Siege of Córdoba (1146)

The siege of Córdoba in May 1146 was led by Alfonso VII of León and Castile against the city of Córdoba, then held by the Almoravids. The siege was successful and Córdoba was conquered by the Christians, who forced Yahya ibn Ghaniya, the Almoravid governor of Al-Andalus, to become a vassal of Alfonso.

Siege of Córdoba (1146)
Part of the Reconquista
The Great Mosque of Córdoba, Spain
Date May 1146 Location Córdoba, Almoravid Empire (Present-day Spain) Result Leonese victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Leon	Almoravid Empire
Commanders and leaders
Alfonso VII of León Ahmad ibn Hamdin	Yahya ibn Ghaniya
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

Background

Taking advantage of the fact that the Almoravids were fighting against the Almohads in North Africa, many Muslim territories of the Iberian Peninsula began to rebel and become independent from the Almoravid power, marking the beginning of the Second Taifas period. The rebellion was led in Gharb al-Andalus by Abu al-Qasim ibn Qasi and in Córdoba by Ahmad ibn Hamdin, while in Sharq al-Andalus it was headed by Sayf al-Dawla ibn Hud al-Mustansir, more known as Zafadola, son of the last Hudid emir of Zaragoza (who entered the service of King Alfonso VII of Castile). Despite being ruled by Christians, he enjoyed prestige among the Andalusians, as he was the heir of the Banu Hud. When the revolution broke out, Yahya ibn Ghaniya commanded the Almoravid troops.

In February 1146, Ahmad ibn Hamdin, the ruler of Córdoba, was expelled from his city by Ibn Ghaniya. He first fled to Badajoz and later to Andújar, where he was besieged by the Almoravid governor. He asked for help from Alfonso VII of León, who accepted his request and marched towards Al-Andalus in April or May of the same year.

Alfonso sent an army to Andújar, where Ibn Hamdin was trapped and forced Ibn Ghaniya to lift the siege. Although Ibn Hamdin was freed from the siege, Alfonso decided to start a campaign to take Córdoba.

Siege

Ibn Ghaniya took refuge in Córdoba and in May 1146, Alfonso reached the city and started the siege. He managed to enter the city on May 24 but Ibn Ghaniya and his army were still trapped in the citadel and Alfonso had to start another siege on it. Eventually, Alfonso came to terms with Ibn Ghaniya, probably after receiving news that an Almohad army had landed in Cádiz and he did not have a garrison large enough to protect the city from an attack. He decided that he would lift the siege in exchange for Ibn Ghaniya becoming a vassal, which he accepted. Despite the terms, he occupied the city for 1 week before leaving it.

During that time, Alfonso converted the mosque of Córdoba into a church, ordered a Christian cross to be placed on top of it and, accompanied by the bishop of Toledo, held a Mass on it.

Aftermath

Although Ibn Ghaniya declared himself a vassal of Alfonso VII, he ceased to be so after a while and returned to being loyal to his dynasty, the Almoravids. The Almohads took Niebla, Mértola, Silves and the Algarve in what remained of 1146. The Almoravid Empire collapsed and fell into the hands of the Almohads in 1147, although they would still have to conquer other Taifas, including the Taifa of Murcia and the Taifa of Valencia which fell in 1172.

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