Battle of Alarcos
Alarcos, near Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain
What happened
The Almohad caliph Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur fought King Alfonso VIII of Castile. The Almohads, a dynasty from Morocco, ruled the Muslim lands of southern Spain. At Alarcos the Castilian knights charged first and won ground, but the caliph's reserve surrounded them. Alfonso VIII was pulled from the field by his bodyguard and fled to Toledo, and the Castilian army was defeated.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a major Almohad victory that left the road to Toledo open for a time. Alfonso VIII later took his revenge at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, a turning point for Christian Spain.
What came next
Al-Mansur took the title 'al-Mansur Billah', meaning 'the one victorious by God'. He began a huge mosque in Rabat, whose unfinished minaret, the Hassan Tower, still stands.
Did you know?
Al-Mansur also helped complete the famous Kutubiyya Mosque in Marrakesh.
Timeline
- 1184Abu Yusuf Yaqub becomes Almohad caliph.
- 18 July 1195The Almohads win at Alarcos.
- 1199Al-Mansur dies in Marrakesh.
- 1212Alfonso VIII wins at Las Navas de Tolosa.