Islam in Europe
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The history of Islam in Europe spans over a thousand years and is marked by significant cultural, political, and social interactions.
The Islamic conquests of the 7th and 8th centuries brought Muslim armies into parts of the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal), North Africa, and the Mediterranean islands. In 711 CE, the Umayyad Caliphate from the Arabian Peninsula invaded the Iberian Peninsula, and within a few years, they established the Umayyad Emirate of Cordoba, which later evolved into the Caliphate of Cordoba (929-1031 CE).
In the Balkans, the Ottoman Empire, a Muslim-majority state, expanded into southeastern Europe during the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. At its height, the Ottoman Empire controlled much of southeastern Europe, including parts of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.
From the 19th century onwards, there was a significant influx of Muslim immigrants to Western European countries, primarily due to colonial ties, economic opportunities, and political reasons. Muslims from North Africa, Turkey, the Indian subcontinent, and other regions settled in countries like France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
The map below shows parts of Europe that Muslim states have ruled for more than one hundred years, from 711 to today.
In recent times, Europe has seen increased cultural and religious diversity due to the presence of Muslim communities. The integration of these communities has presented both opportunities and challenges for European societies, with debates around identity, multiculturalism, and social cohesion.
The Muslim population in Europe is diverse and comes from various ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. While estimates vary, it is believed that there are around 25 to 30 million Muslims in Europe, making up around 4-6% of the continent’s total population.
Today, Europe’s Muslim-majority regions are Turkey, Kosovo, and Albania, and a plurality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, parts of Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as some Russian regions in the Northern Caucasus and the Volga region (Tatarstan).
The map of Europe below shows Islam in Europe by the percentage of the country’s population.
The majority of Muslims in Western and Central European countries have roots in countries with a Muslim-majority population, such as Turkey, North Africa, Pakistan, and countries in the Middle East.
The percentage of Muslims in European countries is as follows:
<1% (Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia)
1%-2% (Croatia, Ireland, Ukraine)
2%-4% (Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain)
4%-5% (Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom)
5%-10% (Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Liechtenstein, Netherlands)
10%-20% (Georgia, Montenegro, Russia)
20%-30% (Cyprus)
30%-40% (Macedonia)
40%-50% (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
70%-80% (Kazakhstan)
80%-90% (Albania)
90%-95% (Kosovo)
>95% (Turkey, Northern Cyprus, Azerbaijan)
You can learn more about the history of Islam from the following books:
