8th century – 8th century
Iberian Peninsula
The Muslim conquest of Iberia began with Tarif's reconnaissance in 710 and Tariq ibn Ziyad's invasion in 711. Berber and Arab armies defeated the Visigoths, captured Toledo, and rapidly extended Muslim control across much of the peninsula. Musa ibn Nusayr reinforced the operation, while Berber forces led the advance into northern Iberia and Old Castile.
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The Story
The first Muslim reconnaissance of southern Iberia was undertaken in 710 by Tarif, an Islamized Berber associated with the military tradition of Hassan ibn al-Nu'man and Musa ibn Nusayr. The expedition succeeded in assessing the possibilities for conquest, and the southern port later called Tarifa was associated with his name. The following year, Tariq ibn Ziyad led the principal invasion from the Maghrib.
Tariq crossed the straits with a force of mainly Sanhaja Berbers and additional Arab troops. After landing near Gibraltar, he defeated the Visigothic army and killed King Roderick in August 711. He then marched more than 500 kilometers to Toledo, capturing the Gothic capital by September and bringing Visigothic rule in the peninsula to an end.
Musa ibn Nusayr joined Tariq with an army of 18,000 men, mainly Arabs. After the commanders met at Talavera, Tariq and his Berber troops moved into the north-west, reaching the Pyrenees and Basque country in 712 and later occupying Amaya, Astorga, and León. The successes encouraged large-scale Berber migration into Iberia, where Berber communities became part of the social formation of Islamic Spain.
8th century – 8th century
Iberian Peninsula
The Muslim conquest of Iberia began with Tarif's reconnaissance in 710 and Tariq ibn Ziyad's invasion in 711. Berber and Arab armies defeated the Visigoths, captured Toledo, and rapidly extended Muslim control across much of the peninsula. Musa ibn Nusayr reinforced the operation, while Berber forces led the advance into northern Iberia and Old Castile.
Continue exploring
The Story
The first Muslim reconnaissance of southern Iberia was undertaken in 710 by Tarif, an Islamized Berber associated with the military tradition of Hassan ibn al-Nu'man and Musa ibn Nusayr. The expedition succeeded in assessing the possibilities for conquest, and the southern port later called Tarifa was associated with his name. The following year, Tariq ibn Ziyad led the principal invasion from the Maghrib.
Tariq crossed the straits with a force of mainly Sanhaja Berbers and additional Arab troops. After landing near Gibraltar, he defeated the Visigothic army and killed King Roderick in August 711. He then marched more than 500 kilometers to Toledo, capturing the Gothic capital by September and bringing Visigothic rule in the peninsula to an end.
Musa ibn Nusayr joined Tariq with an army of 18,000 men, mainly Arabs. After the commanders met at Talavera, Tariq and his Berber troops moved into the north-west, reaching the Pyrenees and Basque country in 712 and later occupying Amaya, Astorga, and León. The successes encouraged large-scale Berber migration into Iberia, where Berber communities became part of the social formation of Islamic Spain.
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