In the buzzing heart of Córdoba, it’s easy to see why the caliphs of Al-Andalus chose the city as the capital of their western European empire in AD 711. The labyrinthine streets – where buildings stand almost like souks and the aroma of shisha smoke drifts from cosy bars – are more reminiscent of the sun-baked medinas of the Middle East than the boulevards of Madrid or Valencia.
These winding pathways whisper tales of Islamic influence that go back more than a millennium, despite many believing that Muslim integration in the West is a relatively recent concept. It is a confronting topic of discussion, one often driven by world events rather than by the real lives of Muslims in Western society.
