2020 - Once upon a time in Islamic Gibraltar
Regretfully I don’t have a copy of the relevant volume or volumes of the Historia de España so I can’t refer to it directly. The best I can do is offer a quote from Lévi-Provençal’s article in the Spanish Historia as given by the Gibraltarian historian Tito Benady in his own article La Bibliografía del Gibraltar Musulmán.
Al mismo gobernador de Tánger, Tariq ibn Ziyad, un liberto de Musa ibn Nusayr, le fue confiado el mando de esta expedición. . . El conde Julián debía acompañar el cuerpo expedicionario y servir de consejero político al general musulmán. Su flotilla, ya empleada en la correría de Tarif y cuyas cuatro unidades hacían en tiempos normales navegación de cabotaje a lo largo de la costa africana del Estrecho, iba a ser utilizada una vez mas, para pasar sin tregua de una orilla a otra, en tanto se construían nuevos bajeles que pudieran, en caso necesario, aportar refuerzos.
El momento era el mas propicio, pues se sabia que Rodrigo estaba ocupado al norte de su reino, en la región de Pamplona, en hacer frente a una ofensiva de bandas francas. Tariq atravesó el Estrecho al mismo tiempo que los primeros contingentes musulmanes y se atrincheró en la falda de la montaña de Calpe para esperar el desembarco de todos sus soldados.
Su travesía tendrá lugar a comienzos de la primavera, en abril o mayo de 711. El ejército reunido por Tariq, conforme las instrucciones de Musa ibn Nusayr, no era muy nutrido. . . Las tropas de Tariq serian en conjunto apenas unos siete mil hombres, bereberes en su mayoría, con un cierto numero de libertos de diverso origen y muy pocos árabes de pura raza. Una vez desembarcadas todas sus fuerzas, Tariq entro en campana. Comenzó por asegurarse la posesión de la ciudad de Carteya. . . Luego se traslado mas al oeste.
Notes: All pretty straight forward but the phrase “se atrincheró en la falda de la montaña de Calpe” must have been music to Benady’s ears. Unlike several other historians Benady was completely convinced that Tariq had physically landed on the Rock rather than somewhere close by.
. . . un autor reciente trato de demostrar, por razones que no están muy claras, que Tariq no desembarco en el Peñón . . .
The “autor reciente” was George Hills putting his case in his Rock of Contention published in 1974. (See my essay on Benady for more on this.)
However, perhaps as regards the Islamic history of Gibraltar, the most memorable find and translation, associated with Lévi-Provençal was that of a letter sent by a powerful Islamic Emir to his minions in al-Andalus. It set in motion a project that resulted in the founding of a new city which came to be known as Madinat al-Fath (Gibraltar). It was published in Hespéris - Archives Berbères et Bulletin De l'institut des Hautes-Etudes Marocaines in 1941.
The man who dictated the letter all those eight and a half centuries ago was Abd al-Mu'min who became the first Emir of the Almohads in 1149 AD after destroying the Almoravid dynasty both in North Africa and in Spain. He is credited as having been the first Arab leader to unite the countries of the Maghreb on the Mediterranean coast with almost the whole of Iberia. He can also perhaps be attributed the honour, perhaps over generously, of being the first warlord to understand the military and naval importance of the Rock.
The designated editor of the letter was given as Abu Ja'far ibn At’iya, but according to Lévi-Provençal:
This attribution is obviously false, Ibn At’iya having been put to death the previous year and having therefore not been able to accompany 'Abd al-Mu'min in his expedition to Ifriqiya, the letter must be true similarly having been written by the same secretary as the next, Ibn al-Murki.
Fondation d'une ville au Yabal Tariq (Gibraltar)De l'émir des Croyants (Abd al-Mu'min), aux talibes et aux Almohades de Grenade.Du camp des Almohades, à l'extérieur d'al-Mahdiya,le . . . 4 décembre 1159.
Le souverain fait savoir à ses correspondants que, bien qu'occupé à porter le jihad dans la partie orientale de l'Afrique du Nord, il n'a pas perdu de vue les affaires d'al-Andalus et qu'il a décidé la construction d'une ville au Yabal Tariq, point qui forme la jonction de la Méditerranée et de l'Atlantique et l'axe et des régions situées de part et d'autre du Détroit ; il se propose de doter cette fondation d'avantages de toutes sortes et de la rendre inexpugnable. Il a envoyeur place à cet effet le s’aik" Abu Ish'âq Barraz b. Muhammad et al-Hajj Ya’is
Il prescrit aux destinataires de se rendre eux-mêmes, accompagnés de s’aiks andalous des territoires de leur ressort, au Jabal Tariq. Ils y retrouveront les t'alibs de Séville et les deux délégués du souverain. Là, les uns et les autres détermineront l'emplacement qui leur paraîtra le plus convenable à la fondation urbaine envisagée. Le souverain ajoute qu'il a écrit au s'aik’ éminent Abû H'afs pour qu'il se rende de son côté si possible à cette réunion sur le site même de la nouvelle ville ; de même, au s’aik" le câ'id Abû Allâh Ibn K’iyâr. Le s’aik' Abû Ish'âq Barrâz et al-H'âjj Ya'is' sont munis des instructions nécessaires.
Post Scriptum. - Au moment où le souverain se disposait à envoyer le présent message à ses destinataires, il a été favorisé par Allâh de la prise de Gafsa, accompagnée d'une demande d'umân provenant des Arabes réfugiés à Gabès. La relation de ces événements fait l'objet d'une missive spéciale que ses correspondants recevront en même temps. Dans ces conditions, le souverain a décidé de revenir dans la partie occidentale de ses possessions. Qu'ils se préparent dès lors à le recevoir et en informent tous les Almohades !
The following is my own translation into English:
From the emir of the Believers (Abd al-Mu'min), to the talibes and Almohads of Granada.From the Almohad camp, outside al-Mahdiya,the . . . 4th December 1159).
The sovereign informed his correspondents that, although busy carrying jihad in the eastern part of North Africa, he had not lost sight of the affairs of al-Andalus and that he had decided to build a town at Yabal Tariq, a point that forms the junction of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and the axis and regions on either side of the Strait; it proposes to endow this foundation with benefits of all kinds and to make it impregnable. He has therefore sent to that place for this purpose the sheik Abu Ish’aq Barraz ibn Muhammad and al-Hajj Ya'is.
It requires the recipients to surrender themselves, accompanied by Andalusian sheiks from the al-Andalus territories of their jurisdiction, to Yabal Tariq. There they will meet the Talibs of Seville and the two delegates of the sovereign. There, both will determine the location that they think is most suitable for the proposed urban foundation. The sovereign adds that he wrote to the eminent sheik Abu Hafs to go on his side if possible, to this meeting on the site of the new city; likewise, sheik the caid Abu Allah ibn Kiyar. The sheik Abu Ish'aq Barraz and al-Hajj Ya’ish are given the necessary instructions.
Post Script - At the time when the sovereign was preparing to send this message to his recipients, he was favoured by Allah from the taking of Gafsa, accompanied by a request for umân (?) from Arab refugees in Gabes. The relationship of these events is the subject of a special missive that its correspondents will receive at the same time. Under these conditions, the sovereign decided to return to the western part of his possessions. Let them then prepare to receive it and inform all the Almohads!
Notes: Before I continue perhaps this is the place to quote parts of another version of this letter described by the historian Ambrosio Huici Miranda in his preliminary translation of Ibn al Sala’s Al-Mann bil-Imana
The noble letter firmly ordered the Sayyid Abu Sa’id Utman, son of the Caliph Abd al Mu’min, to travel personally with his entourage and troops to Gibraltar . . .
. . . Abu Sa’id, as ordered, travelled from his residence in Granada to Gibraltar, whilst the master builder Ahmad ibn Basa did so from Seville together with his plaster masons and other workers so that they would help and obey him.
The letter also instructed the Sayyid Abu Yaqub Yusuf of Seville that he should get together all the plaster masons and master builders found within the Almohad government of al Andalus and send them quickly to Gibraltar
When Abd al-Mu'min died Abu Yaqub Yusuf became the next Almohad Caliph. Whether he continued to be as interested in the affairs of Gibraltar as his father I don’t know but I suspect not. He certainly didn’t stay there for long. What he did do was move to Seville. There, his master builder Ahmad ibn Basa created for him a grand mosque with its well-known Patio de los Naranjos. Although its even more famous minaret - la Giralda - would not be completed until after Ibn Basa had died, it must still have been more than enough to make Abu Yaqub Yusuf forget all about Madinat al-Fath and its castle on the hill – if there ever was such a thing.
FPatio de los Narangos and the Cathedral of Sevilla (Modern photograph)
Ahmad ibn Basa, who was surely the best Moorish architect of his generation, was commissioned to oversee the entire project. Abd al-Mu'min obviously believed in employing the very best that money could buy. One of the remits given by the Emir was to determine exactly where the town should be built and the decision was taken to do so on the north east corner of the Rock.
Lévi-Provençal also offers additional information:
Cette lettre a été écrite au moment où 'Abd al-Mu'min, arrivé en Ifrîqiya depuis (juillet 1159), avait, après la reddition de Tunis, été mettre le siège devant la ville d'al-Mahdiya, occupée par une garnison de troupes chrétiennes du roi de Sicile, Roger II. AI-Mahdîya devait capituler en (janvier 1160): contrairement à ce qu'il dit dans sa lettre, 'Abd al-Mu'min attendit ce moment pour se remettre en route; il n'arriva à Marrakech qu'au début de l'été suivant.
On était jusqu'ici assez bien renseigné sur la fondation de Gibraltar par Abd al-Mu'min, mais on croyait que la construction n'en avait été entreprise que lors du voyage que le souverain y fit lui-même en 556 (1161) :
Voir les références citées dans Doc. in. hist. alm., p. 204, note 1 et la description qui figure dans La Péninsule ibérique au moyen âge, pp. 148-49. On voit que cette construction avait déjà été décidée au moins au cours de l'année précédente.
Notes: My translation :
This letter was written at the time when Abd al-Mu'min had arrived in Ifriqiya before (July 1159), and had, after the surrender of Tunis, been besieging the town of al-Mahdiya which had been occupied by a garrison of Christian troops of the King of Sicily, Roger II. AI-Mahdiya was to capitulate in (January 1160): contrary to what he said in his letter. Abd al-Mu'min waited until this moment to set sail again and did not arrive in Marrakech until the beginning of the following summer.
Until now, we were quite well informed about the founding of Gibraltar by Abd al-Mu'min, but it was believed that the construction had not been undertaken until the sovereign's own journey there in (1161):
See the references cited in Doc. In. hist. alm., p. 204, note 1 and the description mentioned in La Péninsule ibérique au moyen âge, pp. 148-49.
(From this) we can see that the construction (of Madinat al-Fath) had already been decided at least during the previous year.
Roger II of Sicily (1196 - Liber ad honorem Augusti - Petrus de Ebulo)
Lévi-Provençal also describes the characters mentioned in this letter:
Sans parler du s’aik Abû H’afs' 'Umar Inti, deux des trois personnages 'it-és dans cette lettre sont connus. Le premier des délégués envoyés sur place par 'Abd al-Mu'min pour choisir l'emplacement de la nouvelle ville est Abû lsh'âq Barrâz b. Muh'ammad al-Mussùfî, un ancien général almoravide qui s'était rallié aux Almohades en même temps que Yah'yâ Angmâr, à la suite des dissentiments qui avaient éclaté entre les Lamtûna et les Mussûfa. Il avait commandé des expéditions contre des rebelles de l'Algarve et avait éte ensuite nommé surintendant du fisc (voir notamment Hist. des Berb., 1. II, pp. 175, 184, 187).
Notes: The above translates as:
Apart from the sheik Abu Hafs Umar Inti, two of the three characters in this letter are known. The first of the delegates sent by Abd al-Mu'min to choose the location of the new city is Abu ish'aq Barrâz b. Muhammad al-Mussufî, a former Almoravid general who had joined the Almohads at the same time as Yah'ya Angmar, following the dissents that had erupted between the Lamtuna and the Mussufa. He had ordered expeditions against rebels from the Algarve and was then appointed fiscal superintendent. (see in particular Hist. of Berb., 1. II, 175, 184, 187).
Abu Hafs Umar Inti - I am not sure if the author is suggesting that he hadn’t come across him before. According to Pascual de Gayangos he was the Almohad Caliph’s right-hand man and that he eventually made him governor of Cordoba. Confusingly, the first part of his name was the same as that of the Sayyid Abu Hafs who was one of Abd al Mu’min’s sons.
Abu ish'aq Barraz b. Muhammad al-Mussufî - An article quoting Ibn al Sala’s Al-Mann bil-Imana by the French historian Pierre Guichard in his L'Espagne et la Sicile musulmanes: Aux XIe et XIIe siècles published in 2000, dedicates quite a bit of space to Abu Ish’aq Barraz:
Abu Ishaq Barraz ibn Muhammad al-Masufi. . . a Berber, who belonged to . . . the Almoravid empire, but whose tribe, separated . . . before the fall of the Almoravid regime to join the Almohads. Integrated into the ruling Almohad aristocracy, he (Abu Ish’aq) therefore held a high post, but not a military one, in al-Andalus. . .
According to Ibn al Sala, Abu Ish’aq organised the administrative move of the Almohad capital from Seville to Cordoba, while managing to maintain moral in both cities. Ibn Sala was apparently offered to be one of the group of secretaries to take part in the proceedings but – for reasons not given resigned and withdrew.
Cordoba prospered after its desolation and . . . Abu Ishaq gave, as usual, good advice to all administrative departments in Cordoba and outside and in all areas subject to the Almohads. He chose, for the administration of Seville, who, among his companions, inspired him the most confidence and friendship, and did not cease in his government to advise and to work . . .until he died in Cordoba in . . . 1163/1164) from a chronic gout disease.
Yah’ya Angemar – He is not mentioned in Abd al-Mu’min’s letter but I suspect he was another Almoravid dignitary who saw which way the wind was blowing and joined the Almohads. His name, incidentally, has both Arabic and Berber components. Yah’ya is Arabic for John the Baptist and Angmar means “the hunter” in Berber.
The “Lamtuma” were a Berber tribe and although I haven’t come across the “Massufa”, I would imagine that they were also Berbers.
Lévi-Provençal continues:
L'autre délégué, al-H'âjj Ya'îs ne semble pas avoir été mentionné ailleurs. Quant à Abû 'Abd Allâh Ibn K’iyâr, c'est l'ancien mus'rif de Fès sous les Almoravides, qui, en (1146), avait livré cette ville aux. Almohade et devint par la suite un dignitaire de leur mak'zen : voir la traduction de la notice de la H'ulla d'Ibn al-Abbâr sur ce personnage dans Doc. in. hist. alm., pp. 227-230.
Notes: The above in English:
The other delegate, al-Hajj Ya’ish, does not appear to have been mentioned elsewhere. As for Abu Abd Allah ibn Kiyar, he was a former mus'rif of Fez under the Almoravids who, in 1146, delivered this city to the Almohads and later became a dignitary of their mak'zen: see the translation of the notice of the H'ulla of Ibn al-Abbâr on this character in Doc. In. hist. alm., 227-230.
Al-Hajj Ya’ish – If I have interpreted the author correctly, I am surprised that he suggests that al-Hajj Ya’ish appears not to have been mentioned elsewhere. He was in fact a much sought-after builder from Malaga. The 'Hajj' that formed part of his name indicated that he had made his pilgrimage to Mecca. Despite most of his work having been done under the hated Almoravid dynasty, Abd al-Mu'min felt he couldn't really do without him.
Before he was employed to work on Madinat al-Fath, Ya'ish is known to have created for the 5th Almoravid Emir Ali ibn Yusuf (1084-1143), one of the unsurpassed creations of Islamic art - the minbar of the Koutobia Mosque in Marrakesh - the place where he happened to be when Abd al-Mu'min took the decision to build his town.
The minbar of the Koutobia Mosque in Marrakesh
Abu Abd Allah ibn Kiyar - Another Almoravid who changed sides. In 1160 he was the Caid or Chief Administrator of Jaen.
As regards the Arabic words “mus'rif” and “mak'zen” my guess is that the first is an administrator and the second is “government” – but I could be wrong.
Évariste Lévi-Provençal
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