Romans and Muslims in the Peninsula — History, 11–13
Two long presences in the history of the Iberian Peninsula, with moments of conflict and of coexistence — and legacies still visible today.
Two presences, centuries apart
The Romans arrived in the Iberian Peninsula in the 3rd century BC and stayed for centuries, leaving roads, cities, bridges and the language that gave rise to Portuguese. Centuries later, from the year 711, Muslim peoples from North Africa occupied much of the Peninsula, creating a territory called Al-Andalus, which lasted for centuries in different forms.
Why it wasn't all conflict
It's easy to think of these presences only as invasion and resistance — and there were, indeed, moments of conflict. But there were also long periods of coexistence: Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side by side in many cities, exchanging knowledge, farming techniques and words. Understanding both things at once — conflict and coexistence — is essential to avoid simplifying the past.
A case: Évora through time
Step 1: the Romans make Ebora an important city, with a temple, baths and walls. Step 2: centuries later, under Muslim rule, the city grows and gains narrow, winding streets inside its walls. Step 3: after the Christian reconquest, the city keeps growing over these earlier layers, without erasing them. Step 4: today, Évora shows Roman ruins, Muslim street layout and Christian monuments, side by side.
The trap: assuming one fully replaced the other
It's tempting to think each people completely erased the one before. But Portuguese has hundreds of words of Arabic origin — like "almofada" (cushion) or "azeite" (olive oil) — and many Roman roads and bridges kept being used for centuries after Rome had disappeared. Legacies build up; they rarely vanish completely.
Where you can still see this today
You see this history whenever you use a Portuguese word of Arabic origin, cross a Roman bridge still in use, or visit a historic centre with narrow, winding streets — a typical trace of medieval Muslim towns, still visible in many Portuguese towns and cities.
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