The fall of Minorca to the lord of Barcelona
سقوط منورقة في يد طاغية برشلونة
1286 CE · 685 AH
In 685 AH the lord of Barcelona swept onto the island of Minorca with twenty thousand fighting men in his fleet, approaching as if a merchant convoy and asking leave to water, which the ruler Abu Umar ibn Hakam granted; once ashore they declared war, and three times the Muslims repulsed them with losses in the thousands while the tyrant sat back — until the third day he joined the assault, the Muslims broke into the citadel's keep, contracted safe-conduct for Ibn Hakam's family and retinue who sailed to Ceuta, and the rest submitted to the enemy's rule.
At a glance
- Era
- The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
- Region
- al-Andalus & Europe
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
In 685 AH the king of Barcelona landed on the island of Minorca with his fleet and about twenty thousand fighters, and the island fell into his hands. This is what Ibn Khaldun relates in "al-Ibar". 1
How they landed
Ibn Khaldun says that they passed by the island as if they were travelling merchants, and asked to land to draw water. Its ruler, Abu Umar ibn Hakam, allowed them. When they had landed they declared war. 1
The fighting and surrender
The army pressed for three days, and the Muslims inflicted heavy losses on them in the thousands, while the king of Barcelona stayed back from the advance. On the third day he advanced with the army, the Muslims were routed and they were shut up in the fortress. They granted Ibn Hakam safe conduct for his family and retinue, and they went out to Ceuta, and the rest surrendered to the enemy's judgement. 1
Date
685 AH, with a Gregorian equivalent (1286 CE) that is derived. The page number is not given in the data and needs a second source.
Sources
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The fall of Minorca to the lord of Barcelona”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/menorca-capture-685/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.