Information Session - October 20 at 12:30 in MCM 164

MLAN 370 OR PHIL 370

Students will be given the opportunity to explore Spain and Morocco’s rich and fascinating mosaic of cultures and examine traditional and contemporary ways of dealing with coexistence, challenges and change. Spain and Morocco are absolute goldmines with endless treasures to excavate. Each has rich history, during which the lives of Spanish, Berbers and Arabs, Christians, Muslims and Jews, rural communities and city dwellers, have been intricately interwoven to produce a fascinating, social, cultural, linguistic, and religions mosaic. These various communities have found ways to live together for millennia, in spite of occasional challenges and changes with which they were faced. Spain and Morocco hold geopolitical importance with regards to their relations to Europe, North Africa, and beyond. We will focus our studies in five cities that most reflect the Arab influence. They include Valencia, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla. Before exploring Spain, we will follow the steps of the Arab invasion through Morocco to the shores of Algeciras, Spain. Madrid will be our ending point for this course, which will give time to explore this beautiful capital. We must include the study of the Spanish Inquisition in order to fully appreciate the Jewish and Arab cultures in Spain. This course will give the student a better understanding of the elements that shape present day religious and world conflicts.