The Moors were a group of North Africans who conquered and ruled Spain for nearly 781 years, from 711 to 1492. They entered the Iberian Peninsula, Spain, after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, passing through Morocco.
Moors is a term generally used by Europeans to describe the Muslim people of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Between 711 C.E. and 1492 C.E. They were Muslim people of African descent who controlled parts of Iberia which consist of modern-day Spain and Portugal. Because they were there so long, they had a long-lasting impact on Spanish culture as well as the European relationship with Islam.
African Moors were known for their exceptional architecture and engineering skills, and they built numerous impressive structures, such as universities and mosques in Spain, which still stand to this day. They made significant contributions in various fields, including math, medicine, chemistry, philosophy, astronomy, botany, bricklaying and history.
The African Moors were the first to introduce the use of Arabic numbers in Europe, which are still used today. They also made significant advances in medicine, developed treatments for various diseases and created medical textbooks that were widely used. In addition, the African Moors were skillful astronomers and developed advanced techniques to measure time and determine the position of celestial bodies.
They also made important contributions to botany, introducing new plants in Spain and creating gardens admired by many. African Moors were also known for their expertise in bricklaying and built numerous impressive structures, such as Granada’s Alhambra, considered one of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in the world. Finally, they also wrote extensively about their history, creating numerous historical texts that are still being studied today.
Moorish buildings have influenced architects around the world, the Spanish language has countless words of Arabic origin, and Moorish characters were included in European literature for centuries.
This term typically refers to this historic group of people and their culture lives on in North African countries like Morocco. However, Europeans tended to use the word Moor in a broader sense to denote simply anyone who was Muslim.
Moors Origin
In 7th century when new religion of Islam was born in the Arabian Peninsula. Followers established a religious government and began to expand the empire into old weakened empires such as the Byzantines. Within 100 years this Islamic empire stretched from modern-day Morocco in North Africa to eastern Iran.
For more on the full story of the Moors stay tuned for our upcoming Newsletter Edition 8 to be published on our website www.globalafricantimes.com The Author is Ruth De Jager.
