Andalusia has a rich history and culture, having a blend of Western European, Middle Eastern and North African influence. The area now known as Al-Andalus has experienced a civilized history dating all the way back to Roman rule, and later a back-and-forth affair between Christian and Islamic rule, until Aben Humeya and Aben Aboo initiated the successful Morisco Uprising, which paved the way for the eventual Muslim victory and consequently, control of the southern Iberian Peninsula.