra but goes on to a very detailed review of this magical place. His main point, besides including a lot of Islams' history in Spain, is that the Moors based their buildings and all the very intricate tiles, inscriptions and decorations on mathematical formulas. Now I must go back and look at it all over again, in a very different and very respectful light. (and it was all about light, day and night -- moon light). Buen Camino
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
I agree history is always an interpretation. in hard copy or not. … … I think that’s your point?
Point is to clarify the remark about internet failing to filter out “lumps”. Probability of something in a library book being wrong is less than that of something online—but it’s still not zero. If a space alien encountered the material from my high school class in “World History” they might conclude that the “world” is USA and western Europe.
 
Point is to clarify the remark about internet failing to filter out “lumps”. Probability of something in a library book being wrong is less than that of something online—but it’s still not zero. If a space alien encountered the material from my high school class in “World History” they might conclude that the “world” is USA and western Europe.
Isn’t it? ( sarcasm mode off).
 
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of garbage in print. I encountered a book in a library on the Pearl Harbor invasion that starts out with “… a day like any other. Children getting ready for school; fathers getting ready for work …"
Not sure I understand your point , but am assuming you are trying to make one.
The attack occurred on Sunday morning. There wasn't any school and not so many were going to work.
 
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
When the Catholic monarchs finally reconquered the Iberian peninsular, Queen Isabella ordered the destruction of all Moorish writings except those concerning medicine. there was a recent case of hidden Moorish writings being rediscovered during building work in Spain.
Cardenal Cisneros was who ordered the destruction. Obviously, it was against the previous agreement before the surrender. Yes, for this and other similar things the queen was not very trustworthy.
 
Cardenal Cisneros was who ordered the destruction. Obviously, it was against the previous agreement before the surrender. Yes, for this and other similar things the queen was not very trustworthy.
Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand ordered the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, signing the order in the Alhambra on Tisha b’Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Jews expulsion, after more than a milinium on the Iberian Peninsula, changed the course of history. Though via a somewhat different process, timing, and reason, the Muslims were also expelled.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Isabela and Fernando really shot themselves in the foot with the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews. They were advisors, doctors and bankers to the queen and king and virtually ran the economy of Spain at the time. The economy collapsed with their expulsion and it only recovered when gold and silver started arriving from the New World. The expulsion of the Moors was another moral and cultural disaster. Add the Inquisition to their misery. Isabela was an extraordinary queen and person but some might say she was blinded by her (sincere) religious fervor. No Buen Camino for Jews and Moors in those times.
 
Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand ordered the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, signing the order in the Alhambra on Tisha b’Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Jews expulsion, after more than a milinium on the Iberian Peninsula, changed the course of history. Though via a somewhat different process, timing, and reason, the Muslims were also expelled..

Queen Elisabeth always had the economic support of the Jews in her conflicts with Enrique de Transmara and Juana to get to be queen of Castile and also to conquer the Nazarí kingdom. As a Galician I recognize that I am not in her favour because she did what she could to " control" Galicia by anulating its autonomy.
 
Let us never forget that the Muslims brought philosophy and medicine into Andalucia and Spain when other religions were still living in the " dark ages ".
A lot of that is a myth, or if you like, let us never forget that the Muslims practiced the systematic destruction of any and all literature that they considered to be blasphemous, which would have included a vast amount of Iberian illuminated manuscripts as well as most of the Christian literature.

The Western libraries that had survived the Germanic destruction such as the one at Mont-Saint-Michel were more important sources of philosophical learning in the West, and generally Byzantium was whence such learning came to the West, including sadly through ransack and pillaging by some pseudo-Crusaders, and whilst one or two extremely important works on Medicine did survive via Arabic translations, a larger number survived via the Greek and Latin.

Finally, the so-called "dark ages" are pretty much non-existent. Consult any Romance and Gothic Art, Architecture, and Literature to see this.

The Middle Ages were a period of intense intellectual and technological development.
 
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
When the Western Roman church became dominant much of this knowledge was either lost or rejected and eventually had to be relearned from the Arabic world.
Sorry, but this is nonsense.

What actually happened in the West is that the Germanic conquerers viewed the riches of the Western (Catholic) Empire as nothing more than loot and plunder, and they devastated the libraries of the West so that, by quantity, most of the texts were lost through ransack and plundering ; AND the Roman infrastructures of the schools and the copyists and everything that had existed for the dissemination of knowledge was wrecked through the creation of local territories ruled by warlords in place of the centralised infrastructures that had been created by Rome.

To blame this on the Church is unhistorical.
 
I admit to not being able to get onto the forum much over the past month, but my first thought reading the title of this thread was whether there might be a similar body of history on the European Occupation of the Americas, or in my own country's case the European attempts at genocide in Australia. Occupation seems such a loaded word to use nowadays given the history of the last 100 years or so. What seems was once legitimate empire expansion now seems viewed in a much less kindly light.

ps capitalising the word in the title probably didn't help!!!
 
How did the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour get into this thread???

I want to thank those who made suggestions for books including audiobooks in response to the OP’s question.

I noticed in particular the name of Amin Maalouf. As it happened, I recently pulled out his The Crusades in Arab eyes or rather Les croisades vues par les Arabes. When I read it years ago, reading in French was not as easy for me as it is now, hence wanting to read it again. His Leo Africanus which is a novel and fictional autobiography sounds promising.

Myth of the Andalusian Paradise has also piqued my interest. I did a MOOC course in Spanish about medieval manuscripts some time ago where it was mentioned in passing that the convivencia was more coexistence in the same space than living together in harmony. I wonder whether the author mentions the famous poem about Roncesvalles? I read that it was more a PR piece than factual description. Currently, however, I have downloaded a “scathing review” of the book (by S. J. Pearce) although it gets a lot of praise from many other sides.

One can never be too cautious as to what one reads about times so long ago and must not believe everything one reads, whether it is written by scholars and researchers who are highly experienced and qualified in the area of their expertise or by pseudo scholars … 🤭
 
Last edited:
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
What seems was once legitimate empire expansion now seems viewed in a much less kindly light.
“Legitimate empire expansion” is an interesting concept, too …🤭.

I agree, though: occupation, colonisation, mass immigration, expulsion, conquest, reigning over … which words to chose today for events in the distant past? Romans in Britain, in Spain and in a large part of the rest of Europe, Arabs and North Africans in Spain, Suebes in Galicia, Ottomans on the Balkans, Charlemagne in Saxony, Normans on Sicily, and that is only “empire expansions” that lasted for centuries and not the shorter term expansions - the Spanish in the Low Countries, the English in Calais and Bordeaux … examples run into dozens if not hundreds.
 
Last edited:
I wish I had even an ounce of proper knowledge to be able to add sensibly to the conversation. My meagre comment is this: the past is past. I am unable to read it properly (the past) even with expert help, because my filters are in my current lifetime, and impair my understanding. I am very thankful though, for such questions as raised by the current thread. I have learned a lot, sideways, from so many contributors on the forum with information, links, references. My book budget is never underspent!
The forum has a mission statement, but it has expanded, thankfully, to include lateral realities. Lateral realities? Other topics, even if only very loosely connected.

How boring would it be to just keep on the same old same old: while I am on a roll: sometimes, the internet search engine of your choice can answer a question for new members, try it out!
In Scotland, there is room for us all...and in Ireland as well. Tiny wee countries, but guid gear comes in sma' bulk. Do look it up! 😈
 
Myth of the Andalusian Paradise has also piqued my interest. I did a MOOC course in Spanish about medieval manuscripts some time ago where it was mentioned in passing that the convivencia was more coexistence in the same space than living together in harmony. I wonder whether the author mentions the famous poem about Roncesvalles? I read that it was more a PR piece than factual description. Currently, however, I have downloaded a “scathing review” of the book (by S. J. Pearce) aYes
Yes, there were tensions in Al Alandalus. Even in the Muslims society. There were two groups: the arab + muladies and the bereber. The muladies were the Spanish converts. The bereber group had always the worse territories and didn't like it. Even today there are tensions between Arabs and Berebers in Morocco.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Yes, there were tensions in Al Alandalus. Even in the Muslims society. There were two groups: the arab + muladies and the bereber. The muladies were the Spanish converts. The bereber group had always the worse territories and didn't like it. Even today there are tensions between Arabs and Berebers in Morocco.
In a space much smaller than a street in Dublin, igual. Tuppence looking down on tuppence ha'penny. Or the other way around!😂
 
Last edited:
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!
There's an interesting documentary on Netflix called 'A Short History of the Moors'.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
After visiting Granada last spring, I'm trying to learn more about the Arabic occupation of Spain and the Reconquista. I've had little luck finding books on the subjects. If you know of any I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Thanks!

The Moors in Spain, was an interesting read.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorry, but this is nonsense.

What actually happened in the West is that the Germanic conquerers viewed the riches of the Western (Catholic) Empire as nothing more than loot and plunder, and they devastated the libraries of the West so that, by quantity, most of the texts were lost through ransack and plundering ; AND the Roman infrastructures of the schools and the copyists and everything that had existed for the dissemination of knowledge was wrecked through the creation of local territories ruled by warlords in place of the centralised infrastructures that had been created by Rome.

To blame this on the Church is unhistorical.
I agree to a point that the migrating tribes over ran the Western Roman empire and that the infrastructure degraded and repositories pf knowledge (not just monasteries) were looted. However the Roman church which became dominant, resisted any knowledge that did not conform to its values. The church became suspicious of things including bathing! Science and Astronomy were viewed with suspicion and anything that did not agree with Church views could end with a burning at the stake for heresy!

The Eastern Roman empire continued to survive and prosper for many hundreds of years after the collapse of Rome. They provided a bulwark against the expansion of Islam. It is argued that the collapse of the Christian Byzantine empire was caused by the sacking of Constantinople by Latin crusaders on the way to the holy land.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
the Roman church which became dominant, resisted any knowledge that did not conform to its values. The church became suspicious of things including bathing! Science and Astronomy were viewed with suspicion and anything that did not agree with Church views could end with a burning at the stake for heresy!
This is complete nonsense.

The Church founded all of the major Universities, Copernicus was a priest and was given imprimatur and nihil obstat by his Bishop, and your extremely exaggerated opinions on the death penalty seem not to be based on reality.
 
We’re talking about a thousand years of history… generalizations along the lines of “the Church” or “Islam” or “the West” were this or that in the Middle Ages are not going to hold up.

There were Caliphs and Popes who supported sciences and the arts. There were Caliphs and Popes who persecuted scientists and artists. Sticking to Spain, the centers of enlightenment seemed to bounce back and forth like a ping-pong ball, north to south, every couple hundred years.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
There has been an astronomical observatory at the Vatican since the 16tb Century.

Absolutely but it is also correct to say that in Al Andalus centuries earlier there were already great thinkers.
The texts also rightly confirms that there were internal differences between the same belief groups.


On a general note : Answering here with " nonsense " does not help the dialogue.
 
There's an interesting documentary on Netflix called 'A Short History of the Moors'.
I repeat my appreciation of your suggestion to watch that documentary. I also repeat my deep appreciation of the willingness of many forum members who actually know so much more than I do to share their knowledge.
Know.
About so many things. As in, have studied, can back up opinion from a base of documented material. Or know how to find researched material.
I cannot usually stand over my gut responses. I never did claim to be reasonable. 😇.
Neither do I underestimate my common sense, nor the accumulation of education that was gifted to me even when I was unaware of the gift!
You are all aware, every forum member, of the reality that we are all different... no? 😈
We have enough difference happening outside the world of the forum.
Let's keep the peace here.
Remember the original reason, and let Ivar speak if he so wishes. In fact, it would really be enlightening to hear him update his initial dream with input on the development over the 20 or so years of the existence of the forum.
Pax.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
Back to the original post: Philip Daileader’s 3-part Great Courses series on the Middle Ages is fantastic. The first set, The Early Middle Ages, includes a chapter on al-Andalus. Isabella and Ferdinand are in the third, The Late Middle Ages.

I’d recommend this for anyone interested in the Middle Ages. I listened to it after walking the Le Puy route & realizing how little I knew about the period - the Via Podiensis passes through some amazing medieval landscapes.

I don’t recall any specific chapters on Santiago or pilgrimages, sadly.
 
Back to the original post: Philip Daileader’s 3-part Great Courses series on the Middle Ages is fantastic. The first set, The Early Middle Ages, includes a chapter on al-Andalus. Isabella and Ferdinand are in the third, The Late Middle Ages.

I’d recommend this for anyone interested in the Middle Ages. I listened to it after walking the Le Puy route & realizing how little I knew about the period - the Via Podiensis passes through some amazing medieval landscapes.

I don’t recall any specific chapters on Santiago or pilgrimages, sadly.
I will try to find a free way, without a time limit, to access some of his material. Thank you. I don't usually subscribe to paid content. Unless by real design! Thanks again.
 
Back to the original post: Philip Daileader’s 3-part Great Courses series on the Middle Ages is fantastic. The first set, The Early Middle Ages, includes a chapter on al-Andalus. Isabella and Ferdinand are in the third, The Late Middle Ages
I learnt from this thread that the English name for Isabel de Castilla is Isabella and then I checked on Internet and saw Isabellas ( Italian name) for queens of Portugal and France. Why not Elisabeth?In Spanish we always use Spanish names: Isabel, Carlos, Enrique for foreign kings and queens.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I learnt from this thread that the English name for Isabel de Castilla is Isabella and then I checked on Internet and saw Isabellas ( Italian name) for queens of Portugal and France.
As for Isabella instead of Isabel I saw this speculation:

Probably because official communication between Spain and England took place in Latin in which la reina Ysabel de Castilla was known as Isabella regina Castilliæ etc.
 
Isabela and Fernando really shot themselves in the foot with the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews. They were advisors, doctors and bankers to the queen and king and virtually ran the economy of Spain at the time. ... No Buen Camino for Jews and Moors in those times.
The Monarchy, not "the Jews," ran the economy. That one monarch, 150 years before 1492, appointed a Jew as Treasurer does not mean that "Jews ran the economy." Although I'm sure you did not mean it this way, this is an antisemitic trope that gets recycled over and over again in order to blame the Jews for whatever social, economic or moral failing allegedly needs to be redressed.

Nor were Jews free from persecution before they were expelled. Indeed, the history of Spain is replete with forced conversions, enslavement, expulsions, legal restrictions, pogroms, and massacres. Yes, the 15th Century was not "good for the Jews" in Spain, but except for a very, very few brief years, neither were the centuries before then.
 
Last edited:
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
No, sorry, I certainly did not mean to make any antisemitic comments. Just the opposite. My friends and co workers are Jews whom I greatly respect. My generalized comment was based on a fair amount of reading of the history of Spain, a country and culture I also greatly respect. My empathy for the Jews of Spain aligns with your second paragraph. Buen Camino
 
Nor were Jews free from persecution before they were expelled. Indeed, the history of Spain is replete with forced conversions, enslavement, expulsions, legal restrictions, pogroms, and massacres. Yes, the 15th Century was not "good for the Jews" in Spain, but except for a very, very few brief years, neither were the centuries before them.
The Jews have lived in many countries for long periods where they considered themselves being from a different nationality and even speaking a different language. This was not the case of Spain because they were Spanish ( Sephardim) and spoke Spanish as their first language. When I visited Istambul forty years ago I talked with Sephardic people in Spanish ( Ladino) and they told me they were first Jews, second Spanish and third Turks. So Jews had necessarily to live good periods in Spain to feel that way.
 
The Jews have lived in many countries for long periods where they considered themselves being from a different nationality and even speaking a different language. This was not the case of Spain because they were Spanish ( Sephardim) and spoke Spanish as their first language. When I visited Istambul forty years ago I talked with Sephardic people in Spanish ( Ladino) and they told me they were first Jews, second Spanish and third Turks. So Jews had necessarily to live good periods in Spain to feel that way.
That Sephardic Jews can code-switch between Spanish and Ladino (just as Ashkenazi Jews can code-switch between German, Russian or Polish and Yiddish, which like Ladino is a hybrid language) does not make them "Spaniards." Yes, from time to time in Spain there were thriving Jewish communities (as there were, from time to time, in Russia, Poland, and Germany), but Jews were never considered Spaniards. So, for example, like Jews all over Europe, beginning in the 13th century, Spain required Jews to wear yellow badges (the badges which eventually became the Nazi yellow stars) so that they could be identified as Jews, not Spaniards.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I love Spain. I go there every chance I get. I plan to spend much of my retirement there. And I love the richness of the Jewish history of Spain; I own several pieces of ancient Judaica from Spain. But that doesn't negate the fact that the history of Jews in Spain is one filled with persecution and sorrow.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
That Sephardic Jews can code-switch between Spanish and Ladino (just as Ashkenazi Jews can code-switch between German, Russian or Polish and Yiddish, which like Ladino is a hybrid language) does not make them "Spaniards." Yes, from time to time in Spain there were thriving Jewish communities (as there were, from time to time, in Russia, Poland, and Germany), but Jews were never considered Spaniards. So, for example, like Jews all over Europe, beginning in the 13th century, Spain required Jews to wear yellow badges (the badges which eventually became the Nazi yellow stars) so that they could be identified as Jews, not Spaniards.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I love Spain. I go there every chance I get. I plan to spend much of my retirement there. And I love the richness of the Jewish history of Spain; I own several pieces of ancient Judaica from Spain. But that doesn't negate the fact that the history of Jews in Spain is one filled with persecution and sorrow.
The idea of being Spanish is a comparative modern one and probably did not exist before 1492. Even now, if you tell a. Basque, or a Catalan, or a Galician they are Spanish, you will get a polite but firm correction.
 
The idea of being Spanish is a comparative modern one and probably did not exist before 1492. Even now, if you tell a. Basque, or a Catalan, or a Galician they are Spanish, you will get a polite but firm correction.
Yes, in Galicia you can find some urban people, most of them Spanish speakers, who say that they are only Galicians, but it would be very strange in the rural where most of them are Galician speakers.
 
In Spain it is possible to visit the mosque in M30 Madrid that is worth it. In Ceuta and Melilla it would be possible but not easy. In Morocco it is not allowed except in two cases.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
In Spain it is possible to visit the mosque in M30 Madrid that is worth it. In Ceuta and Melilla it would be possible but not easy. In Morocco it is not allowed except in two cases.
As one of the forum members who is not very familiar with Madrid I had to google a bit. M-30 is one of the modern mosques in Madrid that serves its current Muslim population, right?

 
As for Isabella instead of Isabel I saw this speculation:

Probably because official communication between Spain and England took place in Latin in which la reina Ysabel de Castilla was known as Isabella regina Castilliæ etc.
Be careful here though, as orthographic norms established after about the 18th Century do very frequently affect modern transliterations of Ancient and Mediaeval texts, apart from which it was (and still can be) quite frequent that Christian names can in Mediterranean Europe normally be rendered into their local variants, as opposed to the frequent English usage of seeking whenever possible to retain an original spelling.
 
As one of the forum members who is not very familiar with Madrid I had to google a bit. M-30 is one of the modern mosques in Madrid that serves its current Muslim population, right?

There are more mosques in Madrid but not interesting to visit. This one has a lot of marble and a quite big prayer room.
Was financed by Saudi Arabia. It is also a Muslim Cultural Center.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The idea of being Spanish is a comparative modern one and probably did not exist before 1492. Even now, if you tell a. Basque, or a Catalan, or a Galician they are Spanish, you will get a polite but firm correction.
A fellow checking in to our albergue had a Spanish name on a French ID card. When I asked whether he preferred Spanish or French (language), his companion exclaimed VASCO! But when I gave the same person a booklet in Basque, he looked at it for a few seconds, then handed it back and said “French.” :) Graffiti on a nearby building demanded indpendence but used the Basque spelling “independentzia” instead of the Basque word for it. (Yes, there is a Basque word for “independence."
 

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Most read last week in this forum

... what would you call "casa noble" in English? All I have found on the interweb is "noble house", which isn't an English expression – at least, it's one I've never heard of. My specific...

Featured threads

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Featured threads

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Back
Top