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844
The attack
On September 25, the Vikings arrived near Seville after going up the Guadalquivir. They established a base on Isla Menor, a defensible island in the Guadalquivir marshes. -
844
The recapture
The Muslims say that the Viking commanders were killed and about 400 men were captured, many were hanged from the palm trees of Talyata. The remaining Vikings went to their ships and sailed down the river while the inhabitants of the coastal areas threw stones at them. Soon the Vikings offered to trade some of the loot and captured prisoners for clothing, food, and the ability to continue their course unmolested. -
844
The conquest
On September 29, the local Muslim forces face the Vikings, but are defeated. The Vikings took Seville on October 1 or 3 after a brief siege and significant combat. They sacked the city, and according to Muslim historians, inflicted on its inhabitants the "terrors of imprisonment or death" and did not spare "even pack animals." -
844
The capture
Days later, both sides face each other on numerous occasions, with mixed results. The Muslims finally won an important victory on November 11 or 17 at Taylata. According to Muslim sources between 500 to 1000 Vikings were killed and 30 Viking ships were destroyed. -
859
After the attack
The city of Seville was left in ruins. Viking attacks terrified the inhabitants of Al-Andalus. Abd ar-Rahman put in place new measures to defend the city from possible attacks. He created a new naval arsenal (dar al-sina'a) in Seville and built walls around the city. A network of messengers was established to distribute information in case of new attacks. These measures were adequate to prevent the following Viking attacks in 859 and 966. -
966
What did the Vikings do next?
Much of the Vikings sailed back to France, and their defeat by Andalusian troops may have discouraged them from attempting further attacks on the peninsula immediately. The following year the Vikings sent an embassy to the court of Abd ar-Rahman, who in turn sent the poet Yahya ibn al-Hakam (nicknamed Al-Ghazal, "the gazelle") as ambassador to the Vikings. Furthermore, some of the attackers stayed in the region, converted to Islam, and became cheese merchants.
