The People of Gibraltar

711-1492 - Medieval Gibraltar – Part 19 – The Siege of Algeciras and Ibn Battuta

The Islamic defeat at the Battle of Rio Salado aka Tarifa was a game changer as regards the Reconquista. It would take another century and a half for the surrender of the city of Granada in 1492 for the Christians to finally to get rid of their Muslim enemies. But in many ways, it was the result of this battle that made it a foregone conclusion. It was certainly the end of the road for Abu-l-hassan.

SIEGE OF ALGECIRAS

This one lasted nearly two years and was finally resolved by an arrangement - the Emir of Granada would hand over the city to the on condition that Alfonso would allow the town’s inhabitants to leave it with their possessions under the Christian King’s protection. The only real connection as regards the medieval history of Gibraltar is that the refugees from Algeciras took refuge on the Rock which was now back as part of the Kingdom of Granada.

Al Makkarí Vol 2 P355
In the course of time, however, Algesiras became the prey of the inﬁdels in consequence of the defeat which Abu-l-hasan, together with . . . Yusuf], suffered at Tarifa; and Gibraltar was afterwards taken from the Beni Merin (the Marinids) by Mohammed . . . Sultan of Granada (a Nasrid), to whom . . . Ibnu-l-khattib was Wizir.

As regards those refugees:

Leopoldo Torres Balbás – Gibraltar, Llave . . . P27
El vecindario de Gibraltar era reducido en el año 1309, fecha de su primera conquista por los cristianos, pues refiere la Crónica de don Fernando IV que en esa ocasión salieron de ella 1.125 moros.

Probablemente se acrecentaría el número de sus habitantes después de la reconquista musulmana en 1333, cuando Abu-l-hassan (Marinid) y Abu Inan (his son) construyeron las grandes y numerosas obras referidas, y tras de la toma de Algeciras por Alfonso XI (1344), pues bastantes de sus vecinos debieron de pasar a la cercana Gibraltar para seguir viviendo bajo el dominio islámico.

And somewhat earlier:

Frederick George Stephens -1870 – P167
Meantime, the number of inhabitants on the Rock had been much enlarged by migrations
from the neighbouring city of Algeciras, where the expelled could continue with little real disadvantage their old trades in the old channels.

BLOND GREEN-EYED ALFONSO

Here is another similar description of Alfonso XI of Castle and Leon:

Crónicas de Pedro López de Ayala Vol1 – Late 14th century P 10E fue este rey Don Alfonso no muy grande de cuerpo; mas de buen talle, e de buena fuerza, e blanco, e rubio, e franco, e esforzado, e venturoso en guerras . . .

THE FIFTH SIEGE

Crónicas de Alfonso XI – From Crónicas - Pedro López de Ayala V1 – Late 14th c - P 1

El muy alto Príncipe, é muy noble Caballero Rey Don Alfonso Deceno, que así ovo nombre de los Reyes que regnaron en Castilla é en León . . .Después de todas estas batallas é conquistas que el noble Príncipe Rey Don Alfonso ﬁzo, cerca la villa e castillo de Gibraltar en el año. del Señor de mil é trecientos quarenta é nueve . . .

I think that Mr Pedro López de Ayala slipped up there. It was Alfonso XI (Onceno) and not his great Grandfather Alfonso X (Deceno) who was responsible for setting up the Fifth Siege.

Cronicas de Alfonso XI - From Crónicas - Pedro López de Ayala V1 – Late 14th c - P 7

E este logar de Gibraltar es una villa é castillo muy-noble muy fuerte, é muy notable é muy preciada entre los Christianos é Moros . . . Estando así el fecho desta cerca de Gibraltar, fue la voluntad de Dios que recreciese pestilencia de mortandad en el real del Rey Don Alfonso muy grande en el año siguiente que pusiera su real sobre Gibraltar.

Le fuese dicho aconsejado que se partiese de aquella cerca, por quanto avían muerto é murrian de cada dio muchas compañas, é él estaba en gran peligro de su cuerpo, ca muchos de sus Caballeros eran ya muertos de aquella pestilencia; enpero por todo esto nunca el Rey se quiso partir del dicho real . . .

DEATH OF ALFONSO XI

Cronicas de Alfonso XI
. . . é fue voluntad de Dios que el Rey adoleció . . . 1350. . . E los Moros que estaban en la villa é castillo de Gibraltar, desque sopieron que el Rey Don Alfonso era muerto, ordenaron entre sí que ninguno non ﬁlese osado de facer ningún movimiento contra los Christianos nin volver pelea: é estovieron quedos é decían entre sí, que aquel día moriera un noble Rey, é grand Príncipe del mundo, por el qual, non solamente los sus Christianos eran honrados; más aún los Caballeros Moros guerreros por él avían fanado grandes honras é eran preciados de sus Reyes.

E el día que los Christianos partieron de su real con el cuerpo del Rey Don Alfonso todos los Moros de la villa de Gibraltar salieron fuera, é estovieron muy quedos, é non consintieron que ningunos saliesen a pelear; salvo que miraban como partían dende los Christianos.

PEDRO OF CASTILE

Cronicas de Alfonso XI – P11
Luego que el Rey Don Alfonso ﬁnó en el real de Gibraltar según dicho avemos, todos los Señores é Caballeros que estaban con él en dicho real, é así todos los de los Regnos de Castilla é de León después que lo supieron, tomaron por su Rey é su Señor al Infante Don Pedro su fijo primero legitimo heredero, ﬁjo de la Reyna Doña María su muger, ﬁja del Rey Don Alfonso de Portugal:

Pedro the Cruel – not to be confused with Pedro of Castil who was regent during the early days of the reign of Alfonso XI

THE GIBRALTAR CRUSADE

Understandably overlooked by Alcantara is the lengthy battle for the control of the Straits between Castile on the one side and Granada and Barbary on the other. He is not alone. It is still not easy to find proper references in modern histories of the Reconquista despite the multiple references to the activities of galleys in some of the old “Cronicas”

Cronicas de Alfonso XI - Possibly 14th century
De cómo llegaron al rey don Alfonso ayuda otras diez galeras de Aragón y del ardid que hizieron contra los moros . . . y otro día vio las galeras de los moros quantas eran y quales . . .

The crusade to recover the Holy Land came to an end during the late 13th century, but Fernando III of Castile – Alfonso’s Great, great grandfather - had other ideas.

Ferdinand III of Castile and Leon

Joseph F. O’Callaghan - The Gibraltar Crusade 2011 – P1

Successive popes had recognised the importance of the reconquest by granting crusading privileges . . . the struggle to command the Strait also received the character of a crusade. The kings of Castile (actually Ferdinand III) suggested that once they had overthrown peninsular Islam and gained a base in Morocco, they would participate in a general European crusade to rescue the Holy Land.

DEADMAN’S HOLE

I have dealt with Ibn Battuta’s and Ibn-al-Juzayy’s visits to Gibraltar within my comments on several previous chapters but I have not covered Dead Man’s Hole which in itself has little to do with Battuta as such.

E.R.Kenyon – Gibraltar – 1911/1933 – P11
Before 1350 this (Line) wall was carried on by Abou Imam (Abu Inan Faris) to the extreme south where its remains still exist above Europa Advance and at Deadman’s Hole. . .

Thomas James - Vol 2 -1771 P326
The tower at Europa -point has a room-arched at the foundation in the Roman style -and winding stairs Join the outside of the top, easily to be traced, but before the building of Europa line wall, the most part of the steps were entire . . . The coved room now is made use of for a guard of soldiers, and vulgarly called the Deadman's Hole, on account that a gentleman was, at his particular desire, buried there under the ﬂoor of the above room.