British expats who choose to live in Spain probably have a good idea of the history from their home country, but knowledge outside of that may be a bit sparse. It is always nice to learn a few things about how the country you live in was formed, but the question is, how do you do this in a fun and exciting way?
A good gateway to starting an exploration into Spanish and European history could be through slot games. By playing titles based on the history of the region; expats could find themselves with a base to build their knowledge on and perhaps an interest in finding out more.
Ali Baba’s Luck
Ali Baba’s Luck is one of the online gambling games found at Paddy Power which has a strong connection to history. The slot, developed by Red Tiger Gaming, has a fantasy theme, inspired by the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from One Thousand and One Nights. This was a collection of Persian, Indian, and Arabian folk tales that have been highly influential in inspiring modern fiction.
The question is, how does this theme relate to Spanish history? Some people may not be aware of this, but the Spanish language and culture had a lot of Arabic influence from the 8th Century onwards. The Muslim Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula around 716 BC and swiftly brought some of their own values and customs to the country. There are numerous Moorish-inspired buildings in Andalusia and the area was also dominated by speakers of Arabic until the 13th Century.
When it comes to language, there are around 4000 words in Spanish that have etymological routes in Arabic. Some common words with an Arabic origin include alcohol, naranja, and tabacco.
Centurion: Maximus Winnus
Way before Arabic invaders came to Spain, the Romans passed through the lands and left their mark on the history of the country. The legendary conquerors not only had a huge influence on the language and customs across Europe, but they are also still used to inspire mainstream culture to this day. A number of slot games have been based on Ancient Rome, with one of the most recent offerings being Centurion: Maximus Winnus from Inspired Gaming. This uses the brand new Megaways engine meaning that there are thousands of ways to win on each spin.
After playing the game, expats may be interested to discover some of the amazing contributions that the Romans introduced to Spain. The Romans ruled over Spain for almost 500 years and occupied it for the first time in the 2nd Century BC. Romans brought with them the Latin language as well, which was dominant throughout their reign. Around 75 per cent of modern-day Spanish words are derived from the now-defunct language.
Gaming can be a gateway to knowledge and can stoke an interest that players didn’t know they had. Expats living in Spain should take some time to learn how the culture and language developed, and playing slot games can be a good introduction to this.
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