Timeline of the Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula facts for kids

This is a timeline of important events during the time Muslims lived in Iberia, which is modern-day Spain and Portugal. It starts with the Umayyad conquest in the 8th century.

The Muslim Arrival (711–756)

• 711 – A Muslim army of about 7,000 soldiers, mostly Berbers and Arabs, enters Iberia from North Africa. They are led by General Tariq ibn Ziyad.
  • At the Battle of Guadalete, Tariq ibn Ziyad defeats the Visigothic King Roderic.
• 712 – Musa ibn Nusayr, the Muslim governor of North Africa, arrives with more soldiers, bringing the total army to 12,000. They capture cities like Medina-Sidonia, Seville, and Mértola.
• 713 – Musa ibn Nusayr's son, Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa, takes Jaén, Murcia, Granada, and Sagunto.
• 715 – Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa is put in charge and makes Seville his capital.
• 717 – Córdoba becomes the main city of Muslim Al-Andalus.
• 718 – Pelayo, a Christian noble, starts fighting against the Muslims in the Asturian region.
• 720 – The Muslims conquer Barcelona and Narbonne.
• 721 – A Christian army defeats a Muslim army at the Battle of Toulouse.
• 732 – Frankish commander Charles Martel and Duke Odo of Aquitaine defeat a Muslim army at the Battle of Tours-Poitiers. The Muslim leader, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, is killed.
• 739 – Berbers in North Africa revolt, and this rebellion spreads to Iberia.
• 755 – Abd ar-Rahman I of the Umayyad family escapes to Iberia after his family is overthrown by the Abbasids.
• 756 – Abd ar-Rahman I defeats the local ruler near Córdoba.

The Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba (756–929)

• 756 – Abd ar-Rahman I declares himself Emir of Córdoba, making Al-Andalus an independent Muslim state.
• 759 – The Muslims lose Narbonne, their last stronghold north of the Pyrenees mountains.
• 785 – Building of the Great Mosque of Córdoba begins. It will become a famous landmark.
• 788 – Abd ar-Rahman I dies. His son, Hisham I, becomes the new Emir.
• 791 – Alfonso II becomes King of Asturias and starts taking back land from the Muslims.
• 798 – Alfonso II of Asturias raids and captures Lisbon for a short time.
• 800 – Charlemagne, the Frankish leader, takes Barcelona.
• 813 – The grave of James the Apostle is said to be found near Santiago de Compostela. This becomes a very important Christian pilgrimage site.
• 822 – Abd-ar-Rahman II becomes Emir of Córdoba.
• 844 – Vikings raid the Iberian coast, attacking Lisbon and sacking Seville. They are later defeated by a Muslim army.
• 850–859 – Many Christians in Córdoba are executed for refusing to convert to Islam or for speaking against the Prophet Muhammad. These are known as the Martyrs of Córdoba.
• 852 – Muhammad I becomes Emir of Córdoba.
• 871 – The city of Coimbra is taken from the Muslims by Christians.
• 912 – Abd al-Rahman III becomes the Emir of Córdoba. He often sends armies to raid Christian lands.
• 913 – The capital of the Kingdom of Asturias moves to León, and the kingdom becomes the Kingdom of León.
• 920 – Muslim forces under Abd al-Rahman III defeat the armies of the Kingdom of León at the Battle of Valdejunquera.
• 924 – The city of Pamplona is destroyed by Abd al-Rahman III's forces.

The Umayyad Caliphate (929–1031)

• 929 – Abd al-Rahman III declares himself Caliph of Córdoba, breaking ties with the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. Under his rule, Muslim Al-Andalus reaches its greatest power.
• 939 – At the Battle of Simancas, Christian forces under Ramiro II of León severely defeat Abd al-Rahman III. After this, he decides not to lead armies in person anymore.
• 961 – Al-Hakam II becomes Caliph.
• 976 – Caliph Al-Hakam II dies. Al-Mansur takes control, becoming a military dictator. He launches many attacks against Christian kingdoms.
  • Al-Mansur sacks Barcelona.
• 987 – Al-Mansur burns the city of Santiago de Compostela to the ground and takes its church bells to Córdoba.
• 988 – Al-Mansur destroys León.
• 1002 – Al-Mansur dies. After his death, power in Al-Andalus becomes divided among different groups.
• 1008 – A period of chaos begins, leading to the breakup of the Caliphate into many smaller states.
• 1009 – The Berbers are expelled from Córdoba, and different leaders claim to be Caliph.
• 1013 – The Caliphate of Córdoba begins to break apart into independent Muslim kingdoms called taifas. Many Jews flee to Granada.
• 1014 – The Berber chief Zawi ibn Ziri makes Granada his capital.
• 1028 – The Muslim Caliphate of Córdoba officially falls.

Political Fragmentation (1031–1130)

• 1031 – The Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba completely falls apart.
• 1034 – Over the next 28 years, Ferdinand I of León takes Coimbra and forces the Muslim rulers of Toledo, Seville, and Badajoz to pay him tribute.
• 1043 – Muslim cities fight among themselves, sometimes paying Christian armies to raid their rivals.
• 1056 – The Almoravids, a powerful Berber dynasty from North Africa, begin to rise. They will rule North Africa and parts of Islamic Iberia.
• 1062 – Ferdinand I of Castile-León invades Muslim Toledo and forces its ruler to pay tribute.
• 1064 – Ferdinand I of León-Castile captures Coimbra after a long siege.
• 1066 – A terrible event happens in Granada where many Jews are attacked and killed.
• 1071 – Garcia II of Galicia declares himself King of Portugal, but is later captured by his brother, Sancho II of Castile.
• 1079 – Rodrigo Díaz, known as El Cid, defeats the Emir of Granada.
• 1081 – El Cid, now a mercenary (a soldier who fights for money), starts working for the Muslim king of Zaragoza.
• 1085 – Christian forces under Alfonso VI of León and Castile capture Toledo. This is a major victory for the Christian Reconquista.
• 1086 – Several Muslim rulers ask the Almoravid leader Yusuf ibn Tashfin for help against Alfonso VI.
  • At the Battle of az-Zallaqah, the Almoravids and Andalusian Muslims defeat the Christian army of Alfonso VI.
• 1090 – Yusuf ibn Tashfin returns to Iberia and takes over the kingdoms of Granada and Málaga.
• 1091 – The Almoravids capture Córdoba and Seville.
• 1092 – Toledo remains in Christian hands permanently.
• 1093 – El Cid captures Valencia from the Muslims, creating his own kingdom.
• 1102 – El Cid's followers leave Valencia, and the Almoravids take control of the city.
• 1105 – The Almohads, another strict Muslim religious movement, begin to rise in North Africa. They oppose certain practices in Islam and will later persecute non-Muslims.
• 1108 – The Almoravids defeat the Castilians at Uclés, killing Sancho, Alfonso VI's only son.
• 1111 – Almoravids occupy Lisbon and Santarém.
• 1118 – Alfonso I of Aragon captures Saragossa from the Muslims. This city will remain Christian.

Decline and Christian Rule (1130–1481)

• 1139 – Battle of Ourique between the Portuguese, led by Afonso I of Portugal, and the Almoravids.
• 1144 – Rebellions against the Almoravids start in the Algarve.
• 1147 – King Afonso I of Portugal takes Santarém in a surprise attack.
  • An international Christian army captures Almería.
  • A fleet of Crusaders helps King Afonso I of Portugal in the Siege of Lisbon, which falls after several months. Lisbon remains Christian.
• 1148 – The Almohads take Seville. Aragonese forces capture Tortosa.
• 1149 – Aragonese forces capture Lleida and Fraga.
• 1151 – The Almohads, who are now replacing the Almoravids, retake Almería. Many Jews and Christians living in Muslim lands flee to Christian kingdoms or other countries.
• 1158 – King Afonso I of Portugal captures Alcácer do Sal from the Muslims.
• 1163 – The Almohad Caliph Abd al-Mu'min al-Kumi dies.
• 1165 – Maimonides, a famous Jewish scholar, and his family leave Fez, Morocco.
• 1169 – King Afonso I of Portugal is captured by King Ferdinand II of León after trying to take Badajoz. He has to give up some of his conquests.
• 1170 – The Almohads move their capital to Seville.
• 1179 – Castile and Aragon agree on how they will divide Al-Andalus in the future.
• 1195 – The Almohads defeat the Castilians at Alarcos.
• 1212 – Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa: A large Christian army from different kingdoms defeats the Almohad Caliph Muhammad an-Nasir. This is a huge turning point, leading to the decline of the Almohad empire in Spain.
• 1217–1252 – Fernando III, King of Castile and León, conquers Córdoba, Murcia, Jaén, and Seville. Granada remains the only independent Muslim kingdom.
• 1228 – Badajoz falls to Christian rule.
• 1229 – James I of Aragon, known as the Conqueror, retakes Majorca and other cities.
• 1236 – Portugal captures most of the Algarve.
  • Castile recaptures Córdoba, which remains Christian.
  • The Nasrid ruler, Mohammed ibn Alhamar, makes a deal with Ferdinand III of Castile: if he helps conquer Seville, Granada will be an independent kingdom under Castile.
• 1237 – Mohammed ibn Alhamar enters Granada, which becomes the new capital of his kingdom.
• 1238 – Aragon captures Valencia. The Emirate of Granada is officially founded.
• 1246 – Jaén is given to Ferdinand III of Castile. The Treaty of Jaén makes the Emirate of Granada a vassal state (a kingdom that has to obey and pay tribute to a more powerful one) of Castile.
• 1248 – Christian armies under Ferdinand III of Castile take Seville after a 16-month siege.
• 1249 – King Afonso III of Portugal takes Faro in the Algarve, ending the Portuguese Reconquista (the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula).
• 1262 – Niebla and Cádiz fall to Christian rule.
• 1264 – A Muslim revolt happens in Andalusia.
• 1287 – Menorca falls to Christian rule.
• 1292 – Castile captures Tarifa.
• 1309 – Ferdinand IV of Castile takes Gibraltar.
• 1333 – Granada retakes Gibraltar from the Castilians.
• 1340 – The combined armies of King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castille defeat a Muslim army at the Battle of Rio Salado.
• 1394 – Granadine troops are the first in Iberia to use handguns.
• 1410 – Ferdinand, regent of Castile, captures the city of Antequera from the Muslims.
• 1415 – Portugal takes the city of Ceuta in North Africa.
• 1462 – Castile takes Gibraltar again.

Castile-Aragón Conquers Granada (1481–1491)

• 1481 – The Granadines surprise and capture the Castilian garrison of Zahara.
• 1482 – Forces of Castile–Aragon capture Alhama.
• 1483 – Emir Muhammad XII of Granada (also known as Boabdil) is captured by the Christians.
• 1487 – Málaga falls to Christian forces after a long siege.
• 1489 – Spain captures Baza. The Muslim leader Al-Zagal surrenders to Spain.
  • Almería falls to Christian rule.
• 1491 – Granada surrenders to the Castilian-Aragonese forces. Abu 'abd Allah Muhammad XII, the last Muslim ruler in Iberia, signs the Treaty of Granada, giving up the city.

Aftermath (1492–1614)

• 2 January 1492 – The Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, officially take over Granada.
• 1492–1507 – Muslims in Castile are ordered to become Catholic. Mosques are converted into churches. These forcibly converted Christians are called Moriscos. Jews who did not convert were expelled from Spain.
• 1496 – All Muslims and Jews in Portugal are expelled.
• 1499–1501 – A Muslim rebellion in Granada happens because of forced conversions, which went against the surrender terms. The rebellion is defeated.
• 1501–1502 – All Muslims in the Crown of Castile are forced to convert to Christianity.
• 1504 – The Oran fatwa is issued, which allows Muslims to secretly practice Islam in Spain after being forced to convert.
• 1516 – King Charles I becomes king of both Castile and Aragon, forming the modern state of Spain. Muslims in Navarre are also forced to convert.
• 1525 – Muslims in the Crown of Aragon are forced to convert to Christianity.
• 1568 – Rebellion of the Alpujarras. After King Philip II introduces laws against Moorish culture, the Moriscos (forcibly converted Muslims) revolt. The rebellion is put down, and the rebels are moved to different parts of Iberia.
• 1609 – King Philip III orders the expulsion of all remaining Moriscos from Spain. They are seen as a threat to the kingdom.
• 1614 – The expulsion process ends.

See also

In Spanish: Historia de al-Ándalus para niños

• Timeline of Córdoba, Andalusia
• Timeline of Seville