European Regions Once Under Islamic Rule: Spain and the Balkans
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Long before modern Europe took shape as it is today, parts of the continent were under Islamic rule for centuries. From Spain to the Balkans, from Sicily to Crimea, traces of Islam—political, economic, and architectural—shaped a long European history that is often overlooked. This expansion was not merely military conquest, but also the emergence of new centres of civilisation that influenced science, trade, and urban planning in Europe.
European regions once under Islamic rule:
- Spain and Portugal (Al-Andalus)
Al-Andalus was the term used by Muslims for the territory on the Iberian Peninsula (today Spain and Portugal) that was governed by Islam since 711 CE. The name was used by Muslims to refer to the area after the conquests led by forces from North Africa. Over time, Al-Andalus became not only a political domain but also a centre of civilisation advanced in knowledge, culture, and architecture.
As Reconquista by Christian kingdoms grew stronger, Islamic rule receded. Ultimately, after Granada fell in 1492, Islamic authority in Iberia ended. The name Al-Andalus later became known as Andalusia, which is now one of the regions of Spain.
Córdoba was one of the most important cities in the history of Islamic civilisation in Europe. It lies in southern Spain’s Andalusia (Andalucía) and in the medieval period was a centre of knowledge, culture, and power for Islam in the West.
One tangible legacy of Islamic rule is the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba. Built initially in 785 CE, it was originally the largest mosque in Western Europe. After the Christian Reconquista in 1236, it was converted into a Catholic cathedral, though much of its Islamic structure was preserved.
- Sicily and Southern Italy
The Aghlabid dynasty, a Muslim Arab dynasty, ruled Ifriqiya (now comprising Tunisia and eastern Algeria) from 800 to 909 CE. One of its rulers, Emir Ziyadat Allah I (81738), managed to quell uprisings while turning his military focus to Sicily. From then on, Sicily remained under Islamic rule for about two centuries. This conquest made Sicily an important Islamic hub in the Mediterranean, with Palermo developing as an advanced, cosmopolitan capital.
- Balkans & Southeastern Europe
In 1362, the Ottoman Turks captured Adrianople (now Edirne, Turkey). This marked the starting point of a sweeping expansion across the Balkan Peninsula. Serbia fell after the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, followed by Bulgaria in 1396. The culminating moment came in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the Ottomans.
Thereafter, Bosnia (1463), Herzegovina (1482), and Montenegro (1499) also fell under Ottoman rule. In 1526, the Ottomans defeated Hungary at the Battle of Mohács and three years later even laid siege to Vienna. At that time they controlled much of Central and Southeastern Europe.
Ottoman conquest brought major social and political changes. Many nobles lost power and land. There were exceptions, such as Bosnia and Albania, where some nobles chose to convert to Islam and retained their status and land under Ottoman administration.