For forty years, the Umayyads held onto a corner of France.
These are the places you can find clues to that history.
perpignan
Your journey begins in Barcelona. One thousand three hundred years ago, the governor of Al-Andalus crossed the Pyrenees looking to extend their territory. This was the Umayyad’s entrance to present day France, and you will make this same trip, from Barcelona to Perpignan. It’s two hours by car, three hours by train, which I highly recommend. The train is super nice, easy and accessible. It is an international high-speed rail line. After you cross into France, look out the windows and notice the mountains on both sides of you. You will go between them, and then descend down into the city of Perpignan. This ‘gateway’ between the two mountains was likely the same path the Umayyad armies of Al-Andalus travelled to capture the region that lay beyond Perpignan, which is explored in the rest of this list. On your right will be the Albera Massif, the mountain lookout overlooking the French-Spanish border to this very day. You can imagine the amount of cultural exchange that has occurred over this mountain pass, like a super-channel for human creativity, a funnel of language and the exchange of ideas and enterprises. No wonder La Gare de Perpignan, the Train Station, is known as the ‘Center of the World’, captured in a world-famous Dali painting.
The train will let you off in an absolutely stunning part of Perpignan, near an area called Saint-Mathieu, which has stunning alleyways, shops, cafes and leads to the Palace of the Kings of Majorca. First, though, you will exit into a neighborhood called La Gare: The Station. Salvador Dali famously wrote that Perpignan Station was where he saw the center of the universe. For those on a Salvador Dali inspired journey, this itinerary is perfect. La Gare de Perpignan was a surrealist masterpiece revered by Dali fans and art scholars. The painting itself is housed in Museum Ludwig, in Cologne. Walking inside and outside of the station, you will perhaps experience what Dali described in his famous painting. The Los Angeles Times said in 2004, “The station of Perpignan is destined to become one of the most important cosmic places in the Dalinian cosmogony,”.
But what are the links between Dali and the Umayyads in this place? The Dali museum exhibit here at the station is titled “Centre du Monde”. So, too, the World Arab Institute in Paris in 1980 named itself the Institute of the World. Astronomy, mathematics and sciences involving the cosmos were a central piece of Arab-Iberian culture over a thousand years ago. Today southeastern France is one of the world’s most vibrant Arab communities. Perhaps the ‘center of the world’ vision of this place, the one Dali had, is connected to the cultural history of this border region.
If you’re interested in the links between the world of Dali and the world of the Umayyads, continue on to the heart of the Real District to Museum of Coins and Metals Joseph Puig. This incredible museum is set in a beautiful mansion belonging to the collector. One thing Umayyads left behind were coins. Enjoy your time in Perpignan, and when you’re ready to keep moving, continue on to Narbonne.
narbonne
Your journey begins in Perpignan and takes you north forty-five minutes up the road, to the city of Narbonne. This city of 50,000 people has as much to offer a curious traveler as any major city on the planet. Not to mention, its gorgeous canals, relaxed style of life, shopping alleys, and proximity to the Mediterranean coastal resorts makes it obvious why so many throughout history have centered their pursuit of the finer things in life right here in this courtly city nine miles from the beach.
In forty years the al-Andalusian settlers and soldiers did not build much that lasted in present-day France. There is archaeological evidence in Narbonne of an eighth century Mosque, but there are no standing walls. The Palais des archevêques de Narbonne is a must-see. It’s a three-part architectural complex, and takes you close to the city center and the centerpiece of the canal, the Pont de Marchands Bridge structure. This is a beautiful area to stroll, shop, and relax with a view of the canal. This area is where the medieval fortress held by Umayyads would have stood.
Another fascinating feature of Narbonne connecting to its Umayyad past is its vibrant Jewish history. Umayyads often left an imprint of religious tolerance along with their books, their scientific instruments, their coins, their engineering and architecture. Jews from Bagdad and all over the Muslim world came to al-Andalus and founded flourishing communities of thinkers, teachers, learners and poets still known today through the universities in Toledo and nearby Narbonne, in the great city of Toulouse. Well after the Umayyads left, Jewish communities thrived in southern France well into the late middle ages. The Museum of Art and History in Narbonne has one of the oldest known inscriptions of the Jewish community in France. Truly, this Septimanian region is filled with evidence of a world center, a cosmopolitan meeting place since time immemorial.
Béziers
Larger than Narbonne but smaller than Nimes, Beziers is a wonderful place to enjoy the typical beauties of the Languedoc region. The fortress city you will enjoy in Carcassonne can also be seen here in Beziers, as the Cathedral of Saint Nazaire de Beziers is situated high on a rock escarp overlooking the city and countryside. Beziers is known for its collection of cuisine hotspots, so definitely plan ahead with a special dinner reservation here.
The fortress city of Carcassonne is one of the best preserved medieval castle cities you are likely to find. It is worth spending a night or two here, as you are unlikely to find a living modern city surrounding a still standing castle city. The fortress was so strong that the Gothic soldiers held off the invading Umayyads here for a long time, until it finally fell along with Nimes. The strength of the fortress and the position of the city rendered it a stable place, famous for pioneering the use of supplies to live comfortable inside the fortress, self-sufficiently for a long time. That safe, stable vibe continues here. It is a great place to relax, feel safe, protected up on the fortress hill, drink some world-class wine and stare at the views across hills rolling in all directions, towards the sea and the mountains.
carcassonne
You journey begins in Montpellier. This is a city that deserves a day or two, at least. Nimes is a short trip north, inland toward the Rhone River and the city of Avignon. Nimes is reachable by any number of transport options from Montpellier or Marseilles. According to archaeologists there were actually gravesites uncovered dating back to Umayyads forty year occupation of present-day France. Perhaps there are not many large structures left by the Umayyads, but the gravesites make it evident that in forty years there was enough time for medieval Islamic culture to take root in the area along the Mediterranean coast. A must-visit site in Nimes is without a doubt the Roman Amphitheater, and the Maison Carree. Stunning - they both would have been standing and visible to the North African soldiers who occupied the city for nearly four decades, as would the Roman roads, fortress walls and other features of the city center. The oldest Muslim burials in France are located here, and evidence suggests that Berber, Muslim and North African heritage continued to play a part in this region of France even after the Umayyads retreated.