When are the Taifa of Algeciras shown on the map?

The border data draws the Taifa of Algeciras 1028–1065, 1085–1093, 1147–1168, in 3 separate periods. The source samples borders at fixed dates, so a span can begin late or run on past the end.

How large were the Taifa of Algeciras?

At their greatest extent drawn on this map, the Taifa of Algeciras covered about 9,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives them across the years they are drawn, not necessarily their greatest extent in history.

Africa · Islam and the Maghreb

Taifa of Algeciras

drawn on the map 1028–1065, 1085–1093, 1147–1168

See it on the map → Wikipedia ↗

Shown on the map: 1028–1065, 1085–1093, 1147–1168 (3 periods)
Peak area: 9k km²
Region: Africa

Overview

The Taifa of Algeciras (Arabic: طائفة الجزيرة, "taifa of the island," from al-Jazira al-Khadra, Algeciras's medieval name) was a Muslim taifa kingdom on the Bay of Gibraltar in southernmost Spain, facing North Africa across the strait. It emerged from the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba after 1009. The territory was first granted in 1013 by the caliph Sulayman ibn al-Hakam to the Hammudids, an Idrisid-descended dynasty from Málaga that had helped him win power; its first ruler, al-Qasim al-Ma'mun, was also briefly caliph of Córdoba.

History

In 1035 the Hammudid Yahya al-Mu'tali, who had become caliph, annexed Algeciras to his taifa of Málaga. Four years later, in 1039, Muhammad ibn al-Qasim — son of al-Qasim al-Ma'mun — was proclaimed emir of an independent Taifa of Algeciras. He ruled until 1048, followed by al-Qasim al-Wathiq (1048–1058). The little kingdom's strategic position at the strait made it a prize for larger powers, and it could not resist the expansion of the Abbadid Taifa of Seville: in 1055 al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad appeared before its walls, and by 1058 the taifa was annexed to Seville. Algeciras remained a coveted stronghold — it later passed to the Almoravids, Almohads, and Marinids, enduring repeated sieges (1278–1279, 1309, 1342–1344) before falling to Castile in 1344.

Decline and legacy

The taifa's society was characteristically Andalusi: Muslim rulers, Arabic administration, Mozarabic Christian and Jewish minorities, and a dirham/dinar currency. Its economy hinged on the port — fishing, shipbuilding, and tolls on the dense maritime traffic between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, plus commerce with Morocco. Though ephemeral, the kingdom left an unusual legacy: centuries after its extinction, the kings of Spain (such as Philip IV) continued to include "King of Algeciras" among their titular honours, echoing the medieval layering of claims over the Strait of Gibraltar. The city remains one of Spain's busiest ports, and its Marinid walls still stand as testimony to the era of strait-side Muslim strongholds of which the taifa was an early example.

Common questions

What were the Taifa of Algeciras?: The Taifa of Algeciras (Arabic: طائفة الجزيرة, "taifa of the island," from al-Jazira al-Khadra, Algeciras's medieval name) was a Muslim taifa kingdom on the Bay of Gibraltar in southernmost Spain, facing North Africa across the strait. It emerged from the disintegration of the Caliphate of Córdoba after 1009.
When are the Taifa of Algeciras shown on the map?: The border data draws the Taifa of Algeciras 1028–1065, 1085–1093, 1147–1168, in 3 separate periods. The source samples borders at fixed dates, so a span can begin late or run on past the end.
How large were the Taifa of Algeciras?: At their greatest extent drawn on this map, the Taifa of Algeciras covered about 9,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives them across the years they are drawn, not necessarily their greatest extent in history.
Who ruled the Taifa of Algeciras?: In 1035 the Hammudid Yahya al-Mu'tali, who had become caliph, annexed Algeciras to his taifa of Málaga. Four years later, in 1039, Muhammad ibn al-Qasim — son of al-Qasim al-Ma'mun — was proclaimed emir of an independent Taifa of Algeciras.
How did the Taifa of Algeciras end?: The taifa's society was characteristically Andalusi: Muslim rulers, Arabic administration, Mozarabic Christian and Jewish minorities, and a dirham/dinar currency. Its economy hinged on the port — fishing, shipbuilding, and tolls on the dense maritime traffic between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, plus commerce with Morocco.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Taifa of Algeciras — Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taifa_of_Algeciras

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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