Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate

Despite the fact that maritime activities were not very warmly considered during the reign of the Rashīdūn Caliphate (11-40/632-661), the concerns the al-Shām [Syrian] governor Muʻāwiya b. Abī Sufyān (d. 60/680) had about the dangers that could come from the seas became a reality that every Muslim c...

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Main Author: Murat Öztürk
Format: Article
Language:Arabic
Published: Istanbul University Press 2022-10-01
Series:Şarkiyat Mecmuası
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Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/D722BE02E80447ADA77F1B62B004823B
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author Murat Öztürk
author_facet Murat Öztürk
author_sort Murat Öztürk
collection DOAJ
description Despite the fact that maritime activities were not very warmly considered during the reign of the Rashīdūn Caliphate (11-40/632-661), the concerns the al-Shām [Syrian] governor Muʻāwiya b. Abī Sufyān (d. 60/680) had about the dangers that could come from the seas became a reality that every Muslim could feel with the landing of the Byzantine Empire in Alexandria in 25 AH (645). Muʻāwiya made a good assessment of the new situation and asked Caliph ʻUthmān b. ʻĀffān (23-35/644-656) for permission to organize an operation to Cyprus, despite his previous requests for an expedition to carry out djihādi [jihad] activities in the seas having been repeatedly rejected. Muʻāwiya did receive permission to go on an expedition, provided that he complied with the conditions set by the caliph, and organized a landing in Cyprus with a fleet of 1,700 ships under his command in 28 AH (648-649 AD), achieving a great victory and large amounts of plunder. However, once the terms of the treaty were abandoned, a second expedition was made to the island of Cyprus with 500 ships in 33 AH (653-654 AD). At the end of this operation, a military unit consisting of 12,000 people was placed on the island. With the two victories of the Muslim Arabs during this time, a new era began in the Mediterranean and condominium [joint administration] was established in Cyprus until the Byzantine Empire seized the island in 353 AH (965 AD). The present study chronologically examines and evaluates in the light of the information from Islamic and Christian sources the preparations for the Cyprus landings under Caliph ʻUthmān’s reign and during the Umayyad (41-132/661-750) and ʻAbbāsid (132-656/750-1258) Caliphates, the outcomes of these military campaigns, and the dual administration of the island with the Byzantine Empire until 353 AH (965), as well as both sides’ struggle for dominion over Cyprus.
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spelling doaj-art-d0cb0a90601d47c892c252bdcdb709472025-08-20T03:52:52ZaraIstanbul University PressŞarkiyat Mecmuası2717-69162022-10-014126730410.26650/jos.1164172123456Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic CaliphateMurat Öztürk0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5633-9578İstanbul Üniversitesi, İstanbul, TürkiyeDespite the fact that maritime activities were not very warmly considered during the reign of the Rashīdūn Caliphate (11-40/632-661), the concerns the al-Shām [Syrian] governor Muʻāwiya b. Abī Sufyān (d. 60/680) had about the dangers that could come from the seas became a reality that every Muslim could feel with the landing of the Byzantine Empire in Alexandria in 25 AH (645). Muʻāwiya made a good assessment of the new situation and asked Caliph ʻUthmān b. ʻĀffān (23-35/644-656) for permission to organize an operation to Cyprus, despite his previous requests for an expedition to carry out djihādi [jihad] activities in the seas having been repeatedly rejected. Muʻāwiya did receive permission to go on an expedition, provided that he complied with the conditions set by the caliph, and organized a landing in Cyprus with a fleet of 1,700 ships under his command in 28 AH (648-649 AD), achieving a great victory and large amounts of plunder. However, once the terms of the treaty were abandoned, a second expedition was made to the island of Cyprus with 500 ships in 33 AH (653-654 AD). At the end of this operation, a military unit consisting of 12,000 people was placed on the island. With the two victories of the Muslim Arabs during this time, a new era began in the Mediterranean and condominium [joint administration] was established in Cyprus until the Byzantine Empire seized the island in 353 AH (965 AD). The present study chronologically examines and evaluates in the light of the information from Islamic and Christian sources the preparations for the Cyprus landings under Caliph ʻUthmān’s reign and during the Umayyad (41-132/661-750) and ʻAbbāsid (132-656/750-1258) Caliphates, the outcomes of these military campaigns, and the dual administration of the island with the Byzantine Empire until 353 AH (965), as well as both sides’ struggle for dominion over Cyprus.https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/D722BE02E80447ADA77F1B62B004823Bcypruslandingscaliph ʻuthmānumayyadsʻabbāsidsbyzantine empirecondominium
spellingShingle Murat Öztürk
Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate
Şarkiyat Mecmuası
cyprus
landings
caliph ʻuthmān
umayyads
ʻabbāsids
byzantine empire
condominium
title Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate
title_full Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate
title_fullStr Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate
title_full_unstemmed Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate
title_short Cyprus (28-353 AH/648-965 AD): An Island Unable to be Shared Between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphate
title_sort cyprus 28 353 ah 648 965 ad an island unable to be shared between the byzantine empire and the islamic caliphate
topic cyprus
landings
caliph ʻuthmān
umayyads
ʻabbāsids
byzantine empire
condominium
url https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/D722BE02E80447ADA77F1B62B004823B
work_keys_str_mv AT muratozturk cyprus28353ah648965adanislandunabletobesharedbetweenthebyzantineempireandtheislamiccaliphate