Whaaat?
Possibly encouraged to invade Spain in the first place by Hispano-Romans unhappy with the Vigigoths, the Moors came and stayed for around 700 years, leaving a definite imprint on the country, particularly Andalucia.
The Moors came from north Africa, Muslims,a mixture of Arab and Berbers (the latter from the mountains of Morocco - tribes with their own language that few Arabs would understand).
The name "Moors" comes from the name Mauretania, which at the time referred to the part of north Africa roughly now represented by Algeria and Morocco.
This was a huge change for Spain - a new language, religion, culture and a new name, for the part of the country under Moorish control was known as Al Andalus.
The Moors had a vicious way of dealing with enemies and made sure that people knew about it. As a result there was little resistance at first and they took over Toledo, the capital, within a year. Within a few years, they controlled most of Spain (excluding Asturias).
Although the Moors fought in Asturias, the remaining fighting locals took to the hills and were left alone.
Although the Moors may appear to have conquered most of Spain with relative ease, they by no means had an easy time of it over the years.
The Moors however built splendid palaces, with much evidence remaining today, and their capital was Cordoba - thought to have been the most civilised city in Europe around the 10th century.
The mosque at Cordoba became the second most important Muslim place of worship after Mecca, with a roof supported by 800 pillars of alternating red and white stone.
The Moors further developed agriculture, and in particular, irrigation, by channeling water to where it was needed- many of these systems are still in use today.
They also introduced citrus fruits, figs, pomegranates, sugar cane, cotton, silk and rice.
History of Spain - The Moors
I saw a film in school title El Cid.
It was later I realised El Cid, the King, was actually Al Sidi or Al Sayyid which means in Arabic =, 'Lord'.