Bridges and Borders in the Legacy of Al-Andalus

Location

Janet Ayers Academic Center, Room 4094

Presentation Type

Presentation

Start Date

25-9-2025 11:00 AM

Description

From 711 to 1492, large parts of today’s Spain and Portugal were ruled by Muslims in a territory that was known as al-Andalus. Although al-Andalus ceased to exist as a place in 1492, its legacies and memories have survived in many forms and have animated a diverse range of cultural and political projects around the world. In the process, they have bridged some of the cultural divides that have defined today’s world, producing neighbors where we might expect to find strangers. But these processes of affiliation are not seamless and often run into limits. While al-Andalus has often served to create connections between national, cultural, religious, and ethnic groups, it has also served to draw boundaries between them. Such tensions are at the center of this talk, which will explore how the memory of al-Andalus has helped to create both bridges and borders, especially between Europe and North Africa.

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Sep 25th, 11:00 AM

Bridges and Borders in the Legacy of Al-Andalus

Janet Ayers Academic Center, Room 4094

From 711 to 1492, large parts of today’s Spain and Portugal were ruled by Muslims in a territory that was known as al-Andalus. Although al-Andalus ceased to exist as a place in 1492, its legacies and memories have survived in many forms and have animated a diverse range of cultural and political projects around the world. In the process, they have bridged some of the cultural divides that have defined today’s world, producing neighbors where we might expect to find strangers. But these processes of affiliation are not seamless and often run into limits. While al-Andalus has often served to create connections between national, cultural, religious, and ethnic groups, it has also served to draw boundaries between them. Such tensions are at the center of this talk, which will explore how the memory of al-Andalus has helped to create both bridges and borders, especially between Europe and North Africa.