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Europe<br />
Legacy of the Moors<br />
Spain and Morocco are both nations with rich and<br />
colorful histories influenced by many cultures down<br />
through the centuries — but perhaps by none more<br />
so than that of the Moors. The Moorish presence here<br />
began when Muslims from eastern North Africa,<br />
including Berbers and Arabs, expanded westward<br />
and northward across the Mediterranean Sea. In 711,<br />
they conquered Visigothic Hispania (the Iberian<br />
Peninsula). Later, the Berber Revolt in the Maghreb<br />
— a region that includes modern-day Morocco — led<br />
to eventual Moorish rule along the southern coast of<br />
the Mediterranean.<br />
Over the next 700 years, the Moors developed a culture<br />
devoted to Islam while remaining comparatively<br />
tolerant of other religions. They built magnificent<br />
mosques and impressive seats of learning, including<br />
some of the oldest continuously operating universities<br />
in the world. Christian Europeans waged a centurieslong<br />
war dubbed the Reconquista to reclaim Iberia,<br />
which culminated in 1492. Moorish power later faded<br />
across Morocco as well.<br />
Today, A&K’s superb Resident Tour Directors and local<br />
guides excel at providing visitors with an in-depth<br />
understanding of the Moors’ legacy of lyrical architecture,<br />
tantalizing cuisine and commitment to education,<br />
which still influences life throughout the region.<br />
92 <strong>2024</strong> <strong>Luxury</strong> <strong>Small</strong> <strong>Group</strong> <strong>Journeys</strong>
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