Battle of Bi'r 'Uqba (1536)

موقعة بئر عقبة (٩٤٣هـ/١٥٣٦م)

1536 CE · 943 AH

The 943/1536 battle near Wadi al-'Abid where the Sa'dis defeated Wattasid king Ahmad — the Khalut tribes who formed his vanguard deserted and spread chaos through his army; the defeat drove him into his eleven-year treaty with Portugal 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Gunpowder Empires
Region
Maghreb
Review
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In time

1520153015401550
The Gunpowder Empires

Summary

The defeat of the Wattasid king Ahmad before the Sa'dis near Wadi al-'Abid in 943/1536 1.

The battle

The Khalut tribes who formed the Wattasid army's vanguard deserted, spreading chaos through its ranks 1.

Consequence

The defeat drove Ahmad al-Wattasi toward Portugal: an eleven-year treaty placing Moroccans settled around Asilah, Tangier and Qasr al-Saghir under the jurisdiction of the king of Fas, and banning purchase of booty taken from Moroccans aboard Ottoman or French ships 2.

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
Ahmad al-Wattasi· Ahmad al-A'raj al-Sa'di

People and things also explored

Sa'di capture of Santa Cruz (1541)· Hasan b. Khayr al-Din Barbarossa· Saadi dynasty· Wattasid dynasty· Ahmad al-A'raj al-Sa'di· Ahmad al-Wattasi

Sources

  1. al-Dawla al-Uthmaniyya — Ali Muhammad al-Salabi (2001) , p. 221
  2. al-Dawla al-Uthmaniyya — Ali Muhammad al-Salabi (2001) , p. 221-222
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Battle of Bi'r 'Uqba (1536)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/battle-bir-uqba-943/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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Related

Sa'di capture of Santa Cruz (1541)

The Sa'dis took the fortress of Santa Cruz — their ruler now fielding Ottoman-supplied artillery, war engines and drilled troops that showed at the siege. On the news João III ordered Safi and Azemmour evacuated at once, telling his Madrid ambassador in a letter of 22 Ramadan 948/December 1541 — for Charles V's eyes — that Mazagan would be fortified instead.