The Iberian Peninsula was conquered by Muslim forces in the early 8th century. This conquest began in 711 AD, when a coalition of Berber and Arab troops, led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, initiated an invasion of the peninsula.
After a series of swift military campaigns, they defeated the Visigothic kingdom, which had been the ruling power in the region. Notably, the Battle of Guadalete in 711 marked a significant turning point, leading to the rapid fall of Visigothic authority and opening the door to a larger Muslim conquest.
Over the next few decades, much of the peninsula came under Muslim rule, becoming part of the Umayyad Caliphate. This period saw the establishment of Al-Andalus, a territory that would become a center of cultural, scientific, and economic flourishing in medieval Europe.