Muslim Spain from North Africa or Christian mercenaries to protect their principalities, which were constantly at war with each other This chaotic situation in the Muslim states was conducive to Christian reconquest Christians in the northern parts of the Iberian Peninsula had already begun to consolidate their military and political power as early as the eighth century, and into the latter half of the ninth century Under the reign of Alfonso II (791–842), the Christians in the northern region had stabilized themselves He was able to install Visigothic institutions in his kingdom with his capital in Oviedo The Christians viewed the reconquest of southern Spain (al-Andalus) as justified, since they were reclaiming what rightfully belonged to the Visigoths Further impetus was provided by the discovery of the tomb of St James the apostle, a patron saint around whom the Christians could rally From the eighth to the 10th century the Christian north had possessed an inferior economic system and cultural milieu compared to al-Andalus in the south However they were already clearly formed political entities with military forces that were able to stave off attacks from their enemies from the south This enabled 291 them to reconquer Muslim Spain upon its disintegration during the 10th and 11th centuries In 1056 the Almoravid Empire took over as the rulers of Muslim Spain They were replaced by the dynasty of Almohads in 1130 The decline of the Almohads in 1269 enabled the Christians to conquer parts of Muslim Spain with more ease The important cities of Córdoba and Seville had already fallen into Christian hands in 1236 and 1248, respectively, leaving only Granada as the last Muslim stronghold In 1469 through the union of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, much of Spain was united By 1492 a stronger Christian Spain finally took over Granada Further reading: Fletcher, Richard Moorish Spain Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992; Gines, Juan Vernet, and Leonor Martinez Martin Al-Andalus: El Islam en Espana Madrid: Lundwerg Editores, 1987; Kennedy, Hugh Muslim Spain and Portugal New York: Longman, 1996; Roth, Norman Jews, Visigoths, and Muslims in Medieval Spain New York: E J Brill, 1994 Nurfadzilah Yahaya