Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Moors in Spain
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In European history, most people only know the Moors as the Arabs who conquered Spain in the early Medieval Ages. However, Moorish history is much richer than just that. The contributions that the Moors provided to European society and the rest of the world are innumerable. Europeans used the term Moor to describe to the Islamic people from the Maghreb (Northern Africa), the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain and Portugal), Sicily, and Malta. However, many modern European historians have painted the Moors in Europe in a negative light. In reality, during their rule, the Moors in Europe probably were the most advanced, cultivated, and modern society in the world. With that in mind, check out the list below for the top 10 things you didn’t know about the Moors in Spain.
#10: The Moors in Spain introduced new scientific techniques to Europe
During the Middle Ages, the centers of education were not in the European world. In fact, during this period, the Europeans lost much of the Roman knowledge. Rather, most of the new scientific achievements were coming from the Moors in Spain. For example, the Moors advance the fields of Astronomy, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics.[1]Black History Studies – 15 Things You Did Not Know About the Moors of Spain One of the most famous Moorish scholar was Ibn Khaldun. He was the founder of the modern social sciences and a great contributor to economics, historiography, and sociology. In fact, many modern historians consider him to be one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages.
#9: The Moors heavily influenced the Spanish language
Linguists attribute around 4,000 words in modern Spanish to the Moors and the Arabic language. In fact, the two cultures were combined for such a long period of time that they formed a hybrid language. Historians say that some of the first Spanish words were actually first written in Arabic. For example, words that begin with letters ‘al’, such as algebra and alcohol, most likely have Arabic origins.[2]SIT – The Moorish Influence on Spanish Language, Civilization, and Culture A few other words that trace their origins back to the Moors in Spain include: alkaline, cable, chemistry, checkmate, cipher, influenza, nadir, orange, and typhoon. It goes without saying that the Moors had a very big influence on not only Spanish but the rest of the language in Europe as well.
#8: The Moors in Spain introduced the idea of Universal Education
During the Middle Ages, education was extremely rare. In fact, 99% of the European population outside of Moorish Spain could not read or write. This meant that people from every part of society, from the peasants to the Kings were illiterate. However, in Moorish Spain, universal education already existed. There were many more universities in Moorish Spain than the rest of Europe. In fact, during this period there were only 2 universities in the rest of Europe while there were over 70 in Spain. Some of the most famous ones were in Almeria, Cordova, Granada, Juen, Malaga, Seville, and Toledo.
#7: The Moors in Spain introduced new types of foods to Europe
The Moors in Spain introduced a lot of new practical knowledge that they had gained from other cultures to the European world. For example, they introduced new agricultural, farming, and irrigation techniques making Spain an agricultural center in Europe. The Moorish people introduced new healthy foods to Europe such as apricots, cotton, dates, figs, ginger, lemons, oranges, peaches, pomegranates, rice, saffron, silk, and sugar cane.[3]Cities of Light – AGRICULTURE Many of these things are still famously grown in Spain today.
#6: The Moors in Spain Influenced Fashion and Hygiene Norms
Abul-Hasan Ali Ibn Nafi, also know as Ziryab, was the Chief of Entertainment in the Royal Moorish Court of Cordoba. In his position, he influenced both Moorish and European culture from everything to the way they ate and socialized to the way they relaxed. He influenced things such as music, fashion, hairstyles, and furniture.
For example, he even influenced the way people change clothes by introducing the idea of changing clothes to match the season. This idea was unheard of at the time. Additionally, he introduced the concept of changing clothes depending on the time of day. Before this, people tended to wear the same clothes throughout the day. He also made it popular to take regular baths in order to promote proper hygiene, suggesting taking baths both in the morning and evening. Additionally, he introduced the idea of using perfumes to help hide odors, using salt to wash your hair, dividing meals into courses, and shaving and hairstyles for men.
#5: The Moors in Spain were some of the first to develop modern urban utilities
Cordoba was the capitol of Moorish Spain. At its peak, it rivaled other famous cities such as Constantinople and Baghdad. In fact, ironically, it had a larger population (500,00) then it has now. In order to support the population, Moors in Spain built many modern amenities including public hospitals, street lights, public bath houses, and public libraries.[4]Atlanta Black Star – When Black Men Ruled the World: 8 Things The Moors Brought to Europe
In addition, the Moors built large aqueducts that pumped fresh water into the city. At the time, other cities such as London, which had a much smaller population of only 20,000 people at the time, didn’t have any of these modern amenities. In fact, most European cities wouldn’t have anything similar to this for hundred of years.
#4: The Moors in Spain Invented Early Versions of Modern Musical Instruments
What is the link between artists like Bob Marley, Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift, and Jimi Hendrixsay and the Moors in Spain? In fact, the Moorish people introduced many early versions of modern instruments such as the the guitar (kithara), Lute (el oud), the Kettle Drum, and the Lyre.[5]Percussion Instruments and Their History
#3: How long were the Moors in Spain?
Historians commonly site that the Moors in Spain were there for about 800 years (A.D. 711 to A.D. 1492). However, this is not exactly true. In reality, Moorish people only controlled 2/3 of the Iberian peninsula for about 375 years. Next, they controlled about 1/2 of the peninsula for about an additional 160 years. Last, the Moors controlled the Kingdom of Granada (the southern tip of Spain) for the lsat 244 years. The main reason for this is that during the entire time of the Moors in Spain, they were constantly fighting with the Europeans. Western historians call this period of time the Reconquista. During the history of Spain, the Catholic European powers were fighting against the Muslim Arabic powers for supremacy in both Spain and the Middle East.
#2: Moorish People and the Silk Road
‘In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.’ This line celebrates Columbus sailing across the Atlantic Ocean and discovering America. However, why did he want to cross the unknown ocean? The main reason was he was looking for a quicker way to get to India and China.
He was also looking for a way to avoid the Arabian Peninsula. During this time, Christian Europe and the Muslim Middle East were the two main competing powers. However, at the same time, the Silk Road was the world’s largest and most profitable trade route. Unfortunately for the Europeans, it ran right through the middle of the Muslim world. Therefore, the Europeans wanted to find a way to get directly to the riches of the Far East and avoid the Muslims. However, how did the Europeans even know about the Far East? It was because the Moors in Spain brought the knowledge of these far off lands to the European people.[6]UNESCO – THE IMMIGRATION OF MOSLEM DESCENDENTS OF NORTH-AFRICA FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO MAINLAND CHINA
#1: The First Scientific Attempts at Human Flight
The Wright brothers are famous for being the first men to successfully fly. However, they must credit their achievement to the storied history of man’s dreams to fly. The Moorish scientist, Abu al-Qasim Abbas ibn Firnas ibn Wirdas al-Takurini actually made the first scientific attempt at flying. In fact, according to historical records, Abbas ibn Firnas ‘covered himself with feathers for the purpose, attached a couple of wings to his body, and , getting on an eminence, flung himself down into the air, when according to the testimony of several trustworthy writers who witnessed the performance, he flew a considerable distance…’.[7]The Famous People -Abbas Ibn Firnas
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