| | I knew from the start that writing a novel set in Moorish Spain would take a lot of work. I only had a general idea about what life was like in al-Andalus and most of that was really only relevant to Granada. The Moors had been in Spain for over seven hundred years, from the time of the Moorish invasion in 711 AD until the capture of Granada in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs. There had been many rulers and many forms of government. I was intrigued by the ruined palace of Madinat al-Zahra, just outside Córdoba, which was built between 936 and 947 AD and I decided to set my novel in the forty years from 947 to 987. A short period of time, in the scale of things and therefore much easier to research, or so I thought. Not so. Writing a historical novel requires great attention to detail and when you are completely unfamiliar with that period, it requires a great deal of research and discipline to get even the smallest details correct. How could I make my characters come to life if I didn't know how they behaved, what their homes were like, what they wore, what they ate and even how they ate. I had to learn about the royal court as well as the common people, what it was like to be a soldier, a slave, an artisan. Most of my research was done by visiting Moorish sites and museums, reading books on the subject and, of course, trawling the internet. One of the first things I learned was that life in Moorish Spain changed dramatically over seven hundred years - what was true in Granada in the year 1400 was not the same in Córdoba seven hundred years earlier. I had to focus my research. Then of course came the hard part - what to leave out. I had to include enough research to bring the period to life without boring my reader. After all this was a novel about love and adventure, not a history book. THE SHINING CITY is available in paperback and as an ebook SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDITOR'S PICK (HISTORICAL NOVELS SOCIETY REVIEW) The Shining City by Joan Fallon is a beautifully told story set in tenth-century Spain which focuses on a city in southern Spain that flourished for a brief time only: Madinat al Zahra. Built by the caliph, it becomes a rival to the capital, Cordoba. The book covers many aspects of the times: history, culture, religion and day-to-day life. Giving great attention to detail, Fallon depicts court etiquette with the same confidence as minor details, such as bakery and food preparation. I knew comparatively little about Spain under Muslim rule and found myself easily and entertainingly educated. The characters are well chosen and developed, likeable and driven by their dreams and ambitions. This is a story of the little man seeking his fortune with insights into the rules of Muslim life, life at court, slavery, loyalty, betrayal, forbidden love and human tragedy. The book is very well written, perfectly paced and atmospheric. It feels authentic, has a good story and a fascinating topic. The only thing I can criticise are the colours chosen for the cover which makes the writing difficult to read, and maybe the chosen font size and type inside the book could be improved? A very enjoyable read. |
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 One of the advantages of writing books about Spain is that you have a great excuse to trot about the countryside investigating things. During the research for my novel THE SHINING CITY we visited Córdoba numerous times - not an arduous task and only two hours drive from Málaga. We made three trips to Madinat al-Zahra (my husband wanted to know why I couldn’t get it all down the first time) and made a couple of visits to Bobastro and Ardales. 10th century Spain was a period in history that I knew very little about and I was fascinated to learn just how much Spain owes to the Moorish occupation of the peninsula, even down to everyday items. It wasn’t just the type of food they ate that has been passed down but also the way they ate it: the Moors introduced menus and a series of different courses for each meal; they used tablecloths and cutlery and different plates for each dish. Some of their dishes were cooked exactly the same way they are today. There is a restaurant in Córdoba that has a lamb tagine on its menu that is identical to a 10th century recipe. For those of you that like churros, you’ll be interested to know that it was as popular then as it is now.  The Moors were a nation obsessed with water and cleanliness and had not only ornamental lakes and fountains but public baths, individual latrines and running water to wash in. They had an elaborate network of underground conduits for collecting rainwater from the courtyards and sewage from the latrines and kitchens. Society was divided along ethnic and religious grounds but it was more egalitarian than one would suspect. There were four main divisions: the Arabs, the Berbers, the Muwallads and the Dhimmi (Christians and Jews). The first three were all Muslim. The Arabs made up a small percentage of the population but they were the ones with the power and they brought their language and culture to Spain. The Berbers were from North Africa and they mainly lived in the countryside. The Muwallads were Muslims of Iberian descent; they adopted the language and religion of the Moors and by 10th century there was very little distinction between them and the Arabs. The last group, the Dhimmis was made up of Christians and Jews. The Christians were numerous but the Jews only made up 5% of the population. Jews, Christians and Moors lived in harmony; they were all montheistic faiths, all people of The Book. The Jews and Christians were not persecuted by the Muslims and could hold important posts in society and even in government. It was a society with great social mobility and people could move from humble beginnings to positions of power. Muslim men could even marry Jewish women, but not the other way round.  Women too had more freedom than one would imagine; they did not have to cover their faces with a veil but wore a crocheted cap instead. Many women were educated and worked as physicians, scribes and teachers. Some were wealthy in their own right and set up endowments for libraries and schools. They were often allowed to keep their own dowries and were allowed to inherit property. Those of you who have read my book DAUGHTERS OF SPAIN will see how different this was from women’s position under Franco a thousand years later. It was a society that valued education and treated its scholars and artists with respect. Córdoba in the 10th century had more than seventy libraries, fifty hospitals and some of the best universities in the civilised world.
 I loved researching the history behind my latest novel THE SHINING CITY. Besides reading a lot about the period, I made many trips to the archaeological site of Madinat al Zahra, just outside Cordoba. The ruins of this ancient city lie in the lee of the Sierra Morena mountains and face across the wide plain of the Guadalquivir valley. They began the excavations in 1911 and up until now they have only excavated one tenth of the inner part of the city - and then there is still the part outside the city walls. As few contemporary written records remain one can only wonder at the size of Abd al Rahman III's new city. Below you can read the prologue to my new book, which is set in the city in the early years of its construction. The year is 987 AD and Omar, one of the main protagonists is thinking back to when he first visited Madinat al Zahra, forty years earlier.  PROLOGUE
Córdoba 987 AD The old man sat in the shade of the mosque wall. It was still early but already the heat was building with its usual summer ferocity. He loosened his robe slightly and fanned himself with the napkin he had in his hand. Omar was not a rich man but neither was he poor. His djubba was made of the finest white cotton, with long narrow sleeves and over that he wore his djellaba, a hooded cloak of the same material. It was light, cool and comfortable. He was of the generation for whom appearances mattered. Even his cap, crocheted in a green and white design, sat elegantly on his long, white hair. His beard was trimmed and shaped; once it would have been touched with henna but now it was as white as his hair. ‘More tea, old man?’ the waiter called from the entrance to his tiny shop. Omar waved him away, irritated that he did not automatically come over and refill his cup. That was so typical. Standards were slipping all the time. He took off his cap and scratched his head. ‘There you are, uncle. We’ve been looking for you everywhere.’ It was his nephew, Musa, the youngest son of his brother Ibrahim. He was with his friend, Ahmad. Omar looked at them and smiled. Lanky youths, with their hair cut short in the latest fashion, they behaved as though life was theirs for the taking. If only they knew what vicissitudes lay ahead of them. Not that they would pay any heed. He certainly hadn’t at their age. The boys sat down beside him. The two were never apart; it was as if they were joined by some invisible rope. Where one went, so did the other. They reminded him of his own childhood; he had had a close friend named Yusuf. Just like these boys they had done everything together and were so similar in looks and mannerisms that they were often mistaken for brothers. ‘Drinking tea, uncle?’ Musa said. ‘Would you like some?’ The boys nodded and Omar waved across to the waiter, who still lounged in the doorway. ‘Another pot of tea and two more glasses, please,’ he said. He turned to his nephew and asked, ‘So child, you have been looking for me. What is it that you want?’ He already knew the answer: nothing, just the opportunity to drink mint tea and listen to Omar’s stories. ‘We wanted to see if you were all right.’ ‘And why wouldn’t I be?’ The boys looked at each other and giggled. ‘Is it true that you are more than a hundred?’ Ahmad asked. ‘No, it’s not true, although I certainly feel like it some days. Now what is it you want to know?’ ‘Have you ever been inside the Khalifa’s harem?’ Musa blurted out. ‘The Khalifa’s harem?’ ‘Yes, what’s it like?’ they both chorused. ‘Well ...’ The waiter arrived and set the freshly brewed mint tea on the table. ‘Maybe something sweet for the boys to eat,’ Omar said, looking at the waiter. ‘Churros?’ ‘Excellent.’ Omar turned back to his eager audience. ‘So, what were you saying?’ ‘The harem.’ ‘Oh yes.’ The old man smiled; for a moment he let his thoughts drift back to when he was young. He sighed and turned back to the boys. ‘Yes, well, let me see. The harem you say?’ ‘Yes uncle,’ his nephew said, barely keeping the impatience from his voice. ‘You do realise that no man is permitted to enter the Khalifa’s harem, other than the Khalifa himself. It is an offence punishable by death.’ The boys nodded. ‘We know that, uncle.’ ‘Very well, as long as you do not tell anyone that I was once there, I will tell you about the most beautiful harem in the world.’ He paused and looked at the boys; their eyes were as round as moons. ‘Now, in the year 947, when I was not much older than you, my father took me with him to work in the new city, Madinat al-Zahra.’ The boys looked at each other and smiled. Omar’s stories always began in that way. ‘Our ruler, Abd al-Rahman III, wanted to build a city-palace worthy of the title of Khalifa so he sent his engineers and architects out to find the perfect location. And they did. They found a spot in the foothills of the Sierra Moreno, green, fertile, sheltered from the north winds, with as much water as you could wish for, yet set high enough above the plain so that you would be able to see anyone approaching. From there you could see across the valley of the Guadalquivir to Córdoba and beyond.’ ‘He called it after his favourite concubine, didn’t he?’ Ahmed said with a smirk, urging him to get to the more interesting details. ‘His favourite concubine was certainly called al-Zahra and he lavished every possible luxury on her so it is possible that that was why he called the city al-Zahra. But do you know what else the name means?’ He looked at the boys, who shook their heads. ‘It means shining, glistening, brilliant. Possibly his concubine glittered and shone with all the jewels and beautiful silks he showered upon her but then so did the city. It was indeed the Shining City. When visitors entered through the Grand Portico, passing beneath its enormous, red and white arches, when they climbed the ramped streets that were paved with blocks of dark mountain stone, passing the lines of uniformed guards in their scarlet jackets and the richly robed civil servants that flanked their way, when they reached the royal residence and saw the golden inlay on the ceilings, the marble pillars, the richly woven rugs scattered across the floors and the brilliant silk tapestries, when they saw the moving tank of mercury in the great reception pavilion that caught the sunlight and dazzled all who beheld it, then they indeed knew that they were in the Shining City.’ It was a shame that his nephew had never been to Madinat al-Zahra and probably would never go. Soon the city would be as if it had never been, its stone buildings returned to the rock from which they came. ‘But they say that he loved his concubine more than anyone else,’ said Musa. ‘Maybe. Who knows what goes on in the hearts of men, even less in the heart of a Khalifa.’ ‘They say she was the most beautiful woman in his harem.’ ‘She was certainly very beautiful, but the most beautiful, no. There was another more beautiful than her, more beautiful than all his wives and concubines.’ ‘Who was she? What was her name?’ asked Ahmed. ‘Jahwara,’ he whispered. He could still feel the pain as he said her name. The boys waited, eyes wide in anticipation but Omar did not elaborate. ‘Did you ever see him? Did you see the Khalifa?’ ‘Yes, once.’ ‘What was he like? Was he big and strong?’ ‘He was a bit on the stout side.’ He could see the disappointment in the boys’ eyes. ‘But he was a good-looking man, with white skin and blue eyes,’ he added. ‘White skin? Wasn’t he an Arab?’ ‘Of course he was. Who else but an Arab could be Khalifa? But his mother was from the north. She was captured from one of the ruling families during the war and became his father’s slave and concubine. Abd al-Rahman inherited his fair skin and hair from her.’ ‘I heard that he used to dye his beard,’ Ahmed said. ‘Yes, I believe he did. He wanted to look more like his subjects.’ The boys nodded wisely. Omar stifled a smile. ‘Tell us more about the harem,’ Musa insisted. ‘What can I tell you? There were hundreds of beautiful women, trained in all the arts of love and music; they knew a thousand and one ways to please their lord and master.’ ‘The Khalifa?’ ‘Of course, who else? Every woman who entered the Khalifa’s harem belonged to him and no-one else.’ As he said the words, he could hear the bitterness creep into his voice. ‘They were slaves?’ ‘Indeed they were. Even if one of them wanted to leave she could not. The Khalifa would never permit it.’ Before the boys could start another stream of questions, he said, ‘Here, eat your churros and then you should be off. Is there no school today?’ He saw Musa blush. His nephew was a good boy and not able to tell a ready lie. ‘We’re going now, uncle. Come on Ahmed.’ The boys picked up the churros, doused it with honey and crammed it into their mouths. ‘Ma'a salama uncle,’ Musa said, honey dripping down his chin. ‘See you later.’ ‘Goodbye, Hajj,’ Ahmed said, hurriedly eating the last piece of churros and following his friend. Omar watched the boys skip down the road. If they hurried they would be in time for the first lesson of the day. He wished he had asked them what they were being taught these days. When he had been at school the curriculum was very strict: reading, writing, geometry, arithmetic, the Quran and the sayings of the Hadith. Everything in Arabic of course, although not many spoke it in the streets in those days; people retained the habit of speaking a variety of the local language among friends and family. That was normal. He signalled for the waiter to come over and paid him for the tea and churros. It was time he took some exercise. His doctor had said it was important to walk every day even if his knee was paining him. He would walk across the old Roman bridge and see if there were any fish in the river this morning. It was his favourite walk these days because he would stop half-way across and look back at the city of Córdoba and its beautiful mosque, towering against the skyline. This ancient city was once again the centre of power, his beloved Madinat al-Zahra abandoned and neglected since the young Hisham II had inherited the throne. Today the boy-Khalifa was isolated in Madinat al-Zahra, alone, living the life of a recluse, his city crumbling around him. As he stood up a sharp pain shot through his knee and up his thigh. He grasped the ebony stick that he always carried with him these days and used it to propel himself forward. A wave of longing for his old home leapt to his breast. It had been years since he had visited Madinat al-Zahra yet there was never a day when he didn’t dream of its beautiful palaces and its fragrant gardens; when he closed his eyes he could still hear the sound of the fountains that fed the tranquil lakes and smell the orange blossom that used to grow outside his house. But he knew he could never return; the pain would be too great. The city lay only a couple of Arab miles to the west of Córdoba and yet it might as well have been in distant Arabia. Yes, there were many tales he could tell Musa about his days in Madinat al-Zahra.  View from the upper terrace  Entrance to the Royal Residence When I first heard about the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra, I was intrigued by the idea that a palace-city of such magnificence should have lasted for such a short time. Civilisations come and go, as any reader of history knows but for it to last no more than 75 years seemed a tragedy. It was the summer of 2001. I picked up a leaflet about an exhibition that was to be held in the museum at Madinat al-Zahra, just outside Córdoba. It was entitled The Splendour of the Cordovan Umayyads. I remembered my childhood love of Tales of the Arabian Nights and I was hooked. So we drove across from Málaga, on a blistering hot day to see what it was all about. I have been back many times since and the place holds a fascination for me; so much so that it inspired me to write a novel. I decided to tell the story of the city through a family that lived there; I had the bare bones of my novel before me, in the stone walls and paved paths, in the narrow passages ways, the ornate gardens, the artefacts in the museum. All I needed to do was to make the city come alive through my characters. I've called the novel The Shining City because 'Madinat' (or medina) is the word for town and 'Zahra' means shining or brilliant. It's said that the caliph called the city al-Zahra because, at the time it was being built, he was in love with a slave girl called Zahra. It could be true; there are certainly written references to a concubine of that name but I think 'Zahra' referred to the magnificence of the city itself. As the principle character in my book, Omar, tells his nephew: ‘It means shining, glistening, brilliant. Possibly his concubine glittered and shone with all the jewels and beautiful silks he showered upon her but then so did the city. It was indeed the Shining City. When visitors entered through the Grand Portico, passing beneath its enormous, red and white arches, when they climbed the ramped streets that were paved with blocks of dark mountain stone, passing the lines of uniformed guards in their scarlet jackets and the richly robed civil servants that flanked their way, when they reached the royal residence and saw the golden inlay on the ceilings, the marble pillars, the richly woven rugs scattered across the floors and the brilliant silk tapestries, when they saw the moving tank of mercury in the great reception pavilion that caught the sunlight and dazzled all who beheld it, then they indeed knew that they were in the Shining City.’ Of course today, looking at the ruined paths, the piles of broken tiles, the reconstructed arches and pillars, we need to use our imagination to see it as it once was.  The palace gardens The construction of the city of Madinat al-Zahra was begun in the year 939 AD by Abd al-Rahman III and took forty years to complete. Having declared himself the caliph of al-Andalus in 929 AD and with the country more or less at peace he wanted to follow in the tradition of previous caliphs and build himself a palace-city, grander than anything that had been built before. The site he chose was eight kilometres to the west of Córdoba, in present day Andalusia and measured one and a half kilometres by almost a kilometre. It was sheltered from the north winds by the mountains behind it and had an excellent vantage point from which to see who was approaching the city. It was well supplied with water from an old Roman aqueduct and surrounded by rich farming land. It had good roads to communicate with Córdoba and there was even a stone quarry close by. The caliph left much of the responsibility for the construction of the city to his son al-Hakam, who continued work on it after his father's death. One of the most curious questions about Madinat al-Zahra is why, despite its importance as the capital of the Omeyyad dynasty in al-Andalus, this magnificent city endured no more than seventy-five years. When al-Hakam died in 976 AD the city was thriving; all the most important people in the land lived there. The army, the Mint, the law courts, the government and the caliph were there; the city boasted public baths, universities, libraries, workshops and ceremonial reception halls to receive the caliph's visitors. But al-Hakam's heir was a boy of eleven-years old. The new boy-caliph was too young to rule, so a regent was appointed, the Prime Minister, al-Mansor, an ambitious and ruthless man. Gradually the Prime Minister moved the whole court, the mint, the army and all the administrative functions back to Córdoba, leaving the new caliph in Madinat al-Zahra, ruling over an empty shell. Once the seat of power had been removed from Madinat al-Zahra, the city went into decline. The wealthy citizens left, quickly followed by the artisans, builders, merchants and local businessmen. Its beautiful buildings were looted and stripped of their treasures and the buildings were destroyed to provide materials for other uses. Today you can find artefacts from the city in Málaga, Granada, and elsewhere. Marble pillars that once graced the caliph's palace now support the roofs of houses in Córdoba. Ashlars that were part of the city's walls have been used to build cow sheds  The museum at Madinat al-Zahra Excavation of the site began in 1911 by Riocardo Velázquez Bosco, the curator of the mosque in Córdoba. The work was slow and hampered by the fact that the ruins were on private property. Landowners were not keen to co-operate and eventually the State had to purchase the land before the excavations could begin. The work progressed slowly but gradually over the years a number of government acts were passed which resulted in the site being designated as an Asset of Cultural Interest and in 1998 a Special Protection Plan was drawn up to give full weight to the importance of the ruins. Today the site is open to the public and has an excellent visitor centre and museum.
 The Mosque The mosque was the first building to be completed, in 941 AD. It was also the one which suffered the most pillaging. Until the 1960s, when the walls were rebuilt, only the foundations had survived. The mosque was positioned so that all the inhabitants of the city had easy access to it. Here is an extract from 'The Shining City' where, Qasim, the potter visits the mosque: The sound of the muezzin rang out across the city. Today he would go to the mosque to pray. He grabbed his cap and throwing his djubba around his shoulders he hurried out. He joined the queue of people heading for the mosque; there was a greater number than usual at this hour, probably because the news was spreading about the soldiers leaving. The busiest time was normally at evening prayers which he sometimes attended although he usually only went on Fridays. The mosque gardens were crowded with people cleansing themselves before entering the mosque. He waited until there was a space at the fountains then washed himself down in the cold water, removed his shoes and went inside. He found a space near the front, facing the mihrab and knelt down on one of the straw mats that covered the dirt floor. The mosque had been the first building to be completed in the city; it lay outside the alcázar but adjacent to its walls so that everyone, the local people who lived in the medina and the residents of the alcázar, could use it. It was a beautiful building, its craftmanship the equal of the mosque in Córdoba. Qasim had barely closed his eyes and touched his forehead to the ground when there was a slight disturbance which caused him to look up from his meditation. It was the Khalifa. He had entered through a covered passageway which led from the gardens of the alcázar straight into the mosque and now he took up his usual place in the maqsura. He was a devout man who took his role as Defender of God’s Faith seriously. His son al-Hakim was also present today, praying for the success of his troops. Qasim had read the notice plastered on the wall of the mosque informing all the citizens that their borders were under threat. Today they would include in their prayers an exortation to Allah to bring them victory. No sooner had the Khalifa taken his position than the imam began to lead the congregation in prayer: ‘In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate...’ The prayer room was dark, its oil lamps unlit, the only light creeping through the openings in the ceiling high above. Yet from somewhere a light infused the horseshoe arch of the mihrab with a warm glow. The holy words of the Quran had been inscribed on this beautiful facade. Men had created a masterpiece of coloured mosiacs on a background of pure gold. Looking at it Qasim was reminded that he too was a craftsman, that all that he made with his hands was for the glory of Allah not for man, not for wealth and riches, not for fame, not for power. How could he have forgotten that? He, who loved God so. He had sent his son into temptation, telling him to sell their pottery to the Khalifa. Why had he not been content with the life he had in Córdoba? Why had he strived for more? Why had he coveted a new house and fancy possessions? What use were they to him now that he had lost his most treasured possession, his son?  The novel, 'The Shining City' is to be published next month.
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AuthorJoan Fallon is a writer and novelist living in Spain. Archives
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