ISLAMIC SPAIN: LA ESPAÑA ISLÁMICA

by Harry E. Babbitt, Luis Rios (Illustrator), Nancy Frakes (Editor)

Volume Five of our bilingual series of eBooks (ISLAMIC SPAIN — LA ESPAÑA ISLÁMICA) covers the history of Islamic Spain between 711 and 1492. It is a fascinating tale of triumphs and defeats for both Muslims and Christians. After the Battle of Guadalete (711), the Visigothic Christians take refuge in the mountains of Asturias and quickly reorganize in their determination to rout a large Moorish army at the Battle of Covadonga (722). However, this is only the beginning of the so-called "Reconquest" of Spain that will last almost 800 years. The Christians build hundreds of castles to protect their reconquered lands as they slowly push the Moors to the south. During this time, the Moorish culture flourishes, especially in the cities of Córdoba, Seville and Granada. The Moors become famous throughout Europe for their doctors, writers, philosophers and architects. Even today the great Mosque of Córdoba and the Alhambra Palace at Granada are among the great tourist attractions in Spain. Many of the battles between Moors and Christians are a mixture of fantasy and reality, such as the battle of Clavijo where St. James (Santiago) is said to have come down from the clouds on his white horse to slay thousands of Moors. During the centuries, many Arabic names, words and phrases passed into the Castilian language, leaving a permanent imprint of the Moorish culture in many parts of Iberian Peninsula. Today, in the south of Spain, many cities celebrate the "Battle of Moors and Christians" in a festive spirit to preserve the memory of this fascinating period in Spanish history.
This ebook is the fifth in a series of bilingual guides (English & Spanish) for teachers and students — each featuring an important topic in the field of history, literature or art of Spain and Latin America. Beginning students in either language can learn about their culture in their native language and advanced students can concentrate on the new language they want to learn. Why not learn a language and, at the same time, learn about its great culture by studying history, literature and art? These guides will be especially helpful for bilingual students who will learn to appreciate their history and background in either or both languages. Questions are included and can be used as notes to compose short presentations to promote connected speech rather than one or two word answers.

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2018