Arab Legacy In Spain Exhibition In Ras Al Khaimah Celebrates Shared Arab-Spanish Heritage

Ras Al Khaimah has introduced The Arab Legacy in Spain, a two-week programme in Al-Rifaa that explores Andalusian heritage through art, architecture, music and food. The initiative examines how Arab-Islamic civilisation shaped Spanish life, while also reflecting the long-standing links between the Arab world, Spain and contemporary cultural audiences in the Middle East.

The event is organised by The Design Gallery with support from the Spanish Embassy and was opened by Mohamed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Ras Al Khaimah Chamber. An architectural exhibition forms the core of the programme, presenting 26 photographs and artworks alongside contributions from Irish sculptor Joseph McKeever.

The exhibition outlines the rise and decline of Muslim rule in Andalusia from 711 to 1492, when Arab and Islamic dynasties governed large parts of the Iberian Peninsula. During this era, Córdoba evolved into one of Europe’s biggest cities and a key cultural and economic centre across the Mediterranean, Europe and the Islamic world.

Under the Caliphate of Córdoba, Andalusia became associated with learning, scientific inquiry and artistic production, leaving a lasting cultural record. The period produced buildings that are now regarded as some of the most significant historic sites worldwide, illustrating how political power, faith and daily life interacted in medieval Spain.

Visitors to The Arab Legacy in Spain encounter a curated visual journey through these structures, focusing on the legacy of Arab-Islamic presence over eight centuries. The displays show how Arabs and Muslims influenced Spanish urban layouts, domestic design and religious buildings, and how that legacy still shapes Spanish architecture and public spaces.

The exhibition also stresses how this shared past underpins current dialogue. It presents the relationship between Arab and Spanish societies as a long process of interaction grounded in deep historical connections. This perspective helps explain why both cultures maintain a "shared appreciation of a unique way of life" that developed in Al-Andalus.

Explaining the intellectual aims of the programme, Spanish writer Dr. Ino Ewart, speaking for the Spanish Embassy, described the cultural, academic and scientific importance of the exhibition. Dr. Ewart said that Andalusian architecture, developed in Spain between the 8th and 15th centuries under Islamic rule, is recognised globally as one of the most distinguished architectural traditions.

Dr. Ewart noted that these buildings express Islamic spiritual ideas using geometric layouts, Arabic ornament and calligraphy, while also recording a cultural blend formed through coexistence and exchange. Dr. Ewart added that Andalusian design responds to climate using shaded courtyards, fountains, gardens and thick walls to create cooler, balanced environments, clearly seen at the Alhambra in Granada and the Alcázar of Seville.

The historical framework highlighted in the exhibition is summarised below.

Through this structured overview, the Ras Al Khaimah event positions The Arab Legacy in Spain as both a cultural experience and a research starting point. It documents how Arab-Islamic civilisation shaped Spanish society, while giving audiences in the UAE and the wider region new ways to examine a shared heritage that still supports mutual understanding today.

With inputs from WAM