We're Not So Different

folks, we're gathered here today to pay respects to Al-Andalus. All good things must come to an end and this is no different. so we trace how it all came apart for Muslim Iberia as the disunified, quarreling Christian states of Iberia began working together and the Christian reconquest effort became a reality. but there's also some rays of sunshine here as we get to talk about the staying power of the Emirate of Granada, Alhambra, the lasting legacy of Al-Andalus, and much more.

folks, we're back with part 3 of our series on Al-Andalus, aka Muslim Iberia from 711-1492. this time, we trace the history of Al-Andalus up through the rise of the Almoravid dynasty in the late 11th century and how the Christian response coalesced almost from nothing in 1063 with the Siege of Barbastro thanks to a little help from the Pope. we talk about how this is different from the standard Christian Nationalist Reconquista narrative and then a bit about El Cid. then, finally, we talk about the myriad contributions to culture, society, religion, science, and art that Al-Andalus produced as it was a massive contributor to the wider Medieval Islamic Golden Age (768-1260). check us out!

folks, we are back with our series on Al-Andalus, aka Muslim-controlled Medieval Iberia, and it's time to talk about one of the most famous incidents in its 700-year history: the Battle of Tours. though it was a large battle for the time and contemporary accounts give us a decent picture, Tours and Christian leader Charles Martel have been the benefactors of over a millennia of propaganda, painting it as the first salvo in the big, "civilizational conflict" between Christianity and Islam. we discuss what actually happened, why the truth matters, and why contemporary and postmodern scholars agree but everyone in between certainly did not.

folks, today we embark on a new series about a place in the Medieval world we haven't covered much yet, Al-Andalus, aka the Muslim rule over the Iberian Peninsula. Al-Andalus is incredibly important to the formation of European states and the growth and power of the Catholic Church as well as a vital center for Islamic martial, political, and cultural influence for more than 700 years. so, we needed to cover it and now we are. we start with the background on the Iberian Peninsula following the fall of Western Rome, then discuss the rise of the Umayyad Caliphate and its massive empire, and the Muslim invasion and conquest of Iberia. enjoy!

folks, we're back with a new mailbag episode as we continue to catch up on the backlog of patron questions. why are we doing it right after the last Q&A? well, frankly, Luke had to travel and didn't have time to write and research a full new episode, so here we are. we answer questions about Medieval joke foods, Qin Shi Huang's mercury-laden tomb, pigeons, Medieval publication timing, the overlapping mystical traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and more!