NES 6539 - [Islamic Spain: Culture and Society]

(crosslisted)
(also COML 6539, JWST 6539, MEDVL 6539, RELST 6539, SPAN 6539)

Fall. 4 credits.

Next offered 2014-2015. Co-meets with COML 4539/JWST 4539/MEDVL 4539/NES 4539/RELST 4539/SPAN 4539.

R. Brann.

This course examines the culture and society of al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) from 711, when Islam arrived in Iberia, until 1492 and the demise of Nasrid Granada. Through extensive discussion and analysis of Arabic, Latin, and Hebrew primary documents and literary texts of various genres (in translation), the course challenges ideological bases of conventional thinking regarding the social, political, and cultural identity of medieval “Spain.” Among other things, the class investigates the origins of lyric poetry, the relationships among the various confessional and ethnic communities in al-Andalus and the problems involved in Mozarabic Christian and Andalusi Jewish subcultural adaptations of Andalusi Arabo-Islamic culture.