When you think about the religious history of medieval Europe, you might think about the Christian crusades. Or the Viking conversion to Christianity. You might not immediately think about Islam.
But cultural exchange with Islam was deeply entrenched within Europe. Many parts Spain were ruled by Muslim caliphates and empires for almost 800 years, during which it was known as Al-Andalus and experienced immense innovations in culture, medicine, and etiquette.
“We are talking about a period of real scientific, philosophical, and cultural brilliance in a way that had never been witnessed in Europe,†Tharik Hussain, author of Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search a Fourteen Hundred Year History, says, speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast. “And it’s not just the Muslims that benefit from all of these wonderful advances in medicine. These advances continue to impact Europe for long after the caliphate culture disintegrates.â€
Europe's Muslim past
The Caliphate of Córdoba, also known as the Umayyad state of Córdoba, which lasted from 756 to 1031, was the longest standing dynasty in Al-Andalus during the 800 years of Muslim control.
But because “the winners write history,†Hussain says, much of the legacy of Muslim rule in Europe is left out of the history books thanks to anti-Muslim sentiment through the centuries – from anti-Muslim narratives arising from the crusades and enduring into “what was slowly becoming a united Christendom,†to anti-Ottoman narratives much later on.
This has led to the Muslim rule of Al-Andalus being consistently referred to as an ‘invasion' (even though it lasted longer than Europeans have lived in America) and its lasting legacies on the culture and medicine of Europe have been overlooked, Hussain says.
“This very, very enlightened culture offers the seeds of the Renaissance. And that’s really the biggest legacy,†Hussain says. “Because it’s from the Renaissance that we then get the Enlightenment – but when you start to really unpick it, you can see the line going straight back to this period.â€
The Cordovan Caliphate allowed impactful cultural exchange between the Islamic world and Europe
The Umayyad in Al-Andalus – modern-day Spain – and the Baghdadi caliphates in modern-day Iraq were “two historically rival factions running in tandem during this period,†Hussain says. But because of the distance between them, they didn't see each other as much of a threat.
“There is a degree of stability that means scholars are able to move across this Muslim commonwealth, which plays a huge part in the exchange of knowledge,†he says.
A quote from historian of medicine Victor Robinson, writing in 1931, sums up the cultural supremacy of the Caliphate of Córdoba well, Hussain says. Robinson writes:
“Europe was darkened at sunset, Cordova shone with public lamps; Europe was dirty, Cordova built a thousand baths; Europe was covered with vermin, Cordova changed its undergarments daily; Europe lay in mud, Cordova’s streets were paved; Europe’s palaces had smoke holes in the ceiling, Cordova’s arabesques were exquisite; Europe’s nobility could not sign its name, Cordova’s children went to school; Europe’s monks could not read the baptismal service, Cordova’s teachers created a library of Alexandrian dimensions.â€
One man was particularly impactful
A key player in this cultural exchange was Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi’ – better known as Ziryab. He was a musician, teacher, and polymath from Baghdad who arrived in Córdoba in 822 “like a rock star,†Hussain says, bringing with him norms and customs from “the great caliphate culture in Baghdad.â€
Ziryab was a huge influence on the music of Al-Andalus. He introduced new musical philosophies, established a training school for musicians, and brought over his knowledge of ten thousand songs, which historian Carl Davila writes “formed the basis for music in Cordova for generations.†Many of his ten children became musicians themselves, and he redesigned the lute.
He also brought over other cultural innovations from the Islamic world, particularly around fine dining.
Before Ziryab, people in Al-Andalus served food on plain tables and brought out all the dishes at once. But he is credited with introducing the idea of place-setting, serving dinner on tablecloths made from leather (which looked better and could be wiped clean) and pioneered the use of glass or crystal drinking glasses instead of metal goblets. He also brought over the idea of the three-course meal, consisting of a soup, main course of fish or meat, and a sweet dessert, to Al-Andalus – which is still the way we tend to eat fancy meals in Europe.
It wasn't just how people ate that Ziryab changed, but what they ate, too. He is credited with having introduced asparagus into local cuisine, and popularised recipes such as taqliyat Ziryab, which is meatballs and dough fried in coriander oil.
On top of revolutionising courtly meals, Ziryab also impacted the way people dressed. He introduced the idea of wearing different colours in different seasons, such as brighter coloured silks in the autumn and spring.
Multiple fashions and innovations in hair and grooming are attributed to him, too. For example, men started to go clean-shaven instead of wearing beards, and the long, centre-parted hairstyles that had been popular before were replaced by haircuts which exposed the neck and ears. According to contemporary reports, the entire court cut their hair to match Ziryab's, with eyebrow-length fringes cut straight across their foreheads and the rest of their hair pulled back behind the ears – save for ‘lovelocks' left loose at the temples.
He also may have been a big influence on helping people in Al-Andalus smell better. He pioneered the use of deodorant made from lead which wouldn't stain clothes, popularised wearing fragrances as well as the practice of washing clothes with a salt solution instead of rosewater, and even brought over a type of toothpaste made from herbs.
Tharik Hussain was speaking to Danny Bird on the HistoryExtra podcast. Listen to the full conversation.
