Starting from "zero" the modern sciences including vocabulary have their roots in the Moorish era, famous for its tolerance. Muslims and non-Muslims came from abroad to study in the libraries and universities of Al-Andalus. In the tenth and eleventh centuries, public libraries did not exist in Christian Europe, while Moorish Spain had more than seventy, of which the one in Cordoba contained over six hundred thousand manuscripts. There were more than seventeen great universities in Moorish Spain, while Christian Europe had only two universities of any value.
Photo above - many outfits are inspired by piracy
The practice of science resulted in a prospering manufacturing sector and prosperous cities with modern facilities. The sword blades of Toledo were the best in Europe, and the factories in Murcia turned out the finest of brass and iron instruments. The Moors also introduced the manufacture of gunpowder into Europe.
Photo above - Christians embark Moors back to Africa
Monuments built by Moors are still astonishing. You see them in many towns of Spain, but the most famous is probably the Mosque of Cordoba. As a capital of Al-Andalus, Cordoba became the finest metropolis in Europe. There were 700 mosques and 300 public baths spread throughout the city and its twentyone suburbs. The streets were paved and lit. It was said that one could travel for ten miles by the light of lamps along a continuous strip of buildings, many of which had marble balconies and hot-air ducts under the mosaic floors. Besides the Moorish buildings you encounter in Spain also gardens of Moorish design and numerous fountains of Moorish origin.
Go to the photo page for the Moors and Christians Festival
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