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When Moors Ruled Spain - Reconquista as a Civil War
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Doug M: [QB] Yes, the history of Spain is full of such examples of switching sides and treachery. Heck why do you think el Cid is a national hero? Unfortunately this is part of the history of Islam, from the feuds that ended the Umayyads, to the fracturing of North West Africa into smaller feuding kingdoms, to the rise of the Taifas and eventually the entrance of the Almohads and Almoravids. All of which was based on infighting and treachery. And the Europeans learned this from the Muslims (along with a lot else) and from that comes Europe as we know it today. And this is also where they first learned the idea of divide and conquer or how a few backwards barbarians were able to conquer the whole world by exploiting divisions within populations. It is that more than anything else that Europeans learned that helped them rise to the position they are in today. Most of Medieval European culture is based on direct influence from Roman, Persian, African and Asian sources introduced by the Muslims. In fact the very idea of a crusade or holy war is itself an Islamic idea along with mystic "holy warriors". Note this image of the fall of Islamic Valencia (one of the cities involved in the exploits of El Cid), note the islamo persian derived influences. The idea of a triumphant entrance into a conquered city also derived from older cultures via the muslims, especially the white stallion and banners which was an islamic tradition from the time. But if you look closely, you will see it looks like Jamie is pointing at moors in the corners of the painting. [IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Entrada_de_jaime_I.jpg/929px-Entrada_de_jaime_I.jpg[/IMG] http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Entrada_de_jaime_I.jpg And this intermarriage goes all the way back to the earliest invasion of Spain when Muslims were welcomed into many parts of the country. [QUOTE]Zaida of Seville was a refugee Muslim princess, who was a mistress and then perhaps queen of Alfonso VI of Castile.[1] She is said by Iberian Muslim sources to have been the daughter Al Mutamid, the Muslim King of Seville, as mentioned in the Chronicle of Pelayo de Oviedo which is one of most important proofs of this:[/QUOTE] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaida_of_Seville http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?140522-Pinturas-militares/page10 Many of these conversions came during the Almoravid invasion, such as the whole entire Islamic kingdom of Zaragoza converting to Christianity. [QUOTE] The Banu Hud stubbornly resisted the Almoravid dynasty and ruled until they were eventually defeated by the Almoravids in May 1110. The last sultan of the Banu Hud, Abd-al-Malik, and Imad ad-Dawla of Saraqusta, was forced to abandon the capital. Abd-al-Malik allied himself with the Christian Aragonese under Alfonso I of Aragon and from the time the Muslims of Saraqusta became military regulars within the Aragonese forces. They were known as Almogavars.[/QUOTE] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taifa_of_Zaragoza [QUOTE] There may be signs that Valencians themselves are beginning to become more aware of their Arab past, however. Last autumn was the 400th anniversary of the expulsion of the Moriscos – an event commemorated by exhibitions and talks, while a local TV documentary team found descendants of the Moriscos in Tunisia, using the same agricultural techniques that farmers still use today in the Huerta, and even now describing themselves as being originally from Valencia – or Balansiya. I had a chance to see this growing awareness recently when I met Luis Bellvís and Santiago Máñez, owners of the Hotel Palacio Marqués de Caro, in the heart of the old city. Luis is a descendant of the last Moorish king of Valencia – Abu Zayd – who took the name Bellvís when his city was conquered by the Christian King Jaime I. Luis only found out recently, though, that he was also the owner of a large section of the old Moorish city walls. The front of the hotel looks like a fairly typical 19th century town house, or palacio. But inside, once Luis and Santiago started renovating, they discovered thick walls dating back to the 12th century Almohad period, complete with a watch tower. With help from UNESCO architect Francisco Jurado and award-winning interior designer Francesc Rifé, they transformed the precious archeological site into a Michelin-starred restaurant, Arrop. The name means ‘syrup’ in Valencian, and comes from the Arabic word sharab. ‘We were amazed when we found all this,’ Santiago, a trained archeologist said. ‘People thought the Arab city walls were a couple of streets further south. But I found a seventeenth-century manuscript that placed them right here in this street. Also, you can tell they’re Moorish from the building style, and the brick arches at the top of the watch tower.’ All these original features have now been incorporated into their five-star luxury hotel. ‘No one really talks about the Moorish heritage in Valencia,’ Luis says. ‘But it was here, all the time, right underneath our feet.’ Others in the tourism industry who are drawing on the Arabic past for inspiration include the owners of the Balansiya Restaurant, near the university. As the name suggests, their inspiration comes from the Moorish city that once stood here, and while happy to fill customers in on the history, they also feed them dishes from that time. Many wouldn’t be out of place in a Moroccan restaurant, but the recipes come from Medieval Moorish sources, including a couscous from the 13th century, with ox meat and coriander, and ‘Tagra’, made with fresh fish, saffron and raisins. All of which takes us back to the Huerta – the single most important aspect of the Moorish legacy in Valencia. On a sunny day, a cycle ride is perhaps the best way to see it for those with strong legs. To the south lies the large sweet-water lagoon just inland from the coast known as La Albufera (from the Arabic al-buhayra, ‘the little sea’). This is the main rice growing area, and a great place to eat paella, particularly in the village of El Palmar. Only remember to show up at lunchtime – Valencians rarely eat paella in the evening.[/QUOTE] http://www.jasonwebster.net/moorish-valencia/ [/QB][/QUOTE]
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