Almanzor’s Sack of Santiago de Compostela (997 CE)

In 997 CE, Moors loyal to Almanzor (Al-Mansur) launch a devastating raid on Galicia, targeting one of Christendom’s most revered pilgrimage sites, Santiago de Compostela.

Seeking to humiliate the Christians, the Muslim forces ransack the city, stripping its cathedral of its great bells and carrying them off to Córdoba. The bells are then repurposed as lanterns for the Great Mosque of Córdoba, symbolizing the supremacy of Al-Andalus over the Christian north.

The Destruction of the City and the Fate of St. James’ Tomb

While Almanzor’s troops destroy much of Santiago, he spares the tomb of St. James the Apostle, likely out of respect for the saint’s reputation in the Islamic world or to avoid inciting further resistance from Christian forces.

This attack represents one of the greatest symbolic defeats suffered by the Christian kingdoms during the Reconquista, underscoring Almanzor’s dominance over Iberia at the height of his power.