The Moors of Spain

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The Moors of Spain Geography The Moors took over the entire southern part of Spain, but after being conquered, Granada was the only city that they could call their own. Religion The city of Granada is located where the Sierra Nevada mountains and plain of the vega meet. These mountains provide water to Granada in the form of melted snow. The Moors were Islamic, and although they tolerated the Christians and Jews that inhabited Spain, they taxed them higher than those who shared their beliefs. Shown above is a koran, or a muslim bible, which is the bible that the Moors used. Achievements When the Moors ruled Spain, they made many very notable achievements. The Moors invented the first almanac and clock. Also, the Moors invented the first real hospitals and showed Europe proper medicine and medical practices. Rather than Roman Numerals that were still widely used around the world, the Moors invented the numbers we use today (ex. 1,2,3 etc.) Political System Feudalism spread all across Spain. As a result, the Moors organized their society with Feudalism. Feudalism can best be described as a pyramid, with the king on top, followed by the nobles, the knights, and the peasants. Economics The Moors brought with them much more knowledge than anyone in Spain had. For example, they brought much better ideas of irrigation, and introduced many new fruits and vegetables. The Moors brought not only their agricultural expertise, but also many plants such as oranges, lemons, peaches, apricots, pomegranates, figs, sugar cane, cotton, and much more. Many of these items remain to be some of Spain's top exports. Besides farmers, some other trades were things such as blacksmiths, scholars, and more. Social Structure During the Middle Ages when the Moors ruled, your stand on the pyramid of feudalism determined your importance and your day-to-day life. Shown below is what a peasant's home looked like. It was constructed of manure, straw, and mud. Their homes were very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. Obviously, peasants did not have the best living conditions. On the other hand, the king, the ruler of the land, had many privileges. For example, they could go into any home and stay as long as they'd like, they got to live in magnificent houses, and were treated much better overall than anyone else on the feudal pyramid.

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