#emirate of granada

[purplelinks]

4/14/2025: 4

[memories-of-ancients]

Gold pedant necklace, Emirate of Granada, Islamic Spain, 14th-15th century

from The National Archaeological Museum, Madrid

[whencyclopedia]

Leo Africanus

Leo Africanus (al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Wazzan al-Fasi al-Granati, 1485-1554) was a diplomat, merchant traveller and scholar who famously voyaged from Timbuktu to the Niger River and wrote 'The History and Description of Africa' (La Descrittione dell'Africa, 1526). Captured by Mediterranean pirates, he so impressed them with his learning and linguistic ability, that they gifted him as a slave to Pope Leo X (1498 -1526).

Leo Africanus was born into a family of clerics and accountants to the court of the Nasrid Dynasty (1238-1492) of Granada during the last days of their rule over the Emirate of Granada. Hasan was baptised Johannes Leo Africanus, and known in Italian as Giovanni Leone. He trained as an Islamic scholar and became a diplomat, travelling across West Africa, from Cairo and Aswan across to the Hejaz and Syria. It was during his return journey from Egypt that he was kidnapped by Mediterranean Christian pirates and ended up becoming a slave to the Vatican Pope Leo X (born Giovanni de’ Medici). Pope Leo X offered Hasan his freedom on condition that he converted to Christianity.

Leo Africanus' scholarship and translations from Arabic inspired early modern ideas of Africa and the Islamic world. His work Descrittione dell'Africa became a blueprint for European explorers seeking to monopolise trade and resources from the African subcontinent. Some historians believe that William Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) Othello is based on Leo Africanus. Descrittione dell'Africa was widely read in Europe. It became an important resource and guidebook on Africa, until the European colonisation during the 19th century.

Hasan al-Wazzan

Hasan al-Wazzan’s father, Ahmad al-Wazzan was a cleric in the court of Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII (c. 1460–1533), known in Europe as Boabdil. Hasan’s forbearers worked as aids to the court muhtasib of Granada – a magistrate who oversaw merchant trade and accounts, while also upholding morality and decorum in the public sphere. Hasan grew up alongside his father and grandfather under the influence of the Nasrid court. As a child, he spoke Arabic at home and Spanish in the streets.

Leo Africanus as Shakespeare's Othello

Théodore Chassériau (Public Domain)

In 1492, after a decade long war, Boabdil surrendered Granada to the Spanish Catholic monarchs Isabella I of Castile (1451-1504) and Ferdinand II, King of Aragon (1452 –1516), marking the end of 700 years of Muslim rule. Hasan’s family may have left Granada before 1492, or they could have stayed until the Reconquista. Hasan was a young child when his family, like many Andalusian migrants, fled persecution under the new Christian monarchs, crossing the Mediterranean to settle in Fez. Luckily Hasan’s family was well connected thanks to his uncle, already settled in Fez, who was a diplomat to the Wattasid rulers, serving Sultan Muhammad al-Shaykh (1490-1557). Consequently, they secured a home in a prominent quarter of Fez. His father purchased land north of the Rif Mountains and rented a castle above Fez. Other emigrant families from Granada however struggled greatly in Fez and complained publicly.

Continue reading...

[pinturasdeguerra]

1482-1492 Guerra de Granada, bombarda - Angus McBride

The Reconquista was only completed after the improvement of artillery in late 15th century which enabled the conquest of the Emirate of Granada. The Granadine fortresses situated on difficult terrain would make this conquest too costly without such powerful siege weapons.

[ofliterarynature]

TBR TAKEDOWN: GOODREADS, WEEK 17.b

The Bird King by G Willow Wilson

I'm trying to trim down my tbr list(s) and I'm asking for your help! Descriptions and more info under the cut. Please reblog and add your thoughts!

* * * *

From award-winning author G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King is an epic journey set during the reign of the last sultan in the Iberian peninsula at the height of the Spanish Inquisition.

G. Willow Wilson's debut novel Alif the Unseen was an NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and it established her as a vital American Muslim literary voice. Now she delivers The Bird King, a stunning new novel that tells the story of Fatima, a concubine in the royal court of Granada, the last emirate of Muslim Spain, and her dearest friend Hassan, the palace mapmaker. Hassan has a secret--he can draw maps of places he's never seen and bend the shape of reality. When representatives of the newly formed Spanish monarchy arrive to negotiate the sultan's surrender, Fatima befriends one of the women, not realizing that she will see Hassan's gift as sorcery and a threat to Christian Spanish rule. With their freedoms at stake, what will Fatima risk to save Hassan and escape the palace walls? As Fatima and Hassan traverse Spain with the help of a clever jinn to find safety, The Bird King asks us to consider what love is and the price of freedom at a time when the West and the Muslim world were not yet separate.

Date added: 2019

Goodreads: 3.73

Storygraph: 3.75

PRO:

Historical magical realism?!?!!!!!

Political intrigue perhaps?

Available from my library in print and ebook

CON:

NOT available from the library in my preferred format (audiobook) (unless I want a book on CD. lmao WHY)

[noosphe-re]

Motto of the Emirate of Granada (Nasrid Kingdom of Granada): Wala ghaliba illa Allah (Arabic: ولا غالب إلا الله, lit. 'There is no victor but God')

[beevean]

I noticed you were confused by Julia being French in the 5th chapter of Sarabande of Healing. In the game, Julia chalked up her past (and that of her brother Isaac) to a single line of dialogue:

"A witch. I escaped from the western lands, where we were hunted like vermin."

The notable countries west of mainland Europe are France, Portugal, and Spain. And France was most well-known for having the large-scale witch hunts across the continent, having 2000 witch trials in total. While that specific era began in the year 1550 all the way to the 1700s, there were some records that witches were already being persecuted way back in the early 14th century.

Honestly, had they stuck with the original Isaac for the show, this backstory alone is reason enough for why he held so much hatred for humans and also why he stood for Dracula despite his atrocities. He and Julia might've seen their family die due to the witch hunts, and they both had their way of coping with it. Watching his master's wife die the same way as the supposed "witches" in his homeland must've triggered his inner trauma.

Or it could be because their surname sounds French.

I think Julia and Isaac are Italian, actually!

It's very possible that "Laforeze" was meant to be spelled "Laforese", with an S. Although rare, that's an Italian surname, which I was able to find in the Apulian region - the Kingdom of Naples, back then. Furthermore, Julia in Italian is spelled Giulia and pronounced exactly the same.

(Isaac should be Isacco, though, which pains my soul)

Italy as a country is basically Southwest Europe lol. Depending on the region, we're culturally close to France, Spain and Greece. So when Julia says she fled from the West, I can see her meaning one of the Italian states. Alternatively, she could be Spanish - aside from the obvious Inquisition reasons, I remember someone proposing this theory based on the fact that her theme is called Sarabande of Healing, the sarabande being a Spanish genre.

I didnt't know that about France, though, TIL!

As for Isaac's backstory, well, in the games it's heavily implied that he too fled from persecution for being a sorcerer and found refuge at Dracula's castle, and that's why he didn't mind following Dracula's plan of mass slaughter. It makes his execution of Rosaly even more cruel, if you think about it. And as for the show, I will never stop insisting that it would have been so clever if he fled from the Reconquista of the Emirate of Granada: the timeline matches! It would have been more original and historically accurate than "black man is slave of evil white man". You wanted to make him Muslim and not white, commit.

[reynoldsrap4949]

The Alhambra, situated in a forest above the city of Granada was started in 1238 by the first Nasrid emir. The Emirate of Granada was the last Muslim state of Al-Andalus. A fortress and Royal Palace, construction and renovation, planting of gardens and water features evolved through the centuries. In 1492, after the Reconquista, Isabel and Ferdinand made it their Royal Court. They knew fine workmanship when they saw it. Columbus received his royal endorsements for his expeditions here. Over time it fell into disrepair until Washington Irving and other romantic travelers wrote about. Restoration was undertaken. The photos speak for it’s beauty. Tickets are required and sold out weeks in advance.

There are many paths/stairs up and down. My favorite downhill was past the little resturaunt/bar. A fabulous view then walk into town along a stream. This is a 10 star!

[davidstanleytravel]

The 14th century Castillo de Gibralfaro in Málaga, Spain, was built by the Nasrid emirs of Granada to defend the Alcazaba below.

[happyqalb]

Dari Saqifah sampai Andalusia 🥹🤍

Part 1

Inget ya peristiwa Saqifah bani Sya'idah, moment pemilihan Khalifah pertama. Bagaimana Anshar menerima keputusan dengan lapang, meski awalnya Sa'ad bin Ubadah pemimpin suku Khazraj itu menentang keras.

Jauh kemudian di masa depan, kita mengenal Granada, ialah benteng terakhir umat islam di Andalus, Spanyol. Pendirinya adalah orang Asy'adi (Bani Syaidah).

Iya, Bani Ahmar di dirikan oleh Muhammad bin Yusuf bin Nasr bin Ahmad Asy'aidi al khazraji al Anshari.

Keemiran Granda di bawah dinasti Nasrid adalah yang paling lama berkuasa di Andalus hampir 300 tahun.

Sampai thn 1727 islam benar-benar padam di Eropa dicabut sampai ke akar-akarnya, dibantai dan di habisi.

Emir terakhir Granda, Muhammad 13 terusir dan menangis melihat istana Al Hambra untuk terkahir kalinya. Kata ibunya, "Jangan menangis seperti perempuan terhadap hal yg tak bisa kau pertahankan sebagai laki-laki".

Dengan segala kisah jaya dan jatuhnya Andalus, aku ingin ingat bahwa Khazraj Anshar sekeren itu. Masya'Allah.

[purplelinks]

1/22/2025: 2

[neonlight2]

Chapter 4: Trials of Power

Masterlist

...

The challenge had been set. Princess Maria of Castile had made it clear—she would not be won by sweet words alone. If Juan and Cesare Borgia wanted her, they would have to prove their worth through action.

Neither brother intended to lose.

Juan’s Gambit

Juan moved quickly. He knew that the best way to impress Maria was through spectacle—glory won on the battlefield, the kind of victory that could not be ignored. Spain was still threatened by remnants of the Nasrid Emirate in the south, and while Maria’s parents had driven the Moors from Granada, there were still whispers of uprisings, of factions unwilling to yield.

Juan saw an opportunity.

Within weeks, he had rallied a force under the banner of Castile, swearing before the court that he would ride to the frontier and stamp out any sign of rebellion in Maria’s name. He wanted her to see him as a conqueror, a warrior worthy of a queen’s hand.

Before he left, he stood before Maria in the courtyard, clad in his finest armor, the sun gleaming off his polished breastplate. A crowd had gathered to watch him depart.

“Mark my words, Princess,” Juan declared, loud enough for all to hear. “When I return, it will be with the heads of your enemies at my feet.”

Maria, seated in her place of honor, regarded him with an impassive expression. “Do not make promises lightly, Juan. A man is only as strong as the victories he keeps.”

Juan smirked, bowing deeply. “Then you shall see how strong I truly am.”

With that, he rode off, his soldiers trailing behind him in a cloud of dust.

Cesare’s Strategy

Unlike Juan, Cesare had no intention of chasing glory on the battlefield—not yet. He knew that Maria did not just need a man who could fight. She needed one who could secure her throne before she even wore the crown.

So while Juan sought to prove himself with war, Cesare played the game of politics.

He met with nobles in secret, learning who among them harbored ambitions of their own. He bribed courtiers, whispered into the ears of Spain’s most powerful men, and uncovered plots that threatened Maria’s future rule. More importantly, he made certain that when the time came, Maria would not simply ascend the throne—she would command it without opposition.

One night, he requested an audience with her.

She met him in a quiet chamber, away from prying eyes. A single candle burned between them, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls.

“You have not left to fight like your brother,” Maria observed, studying him. “Is this your way of conceding?”

Cesare smirked. “Juan plays at war. I play for the crown.”

She tilted her head. “And what crown is that?”

“The one that will be placed upon your head,” Cesare said smoothly. “A queen does not need a husband who can wield a sword. She needs one who can make certain she keeps her throne once it is hers.”

Maria leaned forward slightly. “And you think you can do that?”

“I know I can,” he murmured. “I have already uncovered three plots against your future reign. Men who whisper of replacing you with a cousin, a brother, even a distant French alliance.” He watched her reaction carefully. “But I have ensured their silence. They will not challenge you.”

Maria’s expression did not change, but something in her eyes shifted—interest, calculation. “And what is your price for such loyalty?”

Cesare smiled, but it was not soft. It was the smile of a man who had already decided what he wanted.

“You know what I want.”

Maria held his gaze, and for the first time, she did not look away.

The Reckoning

Weeks passed.

Juan returned from his campaign, victorious and full of pride. He paraded through the streets of the palace, his soldiers cheering as he presented Maria with the spoils of war—gold, banners stripped from fallen enemies, and even prisoners captured in battle.

He stood before her in the grand hall, triumphant. “I have done as I promised, Princess. I have won in your name.”

Maria regarded him, her expression unreadable. “A bold display.”

Juan grinned. “And proof that I am the man you need at your side.”

Before Maria could respond, Cesare stepped forward.

“And yet, while you were chasing battles, Maria’s enemies within this very court were sharpening their knives,” he said, his voice calm but cutting. “They did not fear your victories, Juan. They feared what she might become. I made certain they no longer had a choice.”

Juan scowled. “You scheme in the shadows while I fight in the light.”

“And yet, in the end,” Cesare said, turning to Maria, “which of us has done more to secure your rule?”

Maria sat in silence for a long moment, looking between them.

“You both have given me much,” she finally said. “And yet, there is still one thing neither of you have proven.”

Juan frowned. “And what is that?”

Maria stood, her gaze sharp and unwavering. “That I can trust you.”

The brothers tensed.

She smiled faintly. “And I will not make my decision until I know who among you is truly loyal to me—and no one else.”

The game was not over. It had only just begun.

[thelovelygods]

Known as the gateway to the Alpujarra mountains in Andalusía’s Granada province, Órgiva is also one of Spain’s most culturally diverse places, a bustling market town of around 6,000 people and according to the local council, home to 68 different nationalities.

And Baraka, a restaurant and tearoom with tables and chairs outside on a quiet street in the town center, is a pleasant reminder of Órgiva’s relaxed multiculturalism. It’s run by 41-year-old Pedro Barrio, a former wine taster and restaurant owner from Bilbao who changed his name to Qasim when he converted to Islam more than a decade ago.

Like around 35 other families in Órgiva’s Spanish Islamic community, Qasim adheres to Sufism, described by 14th-century Arab historian Ibn Khaldun as “dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone.”

Qasim says his faith gives him “hope and security,” but admits it has also caused him problems, particularly with his family and friends, who have come to associate Islam with jihadists and Salafists, and a radical interpretation of the Koran. Spain’s Sufi community has also been monitored by the National Intelligence Center.

Mansur, formerly José Carlos Sánchez, explains that Sufis live in the world without necessarily being of this world. “Every day I ask Allah to help me convert my ego into my prayer mat,” says the 41-year-old university graduate. “There is an undoubted rejection of Muslims in our society.”

His wife, Bahía (María José Villa), aged 35, agrees: “We converts are seen as strange. Islam isn’t what people think it is. Islam is peace. Islam is asking God for love, so that you can share that love with others. Unless your intention in life is to become pure love, then your Islam makes no sense.”

Muhammad Iskander, a former merchant seaman in his mid-fifties, says it is precisely the pacifist element of Sufism that Islamist radicals find so hard to accept: “They do not tolerate us, and are trying to abrogate the Koran’s message of mercy for that of the sword.”

Most Spanish Sufis belong to the Naqshbandi order, which traces its spiritual lineage back to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, the first Caliph and a companion of the prophet Muhammad. The order’s emir in Spain is Umar (formerly Felipe Margarit), who was appointed in the mid-1970s by Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani, the leader of the Naqshbandi order who died in May of last year at the age of 92.

Umar describes the Naqshbandi order as “a cross between a spiritual center and a hospital. “Nazim welcomed all those who had been wounded by our society. He described himself as a zero, saying his life was only meaningful if God, the One, was at his side. His son, who has succeeded him, believes the same.”

There are around 1,200 Naqshbandi Sufis in Spain, and the largest community is to be found in Órgiva. The reason for this is a happy accident: it’s where Umar was living before he converted to Islam. And once he had been proclaimed emir by Shaykh Nazim, those Spanish Sufi Muslims who could, moved to the town. The second-largest Sufi community in Spain is in Villanueva de la Vera, in the western province of Cáceres.

Amid weak winter sunshine, a group of Sufi farmers gathers olives in the mountains that surround Órgiva. They and their families live a simple life, but are not isolated from the world, like other religious groups such as the Amish are. They are connected to the internet, watch television, and read newspapers, and their children attend local schools.

On Thursdays at nightfall, the community meets in the dargah, a temple hidden away in the olive and orange groves around three kilometers outside Órgiva to celebrate the dhikr, or the recitation of the names of Allah, along with the hadra, a meditational process that consists of intoning a series of chants in praise of God, accompanied by rhythmic swaying and percussion.

“This reminds us of the moment when God filled Adam with breath,” says Amin (Andrés Fernández). “On Fridays, the holy day of Islam, we also celebrate Jummah prayers, and then the community sits to eat together. All our prayers are recited in Arabic, although that is all we know of the language. Our Islamic education has come from many sources, from conversations with other, wiser, brothers, and from the Shaykh’s sermons. The Naqshbandi are probably the least intellectual of the Sufis: we are more interested in the heart.”

Around 500 kilometers away, in Cáceres, is the tiny community of Aldea Tudal, a district of Villanueva de la Vera, which is home to Spain’s second-largest Naqshbandi Sufi community, led by Abdul Wahid (Cristóbal Martín). In the outskirts of the village, we’re met by Omar Ibrahim, originally from Madrid, but who lived in Germany for 35 years, where he ran a chain of restaurants: “Then I sold up and came to live here.”

It’s Thursday, and Omar is waiting for his fellow Sufis to arrive at his house, which doubles as the community’s dargah, to celebrate dhikr. “I converted to Islam almost 30 years ago. That was when I first felt like a true Christian. There is no contradiction, because Jesus Christ is respected as a prophet in Islam. We believe in the saints: we venerate their tombs and their relics. This distinguishes us from other Muslims,” says Omar.

He goes on to explain why Spanish converts to Sufism have adopted new, Arabic names. “You choose your Arabic name. This new name expresses the essence of who you really are and the disciple aspires to reach its meaning. Omar, for example, means force or sustenance.”

As with the community living in Órgiva, the Sufis of Villanueva de la Vera are all Spanish. “In fact, there is only one Moroccan here,” says Yamaluddin (Juan Andrés Molina). The bearded 44-year-old from Madrid is wearing the traditional Naqshbandi ring as worn by Muhammad, along with a waistcoat and baggy pants, and a green turban that will eventually serve as his winding sheet when his naked body is buried.

Sufi women also wear ample, baggy clothing, along with a headscarf, as 41-year-old Hawa (Ana Rosa Soto) explains: “Women should dress modestly. But we also cover ourselves to protect two energy centers on our body: the head and the throat. Thanks to Islam, I have recovered my femininity,” she says. “And nobody has ever given me any problems for dressing like this.”

Mariam Sakina Scott, who was born a Muslim in Órgiva 22 years ago, to American and Spanish parents who had converted to Islam, says that wearing the headscarf has created problems for her, particularly at school. “Everybody knew I was a Muslim, but I don’t make a big deal about it. In our society, there is this idea that Islam is a fanatical religion. But people have absolutely no idea about Sufism. There are people who ask me if I belong to a sect. I tell them that Sufism is about respect and love between all God’s creatures.”

Shaykh Umar Magarit explains that Sufism “obliges us to ask who we are in reality. And that question can only be answered by looking for Allah in our hearts. And to do that, Sufis comply with all the precepts of Islam, and then try to transcend them.”

The Salafists in Egypt and Libya, as well as the Taliban in Pakistan, have all persecuted Sufi communities, branding them heretics. But Sufism is an integral and ancient part of Islam, and some studies suggest it even predates Muhammad, and emerged in Khorasan in what is today Iran as a result of Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and Greek philosophical thinking, along with shamanistic influences from Central Asia.

Sufis say that while their religion is embedded within Islam, its purpose is the same as all the great monotheistic faiths: union with God. The only way to achieve this is through unconditional love for everything and everybody. Ibn Arabi, the Sufi mystical poet who lived in Spain in the 12th century, wrote: “My heart can adapt to all forms. It is pasture for gazelles. And a monastery for Christian monks, and a temple for idols, and the Kaaba of the pilgrims, and the tables of the Torah, and the book of the Koran. Because I follow the religion of love.”

[crisvesan]

FRUTOS SILVESTRES de Otoño

La Granada...

"Dentro de su enorme terreno ajardinado, al Rusafa contaba con un soberbio granado enviado desde Siria por la hermana de Abd al-Rahman. El cortesano Safar plantó sus semillas en un jardín experimental cerca de Málaga, cuando creció se las envió a Abd-al- Rahman. El emir admiró su descubrimiento... Aquella especie de granado se extendió y la gente plantaba huertos enteros..."

Se le considera símbolo de amor y fecundidad. Por su longevidad es usado frecuentemente como elemento ornamental, e incluso puede ser cultivado en macetas. Tiene propiedades medicinales. La corteza de la raiz es venenosa. Con los frutos puede fabricarse un colorante amarillo para tejidos.

Fuente: Guía de plantas

[nanshe-of-nina]

There was no one "Moorish Empire" in Spain that lasted from 711 to 1492.

There was the Emirate and Caliphate of the Córdoba, the independent Taifa kingdoms, the Almoravids, the Almohad Caliphate, and finally the Nasrid Emirate of Granada.

All were ruled by different families of different origins: the Umayyads of Córdoba and Nasrids of Granada were Arab, the Taifa kings varied, but were mostly Arab, and the Almoravids and Almohads were both Berber.

Nor did they have the same geographic power base. The Umayyads were based in Córdoba, the Almoravids and Almohads in Marrakesh, and the Nasrids in Granada.

It wouldn’t be historically accurate for my story to include BIPOC!

This is an argument often made about European-style fantasy media like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Disney’s Frozen. Audiences, often white, assume that due to the majority-white setting, adding any visible number of BIPOC to the story would be unrealistic.

What these critics fail to realize is that BIPOC do in fact live, and have lived, in these settings, and records of BIPOC presence in places assumed to be majority-white have been buried, written out, or not taught due to white supremacist and/or colonial bias in the field of history. There are historical European settings that were far more diverse than is often portrayed. Consider:

The Moorish Empire exerted an extensive influence over life and culture in Southern Europe from Spain from 711 to 1492

The Ottomans were heavily involved in European affairs up until the treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, but still considered a part of Europe even through the 19th century

The sheer size of the Roman Empire ensured the continued movement of people from various backgrounds within the Mediterranean well until the end of the Byzantine Empire.

“Historical accuracy” should not be used as an excuse for media to be exclusively white in its casting. While there are places which are or were predominantly white, there will always be factors like global trade and immigration that bring multiculturalism to their doors.

And even if the presence of a certain demographic is unrealistic for a certain setting? Consider that we’ve accepted far worse inaccuracies in historical fiction in the name of artistic license. Consider that our understanding of human history is, and will always be, incomplete.

Further Reading:

Historically Diverse London, “Historical Accuracy,” and Creator Accountability

Making a Black Pride and Prejudice Resonate

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This Q&A is an excerpt from our General FAQ for Newcomers, which can be found in our new Masterpost of rules and FAQs. If you're new to Writing With Color and/or want more writing resources, check it out!

-Writing With Color

[iniwo]

La Alhambra es una joya arquitectónica andalusí situada en Granada, España, que combina historia, arte y simbolismo en un entorno único. Su nombre proviene del árabe al-Ḥamrāʼ, que significa “la Roja”, probablemente por el tono rojizo de sus muros al atardecer.

🏰 ¿Qué es la Alhambra?

• Es un complejo monumental que incluye palacios, jardines y una fortaleza (la Alcazaba).

• Fue residencia de los emires nazaríes y más tarde de los Reyes Católicos.

Fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO en 1984 y sigue siendo uno de los destinos más visitados de España.