Arabs in Spain - award winning documentary

In the 7th century AD. C. a new force emerged in the Arabian Peninsula that would spread to change the entire known world. Introduced by the prophet Muhammad. The faith of Islam united the people of Arabia in belief in one God when the Prophet died. In 632 their lamb had spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula inspired and united by their new vital faith these Muslims began to spread it to neighboring countries within five years the Arabs controlled Damascus a year later they captured Jerusalem wherever they went they found themselves oppressed and overburdened people eager for better government and hungry for something to believe in people who became enthusiastic new converts to the Arab cause the teachings of the holy Islamic scriptures the Quran on justice, charity and equality among men gave these people ideas more excellent than those they had known.

They gained their allegiance from the individual tribe to the greater community of faith in 651 AD, had easily overcome the corrupt and decadent Byzantine and Persian empires and soon spread the word throughout the Egyptian, Libyan and Tunisian countries they fought against. the Berber nomads of North Africa. They attacked them hard, but in their defeat they also finally embraced Islam. At 7:05, with all of North Africa under Arab control, the Muslim forces were just 13 miles across the water from Spain in 711. The General Tariq crossed the Strait and landed on the rock that still bears his name. double tarik or Gibraltar at the time when Spain was ruled by the Visigoths and the Germanic people who had taken power after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Tariq led the bulk of his army toward Toledo, the Visigoth capital, while sending detachments against neighboring cities that the Arabs continued to sweep away. Crossing Spain in one summer, they had taken half of the peninsula and within five years they controlled almost the entire country, leaving the Visigoths only a small bastion in the north. Spain had become a province of the Caliphate. The Arabic name given to it was al-andalus in 732, almost a hundred years after the death of the prophet Muhammad, an Arab army arrived at the city of Tours in France. The dominion of the Prophet Muhammad's successors had become a world empire stretching from Europe to China, contrary to the common myth of fanatics.

The Warriors of Islam The Arabs practiced a religious tolerance remarkable for any time. The Christian and Jewish communities were not bothered because, in the eyes of the followers of the Quran, they themselves were people of the book. For many historians, the Arab conquest was a great gift to Spain and to the world, it broke the power of privileged groups, including the nobility and the clergy, improved the conditions of the lower class and returned to the Christian landowner the property that he it was denied under the Visigoths, who brought the arts and sciences of the Muslim world to the Arabs. they made life charming in the cities of their new country they built thousands of mosques bridges palaces and imposing castles they began the beautification of cities like Toledo Córdoba Seville Granada Málaga Amira Valencia they also minted coins they organized a postal service and raised city life to a level of culture and comfort unknown in the rest of Europe the mosque was the heart of the city no effort was spared to turn it into an impressive structure not only was it a place of worship but it was used for teaching and the administration of justice the Great Mosque of Córdoba was built with the best materials from around the world, it had 1200 pillars that supported two rows of arches that in turn supported the dome around the mosque, it was the market where you could find luxury items from the farthest corners of the world. world, as well as many of The fine products of Al Andalus textiles and wool, cotton and silk brocades for weaving their rugs were used throughout the Arab world, but were not found in Europe until some centuries later, Córdoba , the chosen capital, soon became the most populated and certainly the most splendid city in all of Europe.

The Spaniards, dazzled by the glamor of Arab civilization, their art, poetry, philosophy in science, soon began to adopt the Arab way of life, Christian converts. They were called Muse lives the news arrives bringing these and other architectural features developed in Córdoba Until Toledo, in other centers of the north, the city enjoyed kilometers of paved streets illuminated by streetlights, it was clean and bright, while even 700 years later there were no not a single public street lamp in London and in Paris anyone who crossed its threshold on a rainy day was said to climb ankle-deep in mud Arab houses with windowless outer walls opening onto an inner courtyard that usually contained a pool or fountain in a little garden.

This design kept the temperature uniform and cool, making the streets narrow and shading the houses under Arab rule. Córdoba at its peak. It was the most cultured city in Europe and the world. Philosophers, astronomers, mathematicians, doctors, scientists, musicians and poets chose the city as their capital. The noble Christian family sent their children there to be educated at the University, while the rest of Europe still lived in superstition and ignorance. an example of a university can still be found in Morocco an inscription commonly found on its walls was this the world is sustained by four things the learning of the wise the justice of the great the prayers of the just and the courage of the brave the Education was based on the Holy Quran.

Schools taught reading, writing grammar and poetry from its pages. The Arabic language was used throughout Spain and was a factor in keeping the nation together. Most Christians were bilingual. They spoke both Arabic and Arabic. his native Romance language some of the rulers sponsored learning al hakam, for example, he gave generous scholarships and established 27 free schools in the capital under his command the university of córdoba founded by khalifa al rahman a third achieved a preeminent place among educational institutions Now Hakam was also a book lover; his agents searched the bookstores of Alexandria, Damascus and Baghdad with a view to purchasing or copying manuscripts;

It is said that his library had four hundred thousand titles. Muslim doctors were far ahead of those in the rest of Europe in medical knowledge; They considered it a science that could advance through observation. While their northern neighbors saw illness as the will of God and sought cures in magic and prayer, doctors in Arab Spain had a license and a code of conduct, there was a public hospital in every city. The Arabs founded the first pharmacy school, if not the one in Bebe. Babe is the botanist from Spain who took Arab pharmacology to great heights and it was here that he classified and listed the names and uses of more than 1,400 drugs derived from herbs and healing plants for medicinal use when the Black Death devastated Europe at the end of the Age.

Media, two years later. Arab doctors proposed the idea that the disease was caused by contamination and spread from person to person. The foreign kings of Europe sent Córdoba to look for the Arab doctors. Arab doctors published the first treatises on veterinary science, surgery, smallpox, dentistry, pediatrics, on abscesses and cancer of the uterus, treatises on the respiratory organs, on eye diseases and optics hunain eben is a book of tricks on eye treatment is the first known which includes anatomical graphics and his influence on the development of ophthalmology was profound and the book of articles on optics was recognized as the most important source in his field.

He was called the father of optics. The specialists of modern Barcelona are still known as the best in Europe, since Aurora's surgery book contained drawings of about 200 instruments that he himself had designed and became the basis of subsequent European scientific advances, the medical books of our Rossi and hip encinas the rules of medicine remained unrivaled to this day, most of these books were translated into Latin and where the key works on the teaching of Arabic medicine in Europe from the 9th to the 17th centuries are found. Arab astronomers perfected the astrolabe, an important measuring instrument used in astronomy and navigation, they measured the length of a terrestrial degree with the intention of determining the circumference and spherical nature of the earth in astrology hippin Masha explains in a treatise the laws of tides in relation to the rising and setting of the moon Muslims composed the oldest book on arithmetic al kawar am I one of the greatest minds of Islam invented algebra which means in Arabic in the union of broken parts The Arabs also laid down the bases of analytical geometry these influences are evident in the arts of design the introduction of Arabic numerals and zero or else- -if the very basis of modern arithmetic was used by the Arabs 250 years before it came to Western Europe made possible mathematical solutions that could never have been developed with the philosophy of Roman numerals - made great strides despite the repression of religious orthodoxy - from Córdobas The philosophers it nurtured and hid in the May moon attempted to reconcile the ideas of monotheistic religion based on faith, but the ideas of Greek philosophy based on reason (Hypno's comments fell upon a startled Myra) were widely read in Europe and influenced many Christian thinkers, including Thomas Aquinas between the mid-19th century. 8th and early 13th centuries, Arabic-speaking peoples were the primary torchbearers of culture and civilization throughout the world, and they were the means by which ancient science and philosophy made possible the renaissance of Western Europe. in this Arab era.

Spain had a great participation. The Arabs understood the importance of agriculture to their nation's economy and brought fields and orchards to new levels of productivity. They introduced the water wheel. Some types were spun with human or animal power, but one ingenious type used the current one. of the river itself to turn the wheel and lift the water to the field, such wheels are still used today. They built an extensive irrigation system and used sophisticated surveying methods to level their fields to facilitate irrigation. alphy lahat written by hip an The owl Juan, the famous botanist of Seville, is the most important and outstanding Islamic work on agriculture.

The book covers 585 plants and explains the cultivation of more than 50 fruit trees. Presents new observations on grafting and soil properties in manure and discusses symptoms. of various tree diseases and the cures suggested by the Divine immigrants from the Middle East introduced oranges lemons pomegranates date palms rice cotton sugar almonds and many other types of crops introduced intensive organic farming using manure and managed the land more efficiently than the Romans or the Visigoths had in many cases lands that had been harvested only once a year before the arrival of the Muslims began to produce two or three times a year unlike the Christians of the time who believed that virtue would only be rewarded. in heaven in everyday life.

Muslims believe that the faithful should be rewarded on earth and should enjoy the good things in life here and now the best of this paradise on earth in Spain is seen in Al Hamra the red because of the color of the bricks with which its outer walls are built this fairy tale Palace of true oriental splendor is considered the pearl of Arab architecture in Spain here all kinds of decorative elements were put into play with eloquent skill and refinement by the chief designer of the Nasrid dynasty who built the Alhambra he wanted to give a place in the palace to all the decorative elements traditionally used in the Umayyad Abbasid period petit made and sold jokes the nurse's coat of arms reads the motto not Victor but God played an important role in the decoration of the palace It was a victorious Mohamad Alcalá, acclaimed by the crowd upon his return to Granada, who coined the motto.

The Arabs considered their language their most precious possession. Sayings in a beautifully fluid script were often used to decorate the buildings of this palace. The members of the better society were experts in the art of elegant and luxurious living their conversations were witty and intellectual the recitation of poetry or the improvisation of verses appropriate to the occasion was a pastime in which members of society were expected to be competent here they were served a sweet drink in gold and silver cups or in finely carved glass, an orchestra offered a musical or a beautiful young woman sang on the lute or owed the elegant taste and customs of the court of Baghdad introduced by Syria three centuries before in the capital of Cordoba Omaha, were followed here in Al Hana and in Granada - there was a beauty institute - fashion calendar that became the arbiter not only of what should be worn but of what wasBathing and cleaning were an important part of life - the Andalusians in this example in the Alhambra are said to have entertained blind musicians while they watched Arabic music.

Civilization at its peak devoted great attention to music. A conservatory of Andalusian music was opened in Córdoba during the 9th century. Other schools followed in Seville, Toledo, Valencia and Granada. Romantic story-telling had always been a favorite amusement of the Arabs, one that, in fact, attracted Western Europeans. Literature owes an immense debt through ballads and love songs. It was manifested in the tender chivalry. The voice was more appreciated than the orchestra in part because it could combine music and poetry, both very loved by the Arabs. Spanish music has the current influence as You can hear in these two selections, the first an ancient Arabic song, the second from modern Spain.

Although almost 500 years have passed since the Arabs left Spain, their enormous influence is incalculable. Spaniards today use some 4,000 words of Arabic origin in their conversation. daily and many other words have found their way into other European languages, the cry of Olay, for example, is derived directly from the Arabic Ya Allah, which means for the love of God, if you order coffee with sugar in a bar, you will use Arabic words , traffic is an Arabic word, buy a gold ring and ask. how many carats are and again you will use an Arabic word the check a bill of exchange also derives from Arabic many common foods rice lemon spinach artichoke apricot which were also introduced to Europe by the Arabs the word moccasin which means storehouse of goods and ammunition in Arabic became magazine in French and magazine in English.

The faces of today's Spaniards reflect their Arab ancestry. Arab blood still runs through the veins of many Spaniards, especially in the south, the Spanish language has been preserved. several architectural terms of Arab origin the Arab style is still evident throughout the country in the hands of Muslim builders who prefer to remain in Spain the oriental art was mixed with the Spanish and was called Muda it has achieved great beauty and perfection and became the Spanish national style architecture in Spain to the present shows a great influence of the Arab style the family arches the beautiful courtyard with its fountains and flowers reflect an Arab touch the beautiful tiles called azulejo are still made and used, but the greatest gift from the Arabs To modern Spain our hana remains the jewel of the country.

It has inspired travelers and poets for many centuries. Some writers call the Alhambra the most wonderful building that exists in the world and the most precious example of Arab art existing in Spain. This splendid palace is has become a center for pilgrims from all over the world, in all languages, visitors highlight its beauty, for some al-hamra has become an open-air university amphitheater in Muslim art studios, a living source of inspiration, this woman still has to learn, although Arabic writing goes from right to left. For some others, Al Hamra is a place where they can escape the pressures of a mechanized world among the fountain in the gardens after so many years of absence.

The Arabs return once again now as tourists who come to see the wonders their ancestors accomplished during their rule. Almost eight hundred years old, this modern mosque built by an Arab emir in the Mamaia of Spain echoes the eloquent statement about a people who made great contributions to humanity in the past and who have now returned to join the rest of the world in an intellectual partnership beneficial to all its future generations your