Taifa of Almeria
Encyclopedia
The Taifa
of Almería (Arabic: طائفة المرية , Ta'ifa Almería) was a Muslim medieval kingdom in what is now the province of Almería in Spain
. The kingdom originated in 1012 and lasted until 1091.
In this period the city of Almería
reached its historical splendour under powerful local emirs like Jayran or Jairan, the first fully independent Emir of Almería and Cartagena
, and Abu Yahyà Muhammad ben Ma'n.
Almería declared independence of its province from Caliphate of Cordoba
around 1012. It remained as an independent kingdom, although several campaigns of the Taifa of Seville
diminished its territory in the North.
The kingdom was important due to its strategic location, its harbour, and a developed a very important textile industry, with around five thousand loom
s, being also a center of silk
industry, which originated a very strong commerce with other parts of Europe and which remained until the Muslims and Jews were expelled in 17th century. As the emirs of Granada, Seville
and Valencia
tried to conquer the little kingdom, Almería suffered many sieges, but remained independent until the arrival of the Almoravids
, except for a short period of Valencian occupation, after which the governor sent by the Valencian King Ma'n declared again the independence of Almería.
The kingdom finally was annexed to the Almoravid empire as all the other Taifas.
Slavic rulers
From 1038 to 1041 Almería belonged to the taifa of Valencia
.
Banu Sumadih family
, and one of the first flags in Europe
, was the taifa of Almeria flag, which was fully green except of a white strip in its middle. This flag gave birth to the green and white flag used for many other kingdoms in Southern Iberia, like the Kingdom of Granada which had a red flag as main one, but also kept many different green and white flags for the different locations of the kingdom. It is said that after the defeat of Granada, twenty flags were conquered, eighteen of which were green and white stripped. It remained also as the flag of the Castilian troops in the Andalucia region, and in 19th century was adopted as the official flag for Andalucia and its autonomist movement.
When Abu Asbag Ibn Arqam, a poet from Guadix
in actual Granada
, vizier of King Almotacin of Almería
, saw the green and white flag on top of the Castle Alcazaba, wrote a poem which is regarded as the oldest written document describing a flag in Europe:
Taifa
In the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...
of Almería (Arabic: طائفة المرية , Ta'ifa Almería) was a Muslim medieval kingdom in what is now the province of Almería in Spain
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...
. The kingdom originated in 1012 and lasted until 1091.
In this period the city of Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
reached its historical splendour under powerful local emirs like Jayran or Jairan, the first fully independent Emir of Almería and Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
, and Abu Yahyà Muhammad ben Ma'n.
Almería declared independence of its province from Caliphate of Cordoba
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...
around 1012. It remained as an independent kingdom, although several campaigns of the Taifa of Seville
Taifa of Seville
The Taifa of Seville was a short lived medieval kingdom, in what is now southern Spain and Portugal. It originated in 1023 and lasted until 1091, and was under the rule of the Arab Abbadid family.-History:...
diminished its territory in the North.
The kingdom was important due to its strategic location, its harbour, and a developed a very important textile industry, with around five thousand loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s, being also a center of silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
industry, which originated a very strong commerce with other parts of Europe and which remained until the Muslims and Jews were expelled in 17th century. As the emirs of Granada, Seville
Taifa of Seville
The Taifa of Seville was a short lived medieval kingdom, in what is now southern Spain and Portugal. It originated in 1023 and lasted until 1091, and was under the rule of the Arab Abbadid family.-History:...
and Valencia
Taifa of Valencia
The Taifa of Valencia was a medieval taifa kingdom which existed, in and around Valencia, Spain during four distinct periods: from 1010 to 1065, from 1075 to 1099, from 1145 to 1147 and last from 1229 to 1238 when it was finally conquered by Aragon....
tried to conquer the little kingdom, Almería suffered many sieges, but remained independent until the arrival of the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
, except for a short period of Valencian occupation, after which the governor sent by the Valencian King Ma'n declared again the independence of Almería.
The kingdom finally was annexed to the Almoravid empire as all the other Taifas.
List of kings
See also List of Almería KingsSlavic rulers
- 1012 Aftah.
- 1014 Jayran. slavic slaveSaqalibaSaqaliba refers to the Slavs, particularly Slavic slaves and mercenaries in the medieval Arab world, in the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily and Al-Andalus. It is generally thought that the Arabic term is a Byzantine loanword: saqlab, siklab, saqlabi etc. is a corruption of Greek Sklavinoi for...
from Cordoba Caliph palace, who dedicated his rule to the development of Almería. - 1028 Zuhayr, also a former slavic slaveSaqalibaSaqaliba refers to the Slavs, particularly Slavic slaves and mercenaries in the medieval Arab world, in the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily and Al-Andalus. It is generally thought that the Arabic term is a Byzantine loanword: saqlab, siklab, saqlabi etc. is a corruption of Greek Sklavinoi for...
from Cordoba - 1038 Abu Bakr al-Ramimi
- 1038 Abd al-Aziz al-Mansur, al-MansurAl-MansurAl-Mansur, Almanzor or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur was the second Abbasid Caliph from 136 AH to 158 AH .-Biography:...
's grandson, King of Valencia
From 1038 to 1041 Almería belonged to the taifa of Valencia
Taifa of Valencia
The Taifa of Valencia was a medieval taifa kingdom which existed, in and around Valencia, Spain during four distinct periods: from 1010 to 1065, from 1075 to 1099, from 1145 to 1147 and last from 1229 to 1238 when it was finally conquered by Aragon....
.
Banu Sumadih family
- 1041 Ma'n ben Muhammad ben Sumadih tuchibí
- 1051 Abu Yahyà Muhammad ben Ma'n, al-Mutasim
- Regency period of Abu 'Utba from 1052 to 1054 or 1055
- 1091 Ahmad ben Muhammad, Muizz al-dawla (only from June to October or November 1091)
Symbols
The first historically known flag of AndalusiaFlag of Andalusia
The current flag of Andalusia was adopted in 1918. Blas Infante , the "Father" of the Andalusian Fatherland , initiated an assembly at Ronda in 1918...
, and one of the first flags in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, was the taifa of Almeria flag, which was fully green except of a white strip in its middle. This flag gave birth to the green and white flag used for many other kingdoms in Southern Iberia, like the Kingdom of Granada which had a red flag as main one, but also kept many different green and white flags for the different locations of the kingdom. It is said that after the defeat of Granada, twenty flags were conquered, eighteen of which were green and white stripped. It remained also as the flag of the Castilian troops in the Andalucia region, and in 19th century was adopted as the official flag for Andalucia and its autonomist movement.
When Abu Asbag Ibn Arqam, a poet from Guadix
Guadix
Guadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
in actual Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, vizier of King Almotacin of Almería
Almería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
, saw the green and white flag on top of the Castle Alcazaba, wrote a poem which is regarded as the oldest written document describing a flag in Europe:
See also
- TaifaTaifaIn the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...
- AlmeríaAlmeríaAlmería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
- History of Islam
- History of SpainHistory of SpainThe history of Spain involves all the other peoples and nations within the Iberian peninsula formerly known as Hispania, and includes still today the nations of Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain...
- Al-AndalusAl-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties