Siege of Córdoba (1009–1013)

The city of Córdoba in al-Andalus, under the rule of Umayyad Caliph Hisham II al-Hakam, was besieged by Berbers from November 1009 until May 1013, with the city beyond the Roman walls completely destroyed. The siege, and the massacres and sacking that followed have been linked to the decline and end of Umayyad rule.

From 1011 to 1013, the Berbers engaged in raids on the countryside as well as maintaining a blockade of Córdoba from a base at the Medina Azahara. Historian Elizabeth Nash reports that, "Berber mercenaries from North Africa stationed in Córdoba rebelled and sacked Medina Azahara, hauled down its columns, horseshoe arches and soaring vaults, demolished its elaborate water channels, bathhouses and aqueducts, plundered the ruins, then set fire to them."

During the sacks, Córdoba was looted and its Arab citizens were massacred, including many Jews. Prominent Jews in Córdoba, such as Samuel ibn Naghrela, were forced to flee the city in 1013.