ABSTRACT
The Nasrid Emirate of Granada extended by nearly three centuries the existence of al-Andalus and its vibrant civilisation, despite the reduced size of its territory and army, and the might of its enemies. The keys to this remarkable story of survival were twofold: on the one hand, foreign diplomacy (an extraordinary capacity for negotiation and deal-making), and on the other, the ability to place social cohesion and the internal continuity of its institutions above its internal political struggles. It created an advanced society in the fields of economics, science and culture, which maintained and expanded upon the Andalusi tradition, while at the same time opening up to international exchange and absorbing foreign cultures, a synthesis that was a precursor to the European Renaissance, as symbolised by the Alhambra.
