Granada War: Siege of Zahara

Timeline

1. 1481Zahara de la Sierra · Province of CádizIbrahim Ali Attar, governor of Ronda for the Emirate of Granada, led his forces in a surprise night attack during a storm on the Castilian frontier fortress of Zahara; the garrison was completely unprepared and the walls were quickly breached.
2. 1481Zahara de la Sierra · Province of CádizAfter occupying Zahara, Granadan forces plundered extensively; many residents were killed or captured as slaves, and the town was almost burned. News reached the Castilian court, provoking strong sentiment for revenge.
3. 1481–1482Castilian court · ValladolidThe attack on Zahara became the direct trigger for the Granada War. On this pretext, Ferdinand and Isabella the following year ordered a full conquest war against Granada, entering the final phase of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula.