Mahon
Encyclopedia
Mahón is a municipality
and the capital city of the Balearic Island
of Minorca
(the Balearic Islands form an autonomous Spanish
community), located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor
in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide. The water is deep but it remains mostly clear due to it being slightly enclosed.
Its population in 2009 was estimated to be 29,495 inhabitants.
, brother to Hannibal, who is thought to have taken refuge there in 205 BC. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
, it was part of the Byzantine Empire
; it suffered raids from Viking
and Arabs, until the Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba
conquered it in 903.
Mahon was captured in 1287 from the Moors
by Alfonso III of Aragon
and incorporated into the Kingdom of Majorca
, a vassal kingdom of the Kingdom of Aragon
. Its harbour, one of the most strategically important in the western Mediterranean, was re-fortified.
In 1535, the Ottomans under Hayreddin Barbarossa attacked Mahon and took 6,000 captives as slaves back to Algiers
, in the Sack of Mahon
.
during the War of the Spanish Succession
in 1708, and its status as a British possession was confirmed by the Treaty of Utrecht
in 1713. During the island's years as a British dependency
in the 18th century, Mahon served as its capital and residence for the governor, the most famous being General Richard Kane
.
The island changed hands several times during the eighteenth century, with France and Spain both capturing it. In 1783 the Peace of Paris
returned the town to control of the Spanish but it was occupied for a final time by the British during the Capture of Minorca
in 1798 before being returned to Spain for good in 1802.
Towards the end of the 20th century, the renovation of its historic centre was made possible by income from tourism
.
A traditional cheese made on the island (Queso de Mahón
) is named after the city. Some believe that the origin and name of mayonnaise
are found in this Minorcan city. In Spanish mahón is also the name of nankeen
, especially the blue cloth.
Related to this, there is controversy in Spain around the correct official toponomy: Maó is the proper form according to Catalan orthography
and approved by the local, regional and national government, but Mahón is preferred by some conservative
sectors. Some also prefer the old Catalan spelling (Mahó). The Catalan
is itself subject to regional sub-dialects, with each of the Balearic islands having its own variations.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and the capital city of the Balearic Island
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
of Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
(the Balearic Islands form an autonomous Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
community), located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide. The water is deep but it remains mostly clear due to it being slightly enclosed.
Its population in 2009 was estimated to be 29,495 inhabitants.
History
The name's origin is attributed to the Carthaginian general Mago BarcaMago Barca
Mago, son of Hamilcar Barca, also spelled Magon, Phoenician MGN, "God sent" , was a member of the Barcid family, and played an important role in the Second Punic War, leading forces of Carthage against the Roman Republic in Hispania, Gallia Cisalpina and Italy...
, brother to Hannibal, who is thought to have taken refuge there in 205 BC. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, it was part of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
; it suffered raids from Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
and Arabs, until the Islamic Caliphate of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
conquered it in 903.
Mahon was captured in 1287 from the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
by Alfonso III of Aragon
Alfonso III of Aragon
Alfonso III , called the Liberal or the Free , was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1285...
and incorporated into the Kingdom of Majorca
Kingdom of Majorca
The Kingdom of Majorca was founded by James I of Aragon, also known as James The Conqueror. After the death of his first-born son Alfonso, a will was written in 1262 which created the kingdom in order to cede it to his son James...
, a vassal kingdom of the Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
. Its harbour, one of the most strategically important in the western Mediterranean, was re-fortified.
In 1535, the Ottomans under Hayreddin Barbarossa attacked Mahon and took 6,000 captives as slaves back to Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, in the Sack of Mahon
Sack of Mahon
The Sack of Mahon occurred in 1535, when Hayreddin Barbarossa attacked the harbour of Mahon in the Balearic Islands.The expedition followed closely the defeat of Barbarossa in the Conquest of Tunis by Charles V. Barbarossa had escaped Tunis, and boarded his fleet in Bône.In Mahon, Barbarossa took...
.
British rule
Minorca was captured by the BritishKingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
during the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
in 1708, and its status as a British possession was confirmed by the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
in 1713. During the island's years as a British dependency
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in the 18th century, Mahon served as its capital and residence for the governor, the most famous being General Richard Kane
Richard Kane
Brigadier General Richard Kane was a British Army General.-Origins:Born to Thomas O'Cahan and his wife, Margaret Dobbin, at his mother's home in Duneane, County Antrim, Ireland, in December 1662...
.
The island changed hands several times during the eighteenth century, with France and Spain both capturing it. In 1783 the Peace of Paris
Peace of Paris (1783)
The Peace of Paris was the set of treaties which ended the American Revolutionary War. On 3 September 1783, representatives of King George III of Great Britain signed a treaty in Paris with representatives of the United States of America—commonly known as the Treaty of Paris —and two treaties at...
returned the town to control of the Spanish but it was occupied for a final time by the British during the Capture of Minorca
Capture of Minorca
In November 1798 a British expedition captured the island of Minorca from Spain. A large force under General John Stuart landed on the island and forced its Spanish garrison to surrender in eight days with only some bloodshed...
in 1798 before being returned to Spain for good in 1802.
Modern era
Today it serves as the seat of the Island Council of Minorca (Consell Insular de Menorca).Towards the end of the 20th century, the renovation of its historic centre was made possible by income from tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
A traditional cheese made on the island (Queso de Mahón
Mahón cheese
Mahón cheese is a soft to hard white cheese made from cow's milk, named after the natural port of Mahón on the island of Minorca off the Mediterranean coast of Spain...
) is named after the city. Some believe that the origin and name of mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
are found in this Minorcan city. In Spanish mahón is also the name of nankeen
Nankeen
Nankeen, also called Nankeen cloth, is a kind of pale yellowish cloth, originally made at Nanjing from a yellow variety of cotton, but subsequently manufactured from ordinary cotton which is then dyed...
, especially the blue cloth.
Spelling controversy
There is some debate over what the correct spelling of the city's name in English should be; due to the general tendency in English to ignore accent marks in foreign words, many dictionaries refer to the city by an adaptation (Mahon) of its Spanish (Castillian)-language name (Mahón), while many other sources vouch for using the Catalan spelling (Maó) in English-language publications.Related to this, there is controversy in Spain around the correct official toponomy: Maó is the proper form according to Catalan orthography
Catalan orthography
Like those of many other Romance languages, the Catalan alphabet derives from the Latin alphabet and is largely based on the language’s phonology. The Catalan alphabet consists of the twenty-six letters of the ISO basic Latin alphabet:...
and approved by the local, regional and national government, but Mahón is preferred by some conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
sectors. Some also prefer the old Catalan spelling (Mahó). The Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
is itself subject to regional sub-dialects, with each of the Balearic islands having its own variations.
External links
- Official website
- Municipality of Mahon, WebMenorca site: walking tour of Mahon/Maó
- Note about the toponomy From the OnomasticsOnomasticsOnomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" , "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" , from "ὄνομα" "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the study of place names, is one of the principal branches of...
office of Universitat de les Illes BalearsUniversity of the Balearic IslandsThe University of the Balearic Islands is a Balearic Spanish university, founded in 1978 and located in Palma on the island of Majorca.-History:...
- Es Diari Digital in reference to the Maó/Mahón spelling controversy