Abla AwadallahArabic 25017 April 2014Mustapha KamalLegacy of Al-AndalusMuslims once ruled Spain and had enormous power over the region and influenced many aspects of the European way of life that we see now days. The Arabs occupied the Iberian Peninsula from 711 to 1492 and gave it the name Al-Andalus. The Arabs ruled Spain for a long period of time but were eventually defeated and had to leave, but to this day the Arab influence is alive and clear. Even though decades have passed since the Muslims left Spain, the heritage of Al-Andalus continues to live on daily and the heritage of Al-Andalus is the foundation of present-day Spain, in language, architecture and literature.First of all when the Arabs invaded Spain, the Arabic language did not exist, but as the occupation became more entrenched, the Arabic language spread widely and began to become the standard language of intellectuals and sciences. At that time the influence became very high and the Arab civilization became more advanced than that of Western Europe. The Arabic language became very influential in many aspects, for example literature played an important role. The Arab poets of Al-Andalus became famous for their poetry and began to influence Western literature. Many poets of Al-Andlus talked about love and the relationship between men and women in their poetry and this influenced many Western poets. This was a literally brilliant period, when the authors of Al-Andalus began to emerge, their work becoming classics that have been passed down from generation to generation in both oral and written form. Even after the reconquest of Iberia these works became known to the Spanish world and their influence is visible in Spanish literature. For example, Al-Andlus prose has...... middle of paper......thedral (Al-Mohad Mosque), Giralda Tower Museum and Alcázar Palace (Al Qasr) and more. • Granada: Alhambra (fort, palaces and gardens), Albaicin (old Arab quarter) and New Mosque of Granada and more. Ultimately, the conquest of Iberia by the Muslims had many positive aspects for both sides. After the reconquest a New Spain emerged, we saw a great Islamic influence from literature, to art, to architecture. Muslims influenced Spain and Spain later influenced the man of its colonies, which shows how far-reaching the influence of Islam had been. Work Cited Dworkin, Steven N. (2012). A history of the Spanish lexicon: a linguistic perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press. http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/society/customs/arab-influence-on-spanish-lingual-and-culture.asp Descriptions by Ibn Arabi, Ibn Bashkuwal, Al-Maqqari and contemporary chroniclers