The Reconquista was a historical period in the Iberian Peninsula, spanning approximately 800 years, during which Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim territory from Muslim rule following the Umayyad conquest in the 8th century. This culminated in 1492 with the capture of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold, by the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. The Reconquista significantly influenced the cultural, political, and religious landscape of Spain and Portugal, leading to the eventual establishment of a unified Spanish state.