Paradise Lost: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in al-Andalus

From the beginning of the 8th to the beginning of the 17th century, Islam played a crucial role in the history of the Iberian peninsula. Today this period is often portrayed as one of inter-religious harmony, while al-Andalus is simultaneously mourned in contemporary Islamist discourse as a lost paradise. In this course we will investigate the rich and complex history of al-Andalus, focusing on the changing relationships between Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities.