Arabic Spain Sidelights on Her History and Art

Soon after their arrival in Spain the authors realized that the early Muslim art of Seville was curiously different from that of Cordova. This fascinated them and they undertook eight years of study in Seville, making use of the resources available to them in the city's libraries to bring their audience this history of the Muslims in Spain. The study was first published in 1912. Concentrating on Seville, they provide a chronological narrative of Spain from the Muslim invasion of 711 until the Reconquista of the fifteenth century. The scene is set for the invasion by an evaluation of the situation under the Goths. Following this the many influences on the culture and civilization of Andalucia are discussed, and how the richness of Roman and Gothic art and architecture was augmented by the Yemenite Arabs and Coptic Egyptians. The book concludes with an examination of the events following the Reconquista in Spain, and of the Arabs' lasting visual impact on Spanish history.