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Siege of Baza and the surrender of al-Zaghal

حصار بسطة واستسلام الزغل

c. 4 December 1489 CE · c. 10 Muharram 895 AH – c. 4 December 1489 CE · c. 10 Muharram 895 AH

The siege of Baza (Rajab 894–Muharram 895): al-Zaghal threw in every levy from Guadix, Almeria and the Alpujarras and held the Castilians off all summer until siege engines sealed the town; starving, the defenders staged full markets to bluff the enemy spy — 'war is deception' — then surrendered the citadel on Friday 10 Muharram 895. Al-Zaghal himself met the Castilian at Almeria and handed over Guadix's citadel in early Safar: everything east of Granada passed to Castile 'in the blink of an eye' 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
Region
al-Andalus & Europe
Review
Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it

In time

148014901500 c.
The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks · The Gunpowder Empires · The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era

Battles

Overview

In 894 AH the lord of Castile came before Baza. Al-Zaghal, lord of Guadix, had sent all his troops and commanders and gathered the people of the relief from Guadix, Almeria, al-Munakib and the Alpujarras. 2

Holding out

Great battles took place until the enemy retreated, and they could not prevent entry and exit in Rajab, Sha'ban and Ramadan. Then the siege was tightened and the cannon brought up to the walls, and the situation grew severe in Dhu al-Qa'da and Dhu al-Hijja, and food ran short. 2

The stratagem

The people of the city displayed all kinds of food in the markets to show strength, when they were in the greatest weakness. Al-Maqqari quotes the phrase "war is deception". A great man of the Christians entered as a spy to see the condition of the people. 2

The surrender

The Christians entered the fortress of Baza on Friday, the tenth of Muharram 895 AH, and expelled the Muslims from the city and settled them in the suburb, for fear of revolt. Then the lord of Castile moved to Almeria, and al-Zaghal came out to meet him and gave up the fortresses and castles. Only Granada and its villages remained, according to al-Maqqari. 3

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
al-Zaghal Abu Abd Allah, sultan of Granada

People and things also explored

The Bayyazin revolt and the fall of Loja· Fall of Velez-Malaga and the rout before contact· al-Zaghal Abu Abd Allah, sultan of Granada· The Weepers (al-bakka'un)· The army of hardship (jaysh al-usra)· Staying behind from the Tabuk expedition· The plot of Amir ibn al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Qays· The Badr war council

Sources

  1. Nafh al-Tib min Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib — al-Maqqari , p. 525-526
  2. Nafh al-Tib min Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib — al-Maqqari , p. 525
  3. Nafh al-Tib min Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib — al-Maqqari , p. 526
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Siege of Baza and the surrender of al-Zaghal”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/siege-of-baza-894/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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The Bayyazin revolt and the fall of Loja

Castile released the captive Boabdil, clothed him and armed him to split the Muslims — Vélez submitted and 'peace' was cried in the markets; Granada's Bayazin quarter rose for him (Rabi I–Jumada I 891) while the Alcazaba stoned them. He then entered Loja seeking reconciliation with his uncle al-Zaghal, but the Castilian siege starved it into surrender on 26 Jumada I 891 — Ibn al-Khatib's ancestral town — and Granada openly said he had come only to hand Loja over as his ransom.