MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together in the Spanish lands in the Medieval centuries. The three groups coexisted peacefully during part of the Middle Ages, but from the late 14th century Muslims minorities and Jewish, especially the latter, suffered violent persecution which made it difficult for his life in the territory. All of them, almost always, were tolerant of the traditions and religions of others.

The three cultures worship the same God but in different ways: The Muslims´ God is Allah and they follow the teaching of their holy book, the Koran; the Christians´ God is Christ and their holy book is the Bible and the Jews´ God is Yahveh and their holy book is the Torah.

Muslims                                                            Jews              Christians

MUSLIMS:

In the eight century (711-716) the Muslims conquered all of Spain called al-Andalus. They settled mainly in Granada and Cordoba. With people living in the occupied land, the Muslims respected their religion, both Christians and Jews. They demanded them tributes and part of the land. In the eight centuries that remained in the Iberian Peninsula they passed through various stages of organization: Caliphates, Emirates and Taifas. They left us samples of their great architecture like the Mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada and a wide variety of books, over 400.000.

                      

    Mosque of Granada

CHRISTIANS:

From the year 722 and for a long time, until 1492, Christians were gradually conquered the Iberian Peninsula and defeating and expelling Muslims and Jews. The population of these Christian kingdoms lived next to Muslims and the Jewish population, who had arrived in the Iberian Peninsula for centuries and their coexistence gave rise to a rich cultural exchange. The Christians created two constitutions: the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon. The Christians build great cathedrals, such us the Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña) and big castles.

                                                                 Cathedral of Toledo

JEWS:

The Jews formed in medieval Spain one of the most affluent communities in its history, both under Muslim rule as in the Christian kingdoms. They helped the Muslim in their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. They lived in communities called Aljamas. At first they lived very well and they were very successful economically, but then they´d to go to the northern Christian kingdoms. They transmitted to Christians all arabic knowledge. They excelled in the field of medicine, botany, geography, mathematics, philosophy and poetry and they gave us their knowledge. They were also responsible for collecting taxes until they were expelled in 1492. The Jews have left their architecture, such us synagogues and at present, there are still Jewish district in some cities.

Synagogue