The Arab contribution to human progress–astronomy, mathematics, cosmology, the variety and magnificent wealth of architectural form–is a remarkable legacy of a people who entered the land as conquerors and became peaceful rulers. From the establishment of the first mosque in Cordova in 785 until the time of their expulsion by the Catholic kings in 1492, the Moors dominated the intellectual life of the area and had a profound impact on European civilization, which assimilated many of their ideas.

The author lived for many years in Morocco. His intimate knowledge of the language and his sensitive translations of Arabic religious and philosophic works won him renown in the academic world. In this beautifully illustrated volume, he united the brilliant artistic fluorescence of Moorish culture with the spiritual and poetic expressions into a wonderfully comprehensive landscape, which no lover of art, no visitor to Spain, no one halfway interested in Spanish art and culture should be without.