History of Spain facts

Egyptians. In 1960, due to the construction of the Great Dam of Aswan and the consequent threat posed to several monuments and archeological sites, UNESCO made an international call to save this rich historical legacy. As a sign of gratitude for the help provided by Spain in saving the temples of Abu Simbel, the Egyptian state donated the temple of Debod to Spain in 1968.

Spain. Dutch struggle for independence lasted for 80 years between the Union of Utrecht in 1569 and the Peace of Münster in 1648.

Famous businessman and art collector. Solomon R. Guggenheim was born into a wealthy mining family. He founded the Yukon Gold Company in Alaska among his other businesses. He retired in 1919 to devote more time to art collecting and in 1937 established a foundation to foster the appreciation of modern art.

Doubloon. Escudo, ducat and florin had similar weight of approx 3.5 g of pure gold. Doubloon was simply double-escudo, weighting 6.77 grams. This Spanish coin was also widely used in France, named pistole.

Tariq ibn Ziyad. Ṭāriq ibn Ziyād was a Umayyad commander who led the Muslim conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711–718 A.D. Under the orders of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I he led a large army and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from the North African coast, consolidating his troops at what is today known as the Rock of Gibraltar. The name "Gibraltar" is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq, meaning "mountain of Ṭāriq", which is named after him.