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Series of 5 Lithographs "Gonzalo de Córdoba falls in love with Princess Zulema of Granada,"

printed by Pierre Martinet and Jean Le Vachez, dated 1820. Gonzalo de Córdoba was called "El Gran Capitan" in the service of the Catholic Kings

(France, 19th c.)
Magos Foundation Collection

LOVE AFFAIRS BETWEEN CHRISTIAN & MUSLIM ELITES

There are several notable examples of inter-religious alliances. King Alfonso VI of Castile married Princess Zaida, daughter of the last king of the Taifa of Seville (11th century). Their son, Sancho Alfonsez, heir to the Christian kingdom, was killed on the battlefield. In the Nasrid dynasty, Princess Aixa (1472-1560), the only daughter of King Boabdil of Granada, had a son with King Ferdinand, the Catholic. She converted to Christianity and retired to a convent in Santiago de Compostela. She took the name of Isabel of Granada in honor of her godmother, Queen Isabel, the Catholic monarch. Many of the emirs of Granada had Christian concubines or wives, such as Yusuf I (7th Emir), who got married to Butayna, a Christian. Their son became King Mohammad V. Mulhacen, the penultimate Nasrid king, fell in love with Isabella de Solis, who converted to Islam. She then took the name of Sultana Zoraya.