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Muslims in Spain are there since the eighth century. When the Muslims first came to Spain, there were two other dominant communities, the Christians and the Jews. The Muslims however swept Spain, and managed to get a foothold for themselves. This caused the Christians and Jews to live under certain restrictions. But after a while, things changed and the three communities began to contribute to each other, though they did not live in entire harmony. The area became dominated by Muslims. This contribution played a major role in the development of Spain.
After the Muslims Spain conquest happened, the country became a lot more civilized. Many scholars began comparing the culture with other empires such as the Roman empire. This mostly had to do with the Muslim religion, and the very systematic way the Muslim community led their lives. This was a very admirable quality among them. Around the early eighth century, the Muslims began their conquest of the region, and conquered most of the Iberian peninsula in just seven years. This was a slow and steady foundation that was laid for the Muslim empire in Spain. This civilization today can boast that it was one of the greatest Muslim civilizations ever.
Around the tenth century, this Muslim Spain had gained a reputation for being the best. Unfortunately this empire lasted only a few centuries, and fell around the fifteenth century. This happened when Granada was conquered. Southern Spain was known to be the heart of the Muslim rule, which was then known as Andulusia. The most interesting part of the Muslim world in Spain, is that it did not last through a single period. It lasted through several successions. The five rules are The Dependent Emirate, The Independent Emirate, The Caliphate, The Almoravid Era and the Decline.
As with most histories, there is a traditional story behind the Muslim conquest of Spain. In the eighth century, there was a ruler in Spain who was a tyrant. He was the then Visigoth ruler by the name of Roderick. A prominent religious Christian figure went to North Africa, to the governor, to plead with him to help them against this tyrant. The governor was good hearted, and sent his general to Spain with about 7000 troops. The Muslim army from North Africa landed on the Spanish coast, and this resulted in the derivation of the name Gibraltar.
This word is derived from the Arabic word Jabal-At-Tariq which means Rock of Tariq. Tariq was the name of the general who lend the Muslim troops to Spain. Not all the Spanish Muslims however accept the story. Many believe that the Muslims used this as an opportunity to expand their empire. The Visigoth army was no match for the Muslim army, and the tyrant was killed in battle. This would be known as the first victory of the Muslims in the Iberian peninsula. Soon after this, the Muslims conquered most of Spain and Portugal, and made a stamp in the eighth century. From then on, Muslims in Spain built an extraordinary community, rich in culture, architecture, science and literature.
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