Editing Menorca (section)

=== Middle Ages ===
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The [[Vandals]] easily conquered the island in the fifth century. The [[Byzantine Empire]] recovered it in 534. Following the [[Umayyad conquest of Hispania]], Menorca was annexed to the [[Caliphate of Cordoba|Caliphate of Córdoba]] in 903, with many [[Muslim]]s emigrating to the island.

''Manûrqa'' ({{langx|ar|منورقة}}) was the Arabicized name given to the island by the [[Muslim]]s from its annexation to the [[Caliphate of Cordoba]] by 'Isâm al-Khawlânî in 903 until the rule of the last Muslim ra'îs, [[Abû 'Umar ibn Sa'îd]] in 1287. The only urban centre of the island was ''Madînat al Jazîra'' or ''al Manûrqa'' (modern [[Ciutadella de Menorca|Ciutadella]]). Most of the population lived in small farm communities organized under a [[tribe|tribal]] structure.

In 1231, after Christian forces took Mallorca, Menorca chose to become an independent Islamic state, albeit one tributary to King [[James I of Aragon]]. The island was ruled first by [[Abû 'Uthmân Sa'îd Hakam al Qurashi]] (1234–1282), and following his death by his son, [[Abû 'Umar ibn Sa'îd]] (1282–1287).

A [[Crown of Aragon|Catalan-Aragonese]] invasion, led by [[Alfonso III of Aragon|Alfonso III]] (also known as [[Count of Barcelona]] Alfons II), came on 17 January 1287; its anniversary is now celebrated as Menorca's national day. Once the island was captured, most of its Muslim inhabitants were enslaved and sold in the [[Slavery#Medieval Europe|slave]] markets of Eivissa, [[Valencia (city in Spain)|Valencia]] and [[Barcelona]], while others became Christians.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Abulafia |first1=David |title=The Last Muslims in Italy |journal=Dante Studies, with the Annual Report of the Dante Society |date=2007 |volume=125 |issue=125 |pages=271–287 |jstor=40350668 }}</ref>

After the Christian conquest of 1287, the island was part of the [[Crown of Aragon]]. For some time it was ceded to the [[Kingdom of Mallorca]], a vassal state of the Crown, but it was retaken by the king of Aragon in 1343. Eventually the [[Crown of Aragon]] merged with the [[Crown of Castile]], and so Menorca became part of Spain.

During the 16th century, [[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] naval attacks [[Sack of Mahón|destroyed Mahon]], and the then capital, [[Ciutadella de Menorca|Ciutadella]]. In Mahon, [[Barbary pirates]] from North Africa took considerable booty and as many as 6,000 slaves.<ref>{{cite book|author=M. Th. Houtsma|title=E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7CP7fYghBFQC&pg=PA872|year=1993|publisher=BRILL|isbn=90-04-09790-2|page=872}}</ref> Various Spanish kings, including [[Philip III of Spain|Philip III]] and [[Philip IV of Spain|Philip IV]], styled themselves "King of Minorca" as a subsidiary title.