Battle of Silves (1182)

The Battle of Silves took place in June 1182 between the Almohad fleet and a Portuguese fleet off the coast of Silves. The Almohad fleet inflicted a severe defeat on the Portuguese.

Battle of Silves
Part of Reconquista
Date June 1182 Location Silves, Portugal Result Almohad victory
Belligerents
Almohad Caliphate	Kingdom of Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Ahmed es-Sikeli Abd Allâh ben Ishâq ben Jâmi	Unknown
Strength
40 Galleys	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	20-30 Ships lost 1,800 Prisoners

Background

Faced with the relentless attacks from the Almohad fleet led by Gamin ben Mardanis against Portugal, the inhabitants of Lisbon decide to assemble a powerful fleet, commanded by Admiral Fuas Roupinho. The Portuguese ships quickly ravaged the shores of Algarve, which were then under Almohad's control.^[1]

Indeed, in 1180, the Almohad fleet from Seville, consisting of more than 10 galleys under the command of Gamin ben Mardanis, launched an attack on Lisbon.^[2] The Portuguese hastily armed all available vessels in the port and engaged the Almohad squadron, marking their first naval battle in history.^[3] The Battle of Cape Espichel turns in favor of the Portuguese.^[2][4] They captured several vessels and took the commander, Gamin ben Mardanis, as a prisoner.^[5][6] Encouraged by this triumph, Portuguese admiral Fuas Roupinho ventures to lead a successful raid on Ceuta, taking many Muslim ships in the harbor.^[5]

Battle

In June 1182, the Portuguese fleet, emboldened by its previous successes, sails in the ocean off the Almohad territories.^[7] The Almohad fleets from Ceuta and Seville, totaling 40 galleys and commanded by Abd Allâh ben Ishâq ben Jâmi and Ahmed es-Sekili, respectively, converge in Cadiz. From there, they set course towards Silves, intercepting the Lisbon Portuguese fleet stationed there.^[1] The naval battle tilts in favor of the Almohads, inflicting a severe defeat on the Portuguese, resulting in the loss of over 20 to 30 ships and 1,800 prisoners.^[1][8]

References

1. Cressier, Patrice (2006). La maîtrise de l'eau en al-Andalus: paysages, pratiques et techniques (in French). Casa de Velázquez. p. 345. ISBN 978-84-95555-69-4.
2. Moing, Guy Le (2016-03-24). L'Histoire de la marine pour les Nuls (in French). edi8. p. 506. ISBN 978-2-7540-8805-3.
3. Guibout, A. (2016-10-25). Épisodes de l'histoire du Portugal (in French). Collection XIX. p. 202. ISBN 978-2-346-12025-3.
4. Picard, Christophe (1997-01-01). La Mer et les musulmans d'Occident au Moyen Âge: VIIIe-XIIIe siècle (in French). Presses universitaires de France (réédition numérique FeniXX). p. 224. ISBN 978-2-13-068087-1.
5. Schäfer, Heinrich (1840). Histoire de Portugal: depuis sa séperation de la Castille jusqu'à nos jours (in French). Parent-Desbarres. p. 588.
6. Picard, Christophe (2016-01-29). La Mer des Califes. Une histoire de la Méditerranée musulmane (VIIe-XIIe siècle): Une histoire de la Méditerranée musulmane (VIIe-XIIe siècle) (in French). Editions du Seuil. p. 445. ISBN 978-2-02-123047-5.
7. Cherif, Mohamed (1996). Ceuta aux époques almohade et mérinide (in French). Harmattan. p. 229. ISBN 978-2-7384-4029-7.
8. Picard, Christophe (1997). L'océan Atlantique musulman: de la conquête arabe à l'époque almohade : navigation et mise en valeur des côtes d'al-Andalus et du Maghreb occidental (Portugal-Espagne-Maroc) (in French). Maisonneuve & Larose. p. 618. ISBN 978-2-7068-1254-5.