Tariq ibn Ziyad
Commander who crossed the strait from North Africa and opened Iberia to the Muslims.
Era 4 of 12 · Station four
Al-Andalus
In 711 CE a commander named Tariq ibn Ziyad lands on a great rock at the southern tip of Iberia. It carries his name to this day: Jabal Tariq, the Mountain of Tariq, or Gibraltar. What followed was almost eight centuries of Muslim rule in Iberia, from the libraries of Córdoba to the palaces of the Alhambra.
Who led, and when
Six who shaped the era
The rulers who shaped the era, in order.
Abd al-Rahman I
An Umayyad prince who escaped the Abbasids and founded the Emirate of Córdoba.
Abd al-Rahman III
Took the title of caliph in 929 and made Córdoba a leading city of the age.
Yusuf ibn Tashfin
Almoravid ruler who came from North Africa and won the battle of Zallaqa in 1086.
Muhammad I ibn al-Ahmar
Founded the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.
Muhammad XII
The last Nasrid ruler, who surrendered Granada in 1492.
The lands of the era
From Córdoba to Zaragoza
Al-Andalus was the name Muslims gave to the lands of Iberia under their rule. Its borders moved north and south over the centuries and finally shrank to the kingdom of Granada.
- CórdobaCapital of the emirate and caliphate
- SevilleGreat city on the Guadalquivir
- ToledoFrontier city, lost in 1085
- GranadaLast Muslim kingdom, until 1492
- ZaragozaNorthern kingdom in the Ebro valley
This map is a simple sketch to help you picture where events took place. Positions, distances and borders are approximate, so please use it for reference only, not as an accurate map.
At a glance
The era in six facts
The years, the people, the places, and what the era left behind.
- Years
- 711–1492 CE711–1492 CE, which is 92–897 AH, a span of almost eight centuries from the strait to Granada.
- Rulers
- Governors and emirs, then the caliphs of Córdoba, the taifa kings, the Almoravids, the Almohads and the Nasrids.
- Capital
- Córdoba for most of the early period, with Seville and later Granada as major seats.
- Lands
- Most of Iberia at first, then a shrinking territory in the south, until only Granada remained.
- Turning points
- The landing of 711, the Caliphate of Córdoba in 929, the breakup into small kingdoms in 1031 and the surrender of Granada in 1492.
- Legacy
- The Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Alhambra still stand, Arabic learning passed to Europe, and hundreds of Spanish words come from Arabic.
Key moments
Six stops on the road
- 1Tariq crosses the straitA force from North Africa lands in Iberia and wins a decisive battle.
- 2Abd al-Rahman I reaches CórdobaThe prince founds an Umayyad emirate in Iberia.
- 3The Caliphate of CórdobaAbd al-Rahman III takes the title of caliph.
- 4The caliphate endsThe state breaks into many small kingdoms, known as the taifas.
- 5The Nasrid kingdom of GranadaMuhammad I ibn al-Ahmar establishes the last Muslim kingdom in Iberia.
- 6Granada surrendersThe last Muslim kingdom in Iberia ends after a treaty with Castile and Aragon.
The chapters
Read the era, in six parts
Six short chapters take you through the era in order.
- 01Tariq crosses the strait711Tariq ibn Ziyad crosses from North Africa, and a decisive battle opens Iberia.Read
- 02Abd al-Rahman I and the Emirate of Córdoba756–912A prince escapes the Abbasids, reaches Córdoba and builds a lasting state.Read
- 03The Caliphate of Córdoba and Madinat al-Zahra929–1031Córdoba becomes one of Europe's great cities, with a palace-city rising outside its walls.Read
- 04The taifas, the Almoravids and the Almohads1031–1212Small kingdoms rise, then rulers from North Africa arrive.Read
- 05Granada and the Alhambra1238–1492The Nasrids hold Granada for over two centuries and raise the Alhambra.Read
- 06The fall of Granada (1492) and what came afterGranada surrenders in 1492, and the Muslims who remained faced hard choices.Read
Rihla · a journey to play
A journey for this era is on the way
Follow this era in Rihla, Journey 3: Al-Andalus, from Tariq's crossing to Granada and the Alhambra.
Sources
Sources for this era
The books, lectures and maps behind this page are listed on our Sources page.
- Classical history
- Modern study
- Lecture series
- Map & atlas
How we choose sources
Classical histories first, checked against trusted modern scholarship. Approximate dates carry a “c.”
Athar’s sources