Battle of Ourique 1139
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate. Wikidata lists more than one location for this battle; the first is shown.
Key facts
| Year | 1139 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Portugal | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Almoravid conquest of al-Andalus | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 39.1700, -8.7600 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Ourique (Portuguese: Batalha de Ourique; Arabic: معركة أوريكه) was fought on 25 July 1139, when Portuguese forces under Afonso Henriques defeated forces led by the Almoravid wāli (governor) of Córdoba, Muhammad Az-Zubayr Ibn Umar, who is identified as "King Ismar" in Christian chronicles.
The exact location of the battle remains uncertain and has been the subject of considerable debate. Nevertheless, the battle soon acquired major significance and became associated with Afonso Henriques's claim to the title of "king". It became his most celebrated victory over Muslim forces.
The battle has long been associated with the Miracle or legend of Ourique, according to which Christ Crucified appeared to Afonso Henriques on the night before the battle and revealed the coat of arms of Portugal. According to tradition, the arms were adopted after the battle, with the five escutcheons interpreted as representing the five vanquished Muslim "kings" said to have participated in the battle.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Ourique (revision 1375901541), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Capture of Santarém (1111) 1111 · 10 km
- Siege of Santarém (1184) 1184 · 10 km
- Conquest of Santarém 1147 · 10 km
- Battle of Roliça 1808 · 40 km
- Battle of Alfarrobeira 1449 · 43 km
- Battle of Vimeiro 1808 · 48 km
Other battles of the Almoravid conquest of al-Andalus
- Siege of Calatayud 1120
- Battle of Corbins 1126
- Battle of Alcalá (1129) 1129
- Battle of Fraga 1134
- Siege of Coria (1138) 1138
- Siege of Oreja 1139
- Siege of Coria (1142) 1142
- Battle of Montiel (1143) 1143
- Siege of Lisbon 1147
All 23 battles of the Almoravid conquest of al-Andalus →
Browse more: battles in Portugal · Europe · Medieval battles