Al-Andalus

INDEX

• INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………… 2
• LEGEND OF THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES …………………. 5
• THE PRINCESSES’ TOWER ……………………………………………………. 11
• BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………. 13


AL-ANDALUS


INTRODUCTION

In the year 711, Arab and Berber troops crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, defeated the Visigothic army at the battle of Guadalete and soon took control of nearly all of the IberianPeninsula. The quickly advance of Muslim troops was made possible by the weakness of the Visigothic Kingdom. In the North of the Peninsula held out some places that resist the Muslim conquest. Theybecame strong and were gaining ground to the Muslim Spain. Finally, the Kingdom of Granada, the last Islamic stronghold on mainland soil will fall in 1492.

During all that years the IberianPeninsula becomes Muslim. They adopt the way of life, the language, the religion, the economy of the Muslim people.
They speak in Arabic and now in Spanish there are lots of words with Arabicorigin like: azulejo, almohada, alcachofa…


Muslims gave a boost to the agriculture, they introduced new ways of irrigation for the lands, the water wheel and brought new cropsunknown in the Peninsula like citric, rice, saffron and cotton.


Before Muslim arrived, in the Iberian Peninsula Christians and Jews lived together. When they conquest it there were somepeople who turned into Muslims, but living together the three religions wasn´t a problem because Muslim people were very tolerant.
Islam is a monotheistic religion, they believe in an only God.People who practice this religion are called Muslims, their holly book is the Koran and they go to pray to the Mosque.



They have five principles:
• Believe in an only God thatis called Ala and Mahoma is his prophet.
• Pray five times a day
• Fast during the Ramadan
• Give alms
• Go to La Meca at least once in the...