As Islam grew from being a small Saudi Arabian religion to one of the largest conquering religions in the world in committed a lot of change through the christian based Europe. Before Islam had taken over the territory was mostly just nomadic tribes for a very long time. Islam reached Western Europe through Spain having crossed the Straits of Gibraltar from North Africa. From Spain, it spread across the Pyrenees until the Franks routed the Muslim armies at the Battle of Tours in 732. Islam would retain a presence in Spain, however, until the last Muslim stronghold at Granada was defeated in 1492. Despite the impermanence of the Muslims in Western Europe, it would have several significant effects on European civilization. It was during their
