Women played a major role in Medieval Iberia throughout its history. Visigothic noblewomen were crucial to the spread of Christianity throughout the region in the wake of the fall of the Roman Empire. Umayyad and women of the later taifas played important leadership roles in their local communities. Sephardic women followed in the footsteps of their fathers and brothers to receive education, debate philosophy, and engage in scientific research. When Sufism reached Al-Andalus, Muslim women's presence in religious festivities increased. And in the Catholic kingdoms of the Reconquista, women served as nuns, nobles, and- in some cases- soldiers who took an active role (not always for the better) in recapturing Iberia from the Moors.
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