The Inside History

Abd al-Rahman III, Emir and Caliph of Cordova

Abd al-Rahman III was an Umayyad ruler who governed as Cordoba's Emir from 912 to 929 CE before succeeding as the city's Caliph from 929 to 961 CE. In addition, he founded a single Islamic empire in Spain, expanded his dominion with Cordoba as the capital, and built the magnificent caliphal palace at Madinat al-Zahra. Religious tolerance was a h…