Conquest·Umayyad
Tariq ibn Ziyad Crosses into Iberia
- Date
- April 711 CE92 AH1,315 years ago
- Place
- Gibraltar, Iberia
- People
- Tariq ibn Ziyad, Musa ibn Nusayr, Roderic
Tariq ibn Ziyad, a commander serving Musa ibn Nusayr, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar with an army in late April 711 CE. He landed at the rock that later took his name, Jabal Tariq. The Visigothic kingdom was weakened by internal divisions. Accounts of the size of the army differ widely. Tariq's forces then met King Roderic in battle in July 711.
Why it matters
The crossing began the Muslim presence in Iberia, which lasted nearly eight centuries as al-Andalus.