As I write this, the ABC is showing the second and final part of, When The Moors Ruled Europe, a fascinating documentary on the Moors in Andalusia. It’s worth watching as it contains more than a few surprises. For example, who knew that Spanish hero Guzman el Bueno was, according to evidence uncovered by his contemporary ancestors, a Muslim?
English historian Bettany Hughes presents the second of a fascinating two-part series on the contribution the Muslims made to modern Europe during their 700-year reign in Spain, which ended with the Spanish Inquisition in the 14th century.
Hughes continues to unfurl the stunning Spanish travelogue of Part One of When the Moors Ruled in Europe, as she reveals the compelling history of the rise and fall of Islam in the West.
Al Andalus, as the Islamist Moors called their Spanish settlement, was the centre of massive intellectual and cultural revolution and many modern practices in mathematics, architecture and chemistry stem from knowledge developed there.
And along the way, Hughes reveals some surprises in the complicated and messy relationship between Islamic and Catholic Spain, shedding some shocking new light on the brutal Holy War between the two.
For those who missed it, you can watch it over the fold.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-768956312207897325