Collapse of the Al Andalusian unity in Cordoba
Collapse of the Al Andalusian unity in Cordoba
The collapse of the Caliphate of Cordoba, which came with the fall of the Omeyades dynasty in 1031, caused the birth of many smaller kingdoms. The loss of this Al Andalusian unity favored the emergence of a new dynasty: that of the Almoravides (in the 11′h and 12th centuries), which stemmed from Berber origins.
These men, very pious and austere, were as well fierce warriors: they sought to remove Islam from the confines of the Western Sahara and then to control the commercial caravan routes which were the source of great wealth, particularly thanks to rock-salt and to gold. The commercial trade between Africa and Spain intensified, requiring the construction of stop-over cities: Marrakech is a striking example. Other cities in Mauritania, Senegal and Mali sprang to life andlourished; Tombouctou emerged as a center of learning.
After the founding of Marrakech by Youssef Ibn Tachfin in 1062, the Almoravides followed a route which led to Meknes, Fes, Ceuta and Tangiers. In order to link Algeciras to Granada, they developed two routes which cut through Ronda, one by Cadiz to the west and the other by Jimenes Castellar.
These « blue warriors », their faces protected by an indigo blue veil, conquered north Africa and the Al Andalusian region. On contact with these territories, they discovered and adopted the luxuries which they had previously denounced. .. They in turn were supplanted by the Almohades (in the 12th and 13th centuries).