For more than seven centuries, the Iberian Peninsula was a Muslim caliphate called al-Andalus, where a unique, sophisticated, and luxurious culture flourished all through the territory.

 

The times of al-Andalus offer an ideal context to examine the intricate relations between Muslims and Christians in Medieval Spain. This course will introduce students to the history, society, culture, art, and architecture of al-Andalus, its initial presence in the Iberian Peninsula in 711 to the surrender in 1492. Students will explore the historical and cultural interactions between the Muslim and Christian worlds and how they were intrinsically connected during the times of medieval Convivencia (coexistence) and thus, deeply influenced each other.

 

We will study the great cultural and technological influences that developed over the years in many fields, including medicine, law, gastronomy, poetry and music, architecture, engineering, water management, or gardening, some of them are still present in Spanish culture.