What makes the Arab Muslim conquests so remarkable is the permanence of the effect they had on the language and religion of the conquered lands. Spain and Portugal are the only countries conquered at this time where the spread of Islam has been reversed; by contrast we now think of Egypt as a major centre of Arab culture and of Iran as a stronghold of militant Islam.
I found this very interesting. To be honest, I knew Spain had been under Muslim control for some time, but I did not know Portugal had as well. And why are they not now Muslim countries like the other countries conquered? What, I wonder, was different about them?
