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A few thousand Muslim soldiers entered Spain - 7 years later, most of the country was gone


A Muslim force crossed into southern Spain in 711 and within only a few years controlled most of the Iberian Peninsula. But the transformation of Al-Andalus from a predominantly Christian society into a largely Muslim one happened far more slowly, unfolding over generations through taxation, political advantage, intermarriage, social status and cultural integration. The story traces how Arabic language and Islamic institutions became deeply rooted in Iberia while many Christians and Jews continued practicing their own faiths. It also follows the centuries-long reversal that culminated in the fall of Granada in 1492 and the eventual expulsion of Spain’s remaining Moriscos.

Video A few thousand Muslim soldiers entered Spain - 7 years later, most of the country was gone