‘What will you do?’ I asked Zine as we stopped to look out at the sea. A group of skinny boys in shorts were playing football on the beach, their bodies bending and twisting like rubber as they reached and curled for the ball.
‘I’ll work with my uncle for a while, then see what happens.’
‘And Lucía?’
The waves sighed as they spilled themselves onto the land. Above our heads a seagull hovered motionless and silent, held still by a momentary current of air blowing in off the sea.
There was no reply.
GLOSSARY
Al-Andalus Name used by the Moors at any one time for the areas of the Iberian peninsula under their control
Almohads Fundamentalist warrior monks who took over Morocco and Al-Andalus during the twelfth century; successors of the Almoravids
Almoravids Fundamentalist warrior monks who took over Morocco and Al-Andalus in the eleventh century; eventually defeated by the Almohads
Andalusia Southern region of modern Spain; name derives from Al-Andalus
Caliph Religious and often political head of the world Islamic community; compares with emir, a purely political title meaning ‘ruler’
Ferdinand & Isabel Named ‘the Catholic Kings’ for their conquest of Muslim-held Granada; their marriage united the kingdoms of Castille and Aragon; instigators of the Spanish Inquisition
Judería Old Jewish quarter of a Spanish town
Marrano Derogative name given to the Jewish community in Christian-held areas of Spain; translates as ‘dirty swine’
Mihrab Niche in the inner wall of a mosque indicating the direction of prayer
Morisco Derogative name given to the Moors of Spain after the fall of Granada in 1492; literally ‘little Moor’
Moro Spanish for ‘Moor’
Mouro Portuguese for ‘Moor’
Mozarabs Arabized Christians living in Moorish-controlled areas; literally ‘would-be Arabs’
Mudejars Moors who remained in territories conquered by the Christians; term usually refers to the period before 1492 (cf. Moriscos)
Musa The Arab governor of North Africa who followed Tariq in his invasion of Spain in 712
Nasrids Ruling dynasty of Granada from the thirteenth century till 1492
Palo Particular song or style of music within flamenco
Reconquest Term usually applied to any Christian conquest of Moorish-held territory
Saeta Haunting song performed at religious ceremonies, usually in Andalusia
Santiago St James; patron saint of Spain, nicknamed Matamoros: the Moor-slayer
Tablao Bar or restaurant where flamenco is regularly performed
Taifas Period of ‘petty kingdoms’ into which Al-Andalus split up after the fall of the Cordoba caliphate in 1031; ended with the arrival of the Almoravids
Tariq The first Muslim invader to cross into Spain, in 711; Gibraltar is named after him (jabal Tariq – the mountain of Tariq)
Umayyads Ruling dynasty in Al-Andalus from 756 to 1031
Visigoths Rulers of the Iberian Peninsula at the time of the Moorish conquest
ANDALUS TIMELINE
Fifth century AD Visigoths begin conquest of Iberian Peninsula
622 Beginning of the Islamic era
632 Muhammad dies
711 First Muslim armies led by Tariq land in Spain
712 Musa arrives in Spain to take part in conquest
722 Battle of Covadonga in Asturias, northern Spain; the traditional date for the start of the ‘Reconquest’
732 Battle of Poitiers in France: furthest extension of Moorish advance
756 Abd al-Rahman I becomes emir of the politically independent Islamic realm of Al-Andalus
929 Abd al-Rahman III declares himself ‘caliph’; Moorish Golden Age begins
1031 Cordoba caliphate ends; Moorish Spain breaks up into taifa (little kingdoms)
1085 Christian King Alfonso VI conquers Toledo
1094 El Cid takes control of Valencia
1080s–1140s Almoravids take control of Al-Andalus
Early 1100s School of Translators established in Toledo
1126 Averroes born in Cordoba (dies 1196 in Marrakesh)
1135 Maimonides born in Cordoba (dies 1204 in Cairo)
1140s–1220s Almohads control Al-Andalus
1147 The Second Crusade gets sidetracked by the Christian conquest of Lisbon
1165 Ibn al-Arabi born in Murcia (dies 1240 in Damascus)
1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa: major Christian victory
1232 Nasrid dynasty begins reign over Granada
1236 Christian King Ferdinand III conquers Cordoba
1238 Christian King James I ‘the Conqueror’ takes Valencia
1248 Ferdinand conquers Seville
1391 First big pogroms against the Jewish community in Christian-held territory
1479 Castille and Aragon unite
1481 Inquisition set up
1492 Granada falls; Jews expelled from Spain; Columbus discovers America
1526 Moors (now called Moriscos) forced to convert and banned from reading and writing Arabic
1568 Morisco revolt begins in the Alpujarras
1609 Moriscos expelled from Spain
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