Conquest of Arzila and Occupation of Tangiers
- When
- 1471
- Where
- Arzila; Tangiers
- Episodes
- 2
In August 1471, King Afonso V of Portugal captured Arzila after a storm diverted his fleet. The nearby population of Tangiers subsequently fled, allowing the Portuguese to occupy the city unopposed on 28 August.
Episodes
- Conquest of Arzila
Afonso V's fleet was diverted by a storm to Arzila, leading to the city's conquest in August 1471.
- Occupation of Tangiers
Tangiers fell to the Portuguese unopposed on 28 August 1471 after its garrison fled following the conquest of Arzila.
Background and detail
Background. Between 1458 and 1471, Afonso V pursued military campaigns in Morocco. His successful conquests of Alcácer-Ceguer, Arzila, and Tangiers earned him the sobriquet O Africano. Previous attempts to capture Tangier in 1437, 1458, and 1464 had failed.
Conquest of Arzila. In August 1471, Afonso V launched a campaign to capture a city, but his fleet was diverted by a storm to the port of Arzila. The Portuguese conquered the city and built its fortifications, modifying the walls to be more resistant to artillery.
Occupation of Tangiers. Following the conquest of Arzila, the nearby population of Tangiers fled. The city fell into Portuguese control unopposed on 28 August 1471 after its garrison fled upon learning of the conquest of Asilah.
People involved
- Afonso V of Portugal · King of Portugal
Sources
- Afonso V of Portugal Wikipedia
- Tangier Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-10
- Asilah Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-23
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.