Notes regarding credits...

This course consists of 40 hours of instruction. However, students may earn 45 hours by attending supplemental sessions and completing additional coursework. Please check with your home university to find out whether you need 40 or 45 hours to earn course equivalents.

Note: A placement exam will be required when you arrive on site.

High Advanced

This course is designed for students who have completed or tested out of a minimum of five semesters (or seven quarters) of college-level Spanish. However, students must take a placement exam to determine the course level into which they will be able to enroll.

I. Introduction
The class, Islamic Culture in Spain, can be viewed as a general introduction to the different aspects of the Arab-Andalusian civilization. Given that in general students do not possess previous knowledge of the religious and social fundamentals of the Arab-Islamic culture, the course is introduced with a general introduction over these aspects. The student will also try to be provided with information of bibliographic sources that would allow them to deepen their knowledge in the future at their own will.
II. Program
I. General introduction over the Arab-Islamic culture:
1. Brief panorama of Pre-Islamic Arabia. Orography and climatology of the
Arabian Peninsula. Social, political, economic, religious, and linguistic structure of Arabia before the birth of the Prophet.
2. Mohammed and the birth of Islam up to the start of the Caliphate Ommiads (I). Sources for the biography of the Prophet. Biography of the Prophet up to the start of the revelation. The beginning of Islamic preaching. The development of Islam up to the death of the prophet.
3. Mohammed and the birth of Islam up to the start of the Caliphate
Ommiads (II). Successory problems after the death of the Prophet. The period of the Orthodox Caliphates and the first Islamic expansion. The split in the bosom of Islam: sunníes, chííes, jariyíes.
4. The fundamentals of Islam. The Koran. The hadit. The pillars of Islam. The principles of Islam theology. The legal schools. Social postulates of Islam. Islam, way of life.

III. Andalusian culture
5. The political history of al-Andalus (I). The situation in the Iberian Peninsula before the invasion. The first phase of conquest. The government of Abd al Aziz. The period of the governors. Definition of the term al-Andalus. Islamization and population groups in the VIII century. Political evolution of the independent Emirate. Political evolution of the Caliphate Ommiads.
6. The political history of al-Andalus (II). The fall of the Caliphate and the disintegration of al-Andalus. The reign of Taifas up to the battle of Sagrajas. Political history of the Almoravid period. Almohade political history.
7. The political history of al-Andalus (III). Political history of Granada from its founding up to the end of the Christian Reconquest. The nostalgia of al-Andalus: the Moorish.
8. The social and humane structure of al-Andalus. The Muslims: Arabs, Berbers, Renegades and other population groups. The Mudejars. The people of the book: Christians and Jews.
9. Daily life in al-Andalus. The family. Housing and furniture. Food. The dress. The public bathrooms and recreation. Public morals.
10. The intellectual and cultural life of al-Andalus (I). The arrival of the East. Education and libraries. General panorama of Arab-Andalucia: grammar and commentaries, biographies, geographic-historical literature, adab, literary criticism.
11. The intellectual and cultural life of al-Andalus (II). The Classical poetic literature: brief historical vision. Themes and topics. Principle poets.
The moaxaja. The popular poetry: Ibn Quzman and the Zejel. The relation between Andalusian poetry and the Romantic.
12. The intellectual and cultural life of al-Andalus (III). The scientific production: botanical, pharmacology, medicine, veterinary medicine, agronomy, mathematics, astronomy, astrology.
13. The Andalusian Legacy. The linguistic Translators School of Toledo. The presence of the Andalusian culture in the daily life of Spain today.

IV. Activities
If the layout of the course permits it, a look at the principle architectural remains of Granda ziri and nazari will be fulfilled.

V. Evaluation
At mid-semester an exam will be given to evaluate what the students have learned up to this point. This exam will include themes corresponding to the first block of the program as well as the themes that deal with the political history of al-Andalus. Those students who excel on this first exam will not have to take the final exam. The students who do not excel will have to take a comprehensive exam. To pass the class it is required as a general rule that both sections of the class must be passed separately. The evaluation of class assistance and active participation of the student in the class could constitute 25% of the total grade.

VI. Bibliography
CAHEN, C., El Islam. Desde los orígenes hasta el comienzo del Imperio otomano, México-Argentina-España, Siglo XXI de España Editores, 1984.
DE SANTIAGO SIM�"N, E., Las claves del mundo islámico (622-1945), Bar-celona. Planeta, 1991.
MANTRAN, R., La expansión musulmana (siglos Vll al Xl), Barcelona, Labor, 1982.
MARTÍNEZ MONTÁVEZ, P., El Islam, Colección Salvat Temas Clave, n° 49, Barcelona: Salvat, 1981.
RODISON, M., Los árabes, México-España..., Siglo XXI de España Editores, 1981.
VERNET, J., Literatura árabe, Barcelona, Labor, 1972.
WATT, W.M., Mahoma, profeta y hombre de estado, Barcelona, Lábor, 1967.
ARIÉ, R., España musulmana (siglos VIII-XV), Barcelona, Labor, 1982.
CHEJNE, A., Historia de España musulmana, Madrid, Cátedra, 1980.
GONZÁLEZ PALENCIA, A., Historia de la literatura arábigo-española, Madrid, 1945.
LÉVI-PROVENÇAL, É., La civilización árabe en España, Madrid, Espasa Calpe, 1980.
VERNET, J., La cultura hispaneárabe en Oriente y Occidente, Barcelona, Ariel, 1978.
WATT, W. M., Historia de la España islámica, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 1981.