On December 11, 1118, the Almoravids capitulated and handed over Zaragoza to the Christian troops of Alfonso I of Aragón. This conquest marked the end of four centuries of Islamic rule. The native population, predominantly Muslim, became a de facto minority under the new Catholic order. This event is crucial for understanding Mudéjar culture. The term “Mudéjar” comes from the Arabic word “mudayyan,” meaning “one who is allowed to stay.” And so it was. The Islamic community was integrated into the new social structure, now as a religious group subjected to the triumphant hierarchy of power.
The Mudéjares retained their economic and cultural activities under Christian control. They soon became an unexpected asset. The Christian kings were dazzled by Islamic art and the beauty of its buildings and, instead of relegating it in favor of the victorious style, adopted the construction language of the defeated in an unprecedented historical-artistic phenomenon. Mudéjar art emerged unstoppable as an artistic and architectural trend throughout Aragón, and Muslim master builders were sought after for their undeniable craftsmanship.
The rise of the Eastern style in Christian territory reached surprising heights. So much so that the Muslim master builders could not keep up and had to train Christian specialists. This eventually allowed the survival of Mudéjar art for centuries.
A remarkable process of cultural transfer occurred. The emerging Christian social reality needed new construction spaces for different functionalities and used the Islamic style of the defeated. The master builders gained new value. Andalusian art, its ornamental expressions, and construction techniques were reused to build churches, erect palaces, construct ovens, and remodel various buildings. Mudéjar culture thrived after its defeat.
POPULATION: Official figures estimate that the Mudéjar population in Aragón was around 10%. However, these are later censuses compiled from the late 15th century. Other studies increase their demographic presence to nearly 20% of the Aragonese inhabitants. In reality, between the 12th century and the conquest of Granada, the Islamic minority of the Ebro Valley enjoyed an integrated social and economic status, allowing them to maintain their agricultural, commercial, and artisanal activities. Some Muslim groups even managed to connect with the monarchic and ecclesiastical elites of the time.
Those commissioning the new buildings were the wealthy Christians. The ones executing them were the Muslim master builders. Thus, the architectural result was not the same. Mudéjar was a flexible language capable of adapting to new spatial realities. Bishops commissioned churches, cathedrals, or funeral chapels from Islamic masters, and all this architecture was subordinated to Christian liturgical functions. The same occurred with palaces. Christian lords commissioned their construction to Mudéjar experts, who had to adapt to the new protocols and functionalities of the Catholic order.
The Aljafería Palace, built in Zaragoza as the residence of the Hudid kings in the second half of the 11th century, was readapted decades later by the Christian conquerors. The repurposing of such buildings was not immediate. The Christian kings of Aragón took over a century to start adapting the Aljafería for its new residential use.