2024

Cities of Al-Andalus

Name: Cities of Al-Andalus
Code: HIS10571M
10 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/280 hours
Scientific Area: History

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

Students must know the richness and variety of urban realities of al-Andalus, from eighth to fifteenth century and be able to interpret the phenomena of those cities. For this purpose, following a multi-disciplinary approach - involving History but also Geography, Archaeology and Toponymy - it's important to identify pre-Islamic marks but also and the waves of influences from different parts of the Mediterranean. By studying not only the Gharb al-Andalus, students can detect parallels and specificities of some cities, in other territories of the Iberian peninsula. Through this dynamic, it is intended to develop skills of critical and autonomous work of students.

Contents

A -I - Cities of Hispania in Late Antiquity; II - conquests and Umayyad control; III cities of new foundation; IV - Fitna and Taifa's Kingdoms: destruction and new centers, V - the urban impact of North African dynasties;
B - urban and peri-urban spaces; C - buildings and urban infrastructure; D - urban defenses; E - Powers and social groups; F-cities of Gharb al-Andalus, G - Medieterranean and the Maghreb: influences and continuities.

Teaching Methods

Teaching with lecture-seminars Efforts will focus on teaching case studies that can generate discussion and stimulate research and application of new approaches and methodologies for the study of certain phenomena of specific urban centers of al-Andalus. It will stimulate the progression in knowledge and issue-based and practical case studies, which may also pass by visits to specific places and by inviting experts. The evaluation will be done through a reasoned offer of individual research work and a short essay / research paper individually.

Teaching Staff (2023/2024 )