The Battle of Silves took place in June 1182 between the Almohad fleet and a Portuguese fleet off the coast of Silves. The Almohad fleet inflicted a severe defeat on the Portuguese.
| Battle of Silves | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Reconquista | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Almohad Caliphate |
 Kingdom of Portugal | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Ahmed es-Sikeli Abd Allâh ben Ishâq ben Jâmi | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 40 Galleys | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown |
20-30 Ships lost 1,800 Prisoners | ||||||
Background
editFaced with the relentless attacks from the Almohad fleet led by Gamin ben Mardanis against Portugal, the inhabitants of Lisbon decide to assemble a powerful fleet, commanded by Admiral Fuas Roupinho. The Portuguese ships quickly ravaged the shores of Algarve, which were then under Almohad's control.[1]
Indeed, in 1180, the Almohad fleet from Seville, consisting of more than 10 galleys under the command of Gamin ben Mardanis, launched an attack on Lisbon.[2] The Portuguese hastily armed all available vessels in the port and engaged the Almohad squadron, marking their first naval battle in history.[3] The Battle of Cape Espichel turns in favor of the Portuguese.[2][4] They captured several vessels and took the commander, Gamin ben Mardanis, as a prisoner.[5][6] Encouraged by this triumph, Portuguese admiral Fuas Roupinho ventures to lead a successful raid on Ceuta, taking many Muslim ships in the harbor.[5]
Battle
editIn June 1182, the Portuguese fleet, emboldened by its previous successes, sails in the ocean off the Almohad territories.[7] The Almohad fleets from Ceuta and Seville, totaling 40 galleys and commanded by Abd Allâh ben Ishâq ben Jâmi and Ahmed es-Sekili, respectively, converge in Cadiz. From there, they set course towards Silves, intercepting the Lisbon Portuguese fleet stationed there.[1] The naval battle tilts in favor of the Almohads, inflicting a severe defeat on the Portuguese, resulting in the loss of over 20 to 30 ships and 1,800 prisoners.[1][8]
References
edit- ^ a b c Cressier, Patrice (2006). La maîtrise de l'eau en al-Andalus: paysages, pratiques et techniques (in French). Casa de Velázquez. p. 345. ISBN 978-84-95555-69-4.
- ^ a b Moing, Guy Le (2016-03-24). L'Histoire de la marine pour les Nuls (in French). edi8. p. 506. ISBN 978-2-7540-8805-3.
- ^ Guibout, A. (2016-10-25). Épisodes de l'histoire du Portugal (in French). Collection XIX. p. 202. ISBN 978-2-346-12025-3.
- ^ Picard, Christophe (1997-01-01). La Mer et les musulmans d'Occident au Moyen Âge: VIIIe-XIIIe siècle (in French). Presses universitaires de France (réédition numérique FeniXX). p. 224. ISBN 978-2-13-068087-1.
- ^ a b Schäfer, Heinrich (1840). Histoire de Portugal: depuis sa séperation de la Castille jusqu'à nos jours (in French). Parent-Desbarres. p. 588.
- ^ Picard, Christophe (2016-01-29). La Mer des Califes. Une histoire de la Méditerranée musulmane (VIIe-XIIe siècle): Une histoire de la Méditerranée musulmane (VIIe-XIIe siècle) (in French). Editions du Seuil. p. 445. ISBN 978-2-02-123047-5.
- ^ Cherif, Mohamed (1996). Ceuta aux époques almohade et mérinide (in French). Harmattan. p. 229. ISBN 978-2-7384-4029-7.
- ^ Picard, Christophe (1997). L'océan Atlantique musulman: de la conquête arabe à l'époque almohade : navigation et mise en valeur des côtes d'al-Andalus et du Maghreb occidental (Portugal-Espagne-Maroc) (in French). Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 618. ISBN 978-2-7068-1254-5.