The Muslim Arabs, known as the Moors (17th century A.D.), flowed out of the Middle East in to North Africa across the Staight of Gibraltar into the Iberian Peninsula, left their marks in every region they occupied. In Spain the Moors had ruled for almost 800 years up until 1492 when they had been overthrown by the Catholics Ferninad and Isabella.

Each year the people of Villena, in the Andalusia region, re-enact the past battles of the Spanish Reconquista, during the festival of the Christians and the Moors.