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Year 7

Cordoba in the 11th century

I can describe what Cordoba was like in the 11th century and explain how it differed from Baghdad.

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New
New
Year 7

Cordoba in the 11th century

I can describe what Cordoba was like in the 11th century and explain how it differed from Baghdad.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Cordoba was the centre of cultural life in the Cordoban Caliphate.
  2. Many ancient texts were translated into Arabic and Latin in Cordoba.
  3. Cultural and economic ties with North Africa were important in Cordoba.
  4. Buildings in Cordoba drew on influences from across the Mediterranean.
  5. Cordoba had some differences to the eastern Islamic world.

Common misconception

Pupils assume that all medieval Islamic states must have been identical to one another.

Islamic states had similarities and differences (i.e. Cordoba had many Mediterranean influences; Persian influence was stronger in Baghdad).

Keywords

  • Scholars - scholars are people who have studied a subject and know a lot about it

  • Architecture - architecture refers to the design and style of buildings

In learning cycle 2, after reading about Cordoban involvement in the slave trade ask students to speculate how Cordoba may have participated in enslaving people. Reveal that most northern Europeans were Christian as a clue.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match up each keyword with the correct definition.
Correct Answer:caliph,an Islamic political and religious leader

an Islamic political and religious leader

Correct Answer:king,a male ruler in some countries

a male ruler in some countries

Correct Answer:Pope,the head of the Catholic Church

the head of the Catholic Church

Q2.
Which country is located in Western Europe?
Iraq
Morocco
Correct answer: Spain
Egypt
Q3.
What was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 11th century?
Correct answer: Baghdad
Cairo
Mecca
Rome
Q4.
Write the missing word. The year 1066 is part of the century.
Correct Answer: 11th, eleventh, 11, eleven
Q5.
Write the missing word. The year 832 is part of the century.
Correct Answer: 9th, 9, ninth, nine
Q6.
Which example best shows that Baghdad was a centre of learning in the 11th century?
It was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.
The caliphs lived there.
It was the largest city in the world at one point.
Correct answer: The Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad was set up there.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
How large was Cordoba's population?
30 000 people
Correct answer: 300 000 people
3 000 000 people
Q2.
Which statement most accurately describes Cordoba's population?
only Muslims lived in Cordoba
Muslims and Christians lived in Cordoba
Correct answer: Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in Cordoba
Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Hindus lived in Cordoba
Q3.
Write the missing word. Many worked and lived in Cordoba, studying a wide range of subjects.
Correct Answer: scholars, Scholars
Q4.
What type of trade was one of the biggest in 11th century Cordoba?
silk
silver
Correct answer: slave
sugar
Q5.
Which area influenced the architecture of the Great Mosque in Cordoba?
British Isles
Correct answer: Mediterranean
Persia
Q6.
Which statement is most accurate?
Baghdad was the only important Islamic centre of learning in the 11th century.
Cordoba was the only important Islamic centre of learning in the 11th century.
Correct answer: Baghdad and Cordoba were both important Islamic centres of learning.
Neither Baghdad nor Cordoba were important Islamic centres of learning.

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