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Capture of Messina |
year: 843 |
| The Arabs conquered Messina and other cities in Sicily | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
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enemy: Arabs (Aghlabids), Napolitans
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location: Messina, Sicily
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accuracy:
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battle type: City Capture |
war: Muslim conquest of Sicily |
modern country:
Italy |
| ▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Theodora) | ▼ The Enemies | |
| Commander: | al Fadl ibn Djafar | |
| Forces: | ||
| Losses: |
| Background story: |
| The conquest of Byzantine Sicily by the Arabs lasted 75 years. It began in June 827, when the first Muslim army landed in Mazara, and ended in 902, when Taormina fell. During all this time the Arabs were gaining ground slowly and with difficulty, in contrast to their earlier successes against Byzantium (Crete, Egypt, etc.) when their victories were very fast. Constantinople tried to help and send reinforcements from time to time, but this was not always easy, given the many threats and huge problems at that time on other fronts (mainly Arabs and Bulgarians). The invaders in Sicily were Aghlavid Arabs from Ifrikiya, the emirate in modern Tunisia, the capital of which was Kairouan. |
The Battle: |
 The port of Messina in 16th cent. Feigning a withdrawal on land, he launched a massive diversionary assault by sea then rushed the landward walls. The city capitulated and the Muslims continued their expansion in Sicily. |
Aftermath: |
| In 845, Modica also fell, and the Byzantines suffered a crushing defeat near Butera, losing about 10,000 men. Lentini was conquered in 846, and Ragusa followed in 848. |
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