15/05/2024
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. 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.
🔘 ABOUT MOORS:
“Moor, in English usage, a Moroccan or, formerly, a member of the Muslim population of al-Andalus, now Spain and Portugal. Of mixed Arab, Spanish, and Amazigh (Berber) origins, the Moors created the Islamic Andalusian civilization and subsequently settled as refugees in the Maghreb (in the region of North Africa) between the 11th and 17th centuries”
The word derives from the Latin term Maurus, first used by the Romans to denote an inhabitant of the Roman province of Mauretania, comprising the western portion of present-day Algeria and the northeastern portion of present-day Morocco.
The term is of little use in describing the ethnic characteristics of any groups, ancient or modern. From the Middle Ages to the 17th century, however, Europeans depicted Moors as being black, “swarthy,” or “tawny” in skin colour. (Othello, Shakespeare’s Moor of Venice, comes to mind in such a context.) Europeans designated Muslims of any other complexion as “white Moors,” despite the fact that the population in most parts of North Africa differs little in physical appearance from that of southern Europe (in Morocco, for example, red and blonde hair are relatively common).
The term Moorish continues to be widely used to describe the art, architecture, and high culture of Muslim Andalusia and North Africa dating from the 11th century onward.
Credits: national art museum
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Moor, in English usage, a Moroccan or, formerly, a member of the Muslim population of what is now Spain and Portugal. Of mixed Arab, Spanish, and Amazigh (Berber) origins, the Moors created the Islamic Andalusian civilization and subsequently settled as refugees in North Africa between the 11th and....
