Mozarab

/moh zar"euhb/, n.

a Christian in Spain who, during the Muslim domination, was permitted to practice his or her own religion.

[1780-90; < Sp mozárabe < Ar musta'rib one assimilated to the Arabs]

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▪ Spanish Christian

Spanish  Mozárabe  

      (from Arabic mustaʿrib, “arabicized”), any of the Spanish Christians living under Muslim rule (8th–11th century), who, while unconverted to Islam, adopted Arabic language and culture. Separate Mozarab enclaves were located in the large Muslim cities, especially Toledo, Córdoba, and Sevilla (Seville), where they formed prosperous communities ruled by their own officials and were subject to a Visigothic legal code. They also maintained their own bishoprics, churches, and monasteries and translated the Bible into Arabic. The Mozarabs eventually relocated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, bringing with them the architectural style of Islamic Córdoba, characterized by the horseshoe arch and the ribbed dome.

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