The Rise & Fall of The Moors in Spain

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 21 March 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

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Summary

In 711 an Arab and Berber army crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and invaded the Iberian Peninsula. Seven years later, their conquests had birthed the Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus. This marked the beginning of roughly 8 centuries of Moorish rule, during which al-Andalus became a conduit for the transmission of knowledge between the Islamic world and Europe.

Joining us today is Brian Catlos, a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder and the author of 'Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain'. He takes us through the history of al-Andalus, from its inception and expansion through to its dramatic downfall.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Max Carrey.

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1:42.7	Welcome to Dan Snow's History Hit.
1:46.2	It was a decapitation strategy, and that wasn't very unusual in medieval Europe,
1:52.1	a place in which disparate, fragile kingdoms were held together by the charismatic leadership of a single man, a king.
2:02.2	And today, the battle-winning strategy of Tariq Ibn Ziad can be summarised as finding that
	...

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