2020 - Once upon a time in Islamic Gibraltar
Introducing Umm-Hakim. . . Musa deposed the viceroy whom he had placed over Tangiers, and appointed Tariq ibn Ziyad governor. He, then, returned to Cairwan, Tariq with his female slave of the name of Umm-Hakim setting out for Tangiers. Tariq remained some time in this district, waging a holy war. . . The governor of the straits between this district and Andalus, was a foreigner called llyan, Lord of Septa. (Ceuta) He was also the governor of a town called Alchadra, situated on the same side of the straits of Andalus as Tangier. p18
“Umm-Hakim” – a first mention in the literature
“Ilyan” is an Arabic version of Julian.
“Septa” is Ceuta.
“Alchadra” is possibly Al-Yazirat Al-Hadra or Algeciras. However, it is on the opposite side of the Straits to Tangier
“Cairwan” - see Crónicas Mozárabe de 754
Julian’s quarrel with Rodericllyan was a subject of Roderic the Lord of Andalus, who used to reside in Toledo. Tariq put himself in communication with llyan, and treated him kindly, until they made peace with each other. llyan had sent one of his daughters (Florinda) to Roderic, the Lord of Andalus, for her improvement and education; but she became pregnant by him. p18
From the book Florinda; ó La caba (First published in 1852 - Juan de Dios de Mora)
Julian suggests a Muslim invasion of al-Andalusllyan having heard of this, said, I see for him no other punishment or recompense, than that I should bring the Arabs against him. He sent to Tariq, saying, I will bring thee to Andalus; Tariq being at that time in Tlemcen, and Musa Ibn Nusayr in Cairwan. p19
But Tariq said l cannot trust thee until thou send me a hostage. So, he sent his two daughters, having no other children. Tariq allowed them to remain in Tlemcen, guarding them closely. After that Tariq went to llyan who was in Septa on the straits. The latter rejoicing at his coming, said, I will bring thee to Andalus.
Tariq Invades
But there was a mountain called the mountain of Tariq between the two landing places, that is, between Septa and Andalus. When the evening came, llyan brought him the vessels, in which he made him embark for that landing-place, where he concealed himself during the day, and in the evening sent back the vessels to bring over the rest of his companions. p19
Notes:
So, they embarked for the landing-place, none of them being left behind: whereas the people of Andalus did not observe them, thinking that the vessels crossing and re-crossing were similar to the trading vessels which for their benefit plied backwards and forwards. Tariq was in the last division which went across. He proceeded to his companions, llyan together with the merchants that were with him being left behind in Alchadra, in order that he might the better encourage his companions and countrymen.
Notes: The “mountain of Tariq” is certainly Gibraltar, but the passage does not make it at all clear whether this was Tariq’s landing place on the Al-Andalus side. The British historian George Hills in his Rock of Contention, quotes the above section on Tariq’s invasion using a new translation which I cannot identify. Here it is.
And there was between the two majaz a mountain in Spain which is today called Djabal Tariq, between Septa and Spain. When it was evening, Ilyan brought him (Tariq) the ships and carried him in them to that majaz, where he lay in hiding during the daytime: and when evening came, he returned with the ships to the rest of his comrades who were carried to the majaz until none remained, so that the people of Spain did not take any notice of them and did not think the ships other than those which plied across the Strait for their benefit since they in no way seemed different from them. And Tariq was with the last brigade to go on board. – p25
The key word is “majaz” which Hills translated as a “path” or “corridor” hence according to Hills Gibraltar lay “between the points of departure and embarkation and was not itself the landing place.” p26
The Gibraltarian historian Tito Benady in his Biografía Musulmána also quotes in Spanish the same passage from Ibn Abd-el-Hakam – he suggests that it confirms his argument that Tariq actually landed on the Rock itself.
En la zona del Estrecho se levantaba un peñón llamado hoy Yabal Tariq, (Jabal Tarik) entre Ceuta y España. Al llegar la noche, Julián le hizo [a Tariq] pasar en sus naves, ocultándose los soldados por la costa española durante el día. Por la noche, las embarcaciones volvieron por los que quedaban y los transportaron hasta el ultimo... Tarik pasó con el ultimo destacamento, añadiéndose a los suyos . . . p141
Neither Hills nor Benady are particularly convincing in my opinion. In fact, as far as I can make out the only place in the vicinity in which the landing place would have had Gibraltar between Ceuta and Iberia would have been somewhere on the eastern side of the Rock. If that is correct then one possible alternative would have been the old Almadravilla – Catalan Bay.
The east face of the Rock – Catalan and Sandy Bay lie along this shore-line - The Bay and the coast of Iberia are on the opposite western side (1914 photograph – Edited)
John Harris Jones continues:
The island of Umm-HakimThe news of Tariq and of those who were with him, as well as of the place where they were, reached the people of Andalus. Tariq going along with his companions marched over a bridge of mountains to a town called Cartagena. He went in the direction of Cordova. Having passed by an island in the sea, he left behind his female slave of name of Umm-Hakim, and with her a division of his troops: That island is called Umm-Hakim. When the Moslems settled in the island, they found no other inhabitants there, than vinedressers. They made them prisoners. p19
Notes: "al-Jadra” must be Al Yazirat Al Hadra, modern Algeciras.
George Hills also quotes the above section offering a different interpretation.
Tariq leading his companions, took a course over a bridge by a mount to a village called Kartayena (Carteia) and marched wanting Cordoba.
Hills also adds the following footnote:
. . . with the important changes. . .of village for town and “bridge by a mount” for the meaningless “Bridge of mountains” - p29
Thomas F. Glick in his From Muslim fortress to Christian Castle published in 1995 also makes the following observation:
The Arabs named an island off Cadiz Umm Hakim in honour of a slave of the conqueror Tariq ibn Ziyad, or so the story goes. But Umm Hakim is merely a literal rendering in Arabic of the isle of Hera or Juno whose Latin name . . . is perpetuated in the current place-name Isla de Leon. p49
Notes: Cadiz? Hera? Juno?
Se dice que Tariq desembarcó en Yabal Tarik (Gibraltar) y dejó una esclava suya, en un islote que a partir de entonces se llamaría Yazirat Umm Hakim, (La isla de Umm Hakim). También se dice que la famosa batalla en que fue derrotado y muerto el ultimo rey godo tuvo lugar en el Wadi Umm Hakim (El rio de Umm Hakim). Nosotros seguimos creyendo que no existió tal esclava y que es una transcripción de un topónimo romano o prerromano y que muy bien podía corresponder a la insula Iunonis – la isla de Juno . . . y que se identifica con la actual Isla de León de Cádiz.
The island of “Yazirat Umm-Hakim” has nevertheless been identified by some historians as being one and the same as Al Yazirat Al Hadra which lies just in front of Algeciras and ended up giving the town the same name.
For example, according to the Spanish historian Gomez de Avellaneda, the name also appears in the 11th century anonymous Ajbar Machmua - which I deal with in a separate essay:
El gobernador de Algeciras había dejado de asistir a los rehenes, que se encontraban en la isla de Umm Hakim, con los alimentos y agua que necesitaban, pues en la isla no hay agua alguna, y a consecuencia de esto murió uno de ellos, noble personaje de Siria.
However, the complex and difficult to understand origins of the how Algeciras got its name is beyond the scope of this essay. For a start “Algeciras” is derived from the first bit or “Al Yazirat” which can be translated as either “the island” or “the peninsula” – neither of which are decent descriptions of the town.
John Harris Jones continues:
The Cannibal Story
After that they took one of the vinedressers, slaughtered him, cut him in pieces, and boiled him, while the rest of his companions looked on. They had also boiled meat in other cauldrons. When the meat was cooked, they threw away the flesh of that man which they had boiled; no one knowing that it was thrown away: and they ate the meat which they had boiled, while the rest of the vinedressers were spectators. p20
Notes: Although given by Abd-al-Hakam as history – and repeated as such with variations by other medieval authors, most modern sources tend to consider the “cannibal” story as a myth – and so do I.
Story of the Padlocked HouseAs Abd-Errahman has related to us on the authority of his father Abd-Allah lbn Abd-El-Hakem, and of Hisham lbn lshaak: There was a house in Andalus, the door of which was secured with padlocks, and on which every new king of the country placed a padlock of- his own, until the accession to power of the king against whom the Moslems marched. They therefore begged him to place a padlock on it, as the kings before him were wont to do. p20
But he refused saying, l will place nothing on it, until I shall have known what is inside; he then ordered it to be opened; but behold inside were portraits of the Arabs, and a letter in which it was written: “when this door shall he opened, these people will invade this country.”
Notes: “Abd-Erraman” is actually the author himself - Ibn Abd al Hakam. His full name was Abd al-Hamam Abu'l Qasim Abd ar-Raḥman bin Abdullah bin Abd al-Ḥakam. “Abd-Erraman” is the author’s somewhat unconventional reference to himself as the author.
Front page of the Crónica del Rey Rodrigo by Pedro de Corral showing the padlocked house
(1549 Edition)
Note: For the origins of this story please read my article on Ibn al-Kardabus.
Battle of GuadaleteWhen Tariq landed, soldiers from Córdoba came to meet him; and seeing the small number of his companions they despised him on that account. They then fought. The battle with Tariq was severe. They (the Christians) were routed, and he did not cease from the slaughter of them till they reached the town of Cordoba. When Roderic heard of this, he came to their rescue from Toledo. They then fought in a place of the name of Shedunlib in a valley which is called this day the valley of Umm-Hakim. They fought a severe battle; but God, mighty and great, killed Roderic and his companions . . . A slave of Welid, was then commander of Tariq’s army. (He) went in the direction of Cordoba, Tariq passing over to Toledo. p20/21
Notes: The commander of Tariq’s army is named elsewhere as Moguits Ar-Romi. “Welid” is possibly Al-Walid – but probably not the Caliph Al-Walid I.
“Shedunlib” I cannot find, but most historians are agreed that this well-known battle was fought near the banks of the river Guadalete.
The Battle of Guadalete (Unknown)
The story of Solomon’s TableHe then, entered it (Toledo) and asked for the table . . . This . . . was the table of Suleyman lbn Dawid, may the Blessed God be upon him. Andalus having been conquered for Musa lbn Nossyr, he took from it the table of Suleyman lbn Dawid . . . Tariq was told that the table was in a citadel called Faras, two days journey from Toledo, and that the Governor of this citadel was a nephew of Roderic.
Note: Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd (Solomon son of David) was, according to the Quran and Islamic tradition, both the third King of the Jews and a Prophet of the Israelites.
Tariq wrote to him, promising safety both for himself and family. The nephew descended from the citadel, and Tariq fulfilled his promise with reference to his safety. Tariq said to him, deliver the table, and he delivered it to him. On this table were gold and silver, the like of which one had not seen. Tariq then took off one of its legs together with the pearls and the gold it contained, and fixed to it a similar leg. The table was valued two hundred thousand dinars, on account of the pearl that were on it. He took up the pearls, the armour, the gold, the silver, and the vases which he had with him, and found that quantity of spoils, the like of which one had not seen. He collected all that. Afterwards he returned to Cordova, having stopped there, he wrote to Musa lbn Nusayr informing him of the conquest of Andalus, and of the spoils which he had found. p21
Somebody’s idea of what Solomon’s Table looked like
Musa’s ResponseMusa then wrote to Welid lbn Abd El-Malil (Walid I) informing him of that, and throwing himself upon his mercy. Musa wrote to Tariq ordering him not to leave Cordova until he should come to him. And he reprimanded him very severely.
Afterwards Musa lbn Nusayr set out for Andalus, . . . taking with him the chiefs of the Arabs. the commanders, and the leaders of the Berbers to Andalus. He set out being angry with Tariq . . . and left the government of Cairwan to his son Abd Allah who was his eldest son. He then passed through Alchadra (Algeciras) and afterwards went to Cordova. Tariq then met him, and tried to satisfy him saying “l am merely thy slave; this conquest is thine.” Musa collected of the money a sum which exceeded all description. Tariq delivered to him all that he had plundered. p21/22
Battle of Guadalete - revisitedIt is said by others, Roderic marched against Tariq, while the latter was on the mountain. When he came up to him, Tariq marched out against him; Roderic being at that time seated on his royal throne borne by two mules; and wearing a crown, decorations for the head and feet, and all the ornaments which the kings before him were accustomed to wear.
Unknown artist’s impression of Roderic during the battle of Guadalete
Tariq and his companions marched out against him, all being on foot, no rider being among them. So they fought from sunrise till sunset, and they thought their destruction involved; but God killed Roderic and his companions, and gave the Moslems the victory. And there was never in the West a bloodier battle than this. The Moslems did not withdraw their swords from Roderic and his companions for three days. The soldiers returned afterwards to Cardova. . .
It is also said, that it was Musa, after his arrival in Andalus, who sent Tariq to Toledo. This town lies between Cordova and Narbonne; and Narbonne determines the boundary of Andalus . . . and it is in their hands this day. p 22
The Story of the carpet and the buried treasurelt is also said, that Tariq merely found the table there; but God knows. Roderic had possessed two thousand miles and more of the coast. The soldiers found a large booty of gold and silver. As Abd-Errahman, on the authority of Abd-El Malik lbn Mohammed, and the latter on the authority of El-Leyth lbn Sad, say: If this was so, perhaps it relates to the carpet that was found, interwoven with gold twigs, ornamented with a row of gold strings, pearls, hyacinths, and emeralds.
The Berbers had often found it, but could not lift it up till they brought a hatchet. Having then cut it in the middle, one of them took one half, the other took the remainder: while a crowd followed them, the soldiers being engaged with another matter. p22
When Andalus was conquered, a man came to Musa lbn Nusayr and said, come with me, l will show you a treasure. He, then, sent persons with him. The man said to them, dig here; and there flowed upon them emeralds, and hyacinths like of which they had never seen. When they saw they were afraid, saying, Musa will not believe us, so they sent to him repeatedly till he came, and looked at it. p 22/23
Notes: Almost certainly another myth to add to the collection.