The Muslims Finding Belonging in Southern Spain
Henrietta Szovati, a British-Hungarian Muslim restoring an old farmhouse in southern Spain, encapsulated her new life by stating, “Practising Islam here is just easier.” Al Jazeera reported on October 24, 2026, that an increasing number of Muslims are finding a deep sense of cultural and spiritual belonging in Andalusia, drawn by the region’s enduring Moorish legacy and a welcoming rural community life that contrasts sharply with the political friction they experienced in Northern Europe.
The Train Journey into the Guadalhorce Valley and the Footprints of Al-Andalus
The journey inland from Malaga station cuts past pomegranate trees, palms, cypress trees, and young orange saplings toward the mountains of the Guadalhorce Valley, according to Al Jazeera. The train announcements list stops like Aljaima—derived from the Arabic al-khaima, meaning “the tent”—and Alora, a town resting beneath a rocky hill crowned by an ancient fortress whose name etymologists connect to the Arabic al-lawra, meaning “the light.” This linguistic map marks the historic heartland of Al-Andalus, the medieval Muslim-ruled territory spanning modern-day Spain and Portugal.
British Muslim travel writer and historian Tharik Hussain, author of Muslim Europe, noted in the Al Jazeera reporting that the region holds an almost “Atlantis-like aura” in the Muslim imagination. For nearly eight centuries, Muslim dynasties shaped the Iberian Peninsula through architecture, irrigation systems like acequias, and advanced scholarship. Today, that medieval architecture—featuring horseshoe arches, zellij tilework, and yeseria plasterwork—remains visible across cities like Cordoba, Seville, and Granada.
Transforming Farmhouses into the House of Andalus
Arriving at the Alora railway station in a dusty, working black pick-up truck, Henrietta Szovati greeted visitors before driving up into the parched mountain tracks. Al Jazeera documented how Szovati and her husband, Ajmal Masroor—a therapist and imam—spent the past two years transforming a farmhouse property into the House of Andalus. The project connects visitors to southern Spain’s Islamic history and the natural world, anchored by nearly 400 olive trees that Szovati intends to expand into a grove of a thousand.
The surrounding landscape bears the marks of summer wildfires, with reddish-brown earth, parched scrub, and sharp slabs of silvery-grey slate (pizarra). Oranges, figs, avocados, and mangoes flourish in the regional climate. Szovati purchases lemons, avocados, and honey from her neighbor, Juan Garcia, who occasionally helps maintain the olive groves. In contrast to her decades living in Britain, where she felt Szovati described herself as an outsider and her faith as an unavoidable political target, the mountains above Alora offer everyday neighborliness.
Neighbors and Shared Cultural Conversations Across Beliefs
Daily life in rural Andalucia involves simple, cross-cultural interactions. During a visit to Juan Garcia’s home, Garcia’s 79-year-old mother, Maria, expressed curiosity about the sea-blue scarf Szovati wore wrapped around her hair like a turban. As Al Jazeera outlined, the two women discussed how covering one’s head serves as a shared tradition of faith, touching upon the Virgin Mary while agreeing that personal goodness outweighs outward markers of religion.
Some Muslims are choosing Andalusia, drawn by a history where Islam formed part of European civilization. Rather than stepping into a romanticized medieval kingdom, however, these residents integrate directly into modern Spanish society, negotiating its contemporary economic pressures and social realities.
Vox Party Targets Immigration and Islamisation in Spain
Modern Andalucia is not insulated from broader European political shifts. The far-right Vox party has made strict opposition to immigration and the perceived “Islamisation” of Spain central to its political platform, introducing localized anxieties about long-term security and social acceptance.
Szovati acknowledges these political currents but chooses to focus on constructive community building rather than national political rhetoric. “Circumstances change, but community, connections and faith don’t,” she noted to Al Jazeera, emphasizing that genuine belonging stems from everyday neighborly encounters rather than divisive debates.