The Moors
The Moors were a Muslim people from Northern Africa. In the A.D. 700's, the Moors conquered most of Spain.
The Muslims had a more advanced culture than did most of medieval Europe. The Muslims had made great discoveries in mathematics, medicine, and other fields of study. They had also preserved many of the writings of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Middle Eastern civilizations. In Spain, the Moors made these works available to European scholars. The Moors also constructed many buildings in Spain, including beautiful mosques (houses of worship) and fortified palaces called alcazars.
Excerpt adapted from the "Spain" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999