-
Muhammad Ibn Abdullah was born in 570 -
Mecca, the birthplace of Muhammad, was a large city with a population of more than 10000 population -
Muhammad often went to meditate in a cave on Mount Hira.Here, according to the Koran, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and announced that he was the new prophet chosen by Allah -
Muhammad died, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. They also conquered the Berber tribes in North Africa, took over most of the Iberian Peninsula -
The first four caliphs, who ruled between 632 and 661, were chosen from Muhammad´s family members. However, this created a divide between the Muslims:
-The Shia belived the caliph should be a direct descendent of Muhammad.
-The Sunnis stressed the importance of the sunnah (traditional Muslim Laws) and thought he should be chosen from the most devout believers. -
The Umayyad dynasty from syria seized power (661-750) and made Damascus the capital.They led a great expansion, conquering the Iberian Peninsula and other regions. -
They also conquered the Berber tribes in North Africa, took over most of the Iberian Peninsula -
The Muslims were beaten in the Battle of Poiters and forced to retreat south of the Pyrenees. -
In 750, the caliphs in Damascus were overthrown by the Abbasids of Baghdad.The las member of the Umayyad family, Prince Abd al Rahman, fled to Al-Andalus in 756 -
In the early 10 century, the Emirate of Córdoba faced numerous problems:internal rebellions,attacks by the Christian kingdoms -
-
froom 1008, the Caliphate began to break up.The aristocracy, senior civil servants and the army fought for power.By power 1031, Al-Andalus was divided into more than 25 independent kingdoms called taifas -
The only territory that survived the Christian advance of the 13 century was the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.Granada was one of the most important cultural and commercial centres in Europe
You are not authorized to access this page.