In 1232, Muhammad I ibn Nasr founded the Nasrid dynasty, establishing the Emirate of Granada as the last Muslim state on the Iberian Peninsula. The dynasty would rule Granada for over 250 years, until its final fall to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492. The Nasrids skillfully navigated the complex political landscape of the Reconquista, maintaining their independence through diplomacy, tribute, and strategic alliances with both Christian and Muslim powers.

The Nasrid court in Granada became a center of Islamic culture and poetry, producing some of the finest Arabic literature in Al-Andalus. The poet Ibn al-Khatib, a prolific writer and statesman, served under the Nasrids and composed works that included poetry, history, and philosophy. The dynasty's patronage of the arts and its rich literary output ensured the survival of Andalusian cultural traditions even as Christian kingdoms expanded across the peninsula.