1. Chapter Four, Lesson Three: Islamic Spain

2. The Return of the Umayyads
Question: What is Abd al Rahman III remembered for?
Reigning for 49 years ( )
First ruler to adopt the title of caliph
Strengthened the army

3. The Return of the Umayyads
Question: How did Abd al Rahman become ruler of Spain?
Umayyad forces helped him establish an independent Muslim kingdom.
Question: What were Abd al Rahman’s goals?
Unify Spain under one government
Protect Spain from invaders (Muslims from the south and Christians from the north).

4. The Glory of Cordoba The Great Mosque of Cordoba:
Began building in 758
Was added to many times.

5. Glory of Cordoba 3000 mosques 450,000 people Paved and lighted streets
Question: What are some features of Cordoba?
3000 mosques
450,000 people
Paved and lighted streets
Over 100,000 shops
Question: What are some facts that support this statement: Cordoba was a center of learning?
Brought books to Spain
Books were translated into Latin
70 libraries, largest of which had over 500,000 books
Clerks hand-copied 70,000 books per year
University and law school
Scholars from Baghdad travelled to Cordoba
Knowledge was spread throughout Europe.

6. The Glory of Cordoba
Question: Abbas Ibn Firnas was a visiting scholar. Other than learning about music, what else did he study?
Mechanics of flight
Build a pair of wings and attempted to fly.
Question: How was Cordoba an important place for Jews?
They weren’t persecuted.
Developed their own culture known as “Sephardic”.

7. The Glory of Cordoba
Other than intellectual learning, what other advances were going on in Cordoba?
City of merchants that created many items that were desired throughout the world.
Agriculture flourished using irrigation to grow new crops.

8. The Loss of Spain Question: What was the Reconquest?
Called the Reconquista
Soldiers from all over Europe came to try to retake Spain from the Muslims.

9. The Loss of Spain
Question: What event marked the “point of no return” in the battle for Spain?
Alfonso VI’s capture of Toledo in 1085
Click here for map.
Question: What are the important events in the Reconquest of Spain?
1236: Cordoba is captured
1236: Last Islamic kingdom is Granada.
1492: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella drive the remaining Muslims out of Spain.

10. Big Ideas…Lesson Three
Cordoba was a remarkable city
The largest city in Europe (450,000 citizens)
The Great Mosque
Advanced for its time
Paved and lighted streets
Public plumbing
Center of learning
70 libraries
Bookmaking
Scholars from all over travelled to Cordoba
The Reconquista
Late 1000s, Christians begin attempting to retake Spain.
1085: Alfonso VI captures Toledo
Muslim government gradually dissolves into factions.
Muslims retreat further south
1236: Cordoba falls to Christian forces…Muslim forces pushed all the way to Granada on the south coast.
Ferdinand (King of Argon) and Isabella (Queen of Castile) married. Their combined forces drive out the Muslims.