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The Vikings Sack Seville!

By the time they reached Seville on September 25, 844, the Vikings were already famous for destroying everything they encountered. The Scandinavians had pillaged England, France, as well as the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, the emir of Cordoba learned of Viking’s reputation a few weeks before they made their up the Guadalquivir river and sacked Isbiliya on their way to Lisbon.

Although the emir, Abderramán II, was warned of the imminent threat, he was unable to assemble an army in time. The Andalusian authorities also knew but chose to flee and take refuge in Carmona. As a result, it was not difficult for the 1,800 bloodthirsty and wealthy thieves to take the city.

A week after ravaging the city and taking everything they could find, with the intention of continuing their campaign in other cities, the emirate troops were ready to face the invaders. At the Esplanade de Tablada there was a bloody battle where the response of the Andalusian soldiers was proportional to the damage caused by the Vikings in the city.

Casualties were significant and a large part of the fleet also burned. It is said that, despite the annihilation of the enemy, some prisoners were taken. While some managed to escape, they still managed to leave a trail of destruction. Upon their return, the escapees surely related all the wonders they had seen in the flourishing al-Andalus, for in 859 another expedition arrived with the same intention, however with worse results.

The Seville that the Vikings had seen (at that time Isbiliya) back in 844 (230 of the Hegira) was organised in a chaotic and labyrinthine way through alleys and tunnels around the main mosque. Today, that church is that of El Salvador and before that it was a Roman and Visigoth basilica. The Patio de los Naranjos del Salvador preserves columns and capitals from that period. And of course, those same walls were the ones that allowed the emir to reinforce the defensive protection of the city.