Ancient History of Ibiza
Ancient History of Ibiza
In 654 BC, the Phoenicians established a port on the Balearic island of the archipelago which they named “Ibossim”. Their main industry in trade was wine, marble, lead and minerals. The Greeks also settled in Ibiza at the same time and named it “Pityûssai” which literally means; “covered with pines” that they found along with the southern islands of the archipelago.
Following the decline of the Phoenician metropolis, which was razed by the Assyrians, Ibiza came under the dependence of Carthage, the largest Phoenician colony throughout the Mediterranean Sea. By that time it’s name had changed to “Ebusus” by the Carthaginians-Romans. The islands were then invaded by the Moors at the end of the VIII century which left behind architectural remains still visible today.
After three centuries of Moorish domination which led the Balearic Islands to depend on the Caliphate of Cordoba, then the Taifa of Denia (a Muslim kingdom in medieval Spain, ruling over part of the Valencian coast and Ibiza) before becoming an independent emirate.
Ibiza, Formentera and Minorca were then invaded by Norwegian King Sigurd Magnusson I of Norway in Spring 1110, on the road to his Crusade towards Jerusalem.
The Christian conquest was then led by Jacques I “the Conqueror”, king of Aragon, who seized Palma de Majorca in 1229, and organised the take-over of Ibiza in 1235.
In 1343, the islands were united under the crown of Aragon. In the following century, Palma de Majorca was almost annihilated by the Turks, however, the city of Ibiza was equipped with fortified surrounding walls and many watchtowers were built for the defence of the archipelago.
Ibiza was conquered by the Catalans on the 8th August, 1235. Legend says that the strongly fortified citadel was only eventually captured through treachery: Ibiza Town was considered at that time to be unconquerable due to its city walls and fortuitous geographical location. However, the ruling Sheikh and his brother quarrelled over a mistress from his harem, whereupon the brother revealed the secret underground entrance to the Town, to the besieging Catalan forces. You can still see this secret passage in the Calle de San Ciriaco in Dalt Vila.
The ruling Catalans (from mainland Spain) rather neglected the islands during the following centuries, which were marked by plundering and marauding by pirates. In order to defend themselves, the villagers built the defensive churches with extra fortified walls, where the villagers would take shelter in the event of an attack.
The pirate towers lining the coast were built a bit later. Some of them can still be seen today. Originally, each of these towers were within sight of the next one. In the event of an invasion or sighting of a pirate ship, the tower would light a warning fire, which could be seen by the next tower, which in turn would light its own fire, and so on, until the entire island was aware of the danger, and was able to seek safety in the churches. A primitive but very effective early warning system.
The historic date for the island is August 8, 1235, the date of the Catalan conquest. Also, please note, that during several centuries Ibiza was a meeting point for the Saracen vessels which ravaged the Mediterranean Sea, protected by the Turkish squadron. It is during these times that the towers were built which surround the island with the rural church having the aspect of a fortress.
In the 1950s, the Balearic Islands arose from a chronic economic slump with the arrival of tourism. The islands represent one of seventeen autonomous Spanish communities which was established in 1978.
Today, the Island of Ibiza is divided into five provinces: Eivissa the capital; Santa Eulària, Sant Antoni, Sant Josep and Sant Joan.
Your stay in Ibiza – Your holidays in Ibiza
For more than 10 years, Ibiza Experience has been offering complete stays that include transportation, accommodation, private transfers, a variety of activities, as well as club tickets.
Through the years, we have in fact developed a partnership with all the clubs in Ibiza, including major clubs like Ushuaia, Hï Ibiza, Pacha, Privilege, or Amnesia, or clubs like Destino, Sankeys, Heart, DC10, Eden, Es Paradis, or Benimussa Park. An important point to be noted: all the club tickets that we are distributing guarantee you access to the event, regardless of the event and regardless of the affluence.
Ibiza Experience is also one of the rare travel agencies to have an on-site team to welcome customers, to give them any advice as requested, as well as to offer any assistance as necessary.
Therefore, for any stay in Ibiza with family or friends, please contact us for a free quote:
Tel : +33 (0)4 82 53 79 33
Mail : contact@ibiza-experience.com
Web : http://www.ibiza-experience.com/en/
