Ancient Spain, Al-Makkary, Batrikus

It is generally assumed that the movement of Africans into Europe, in significantly large numbers and into positions of real power, did not occur until the Muslim invasion of Spain in 711 AD.

Cartouche of Shoseng

According to Al-Makkary in history of the Mohammedan Dynasties in Spain, however, we learn of the great drought that afflicted Spain about 3000 years ago, a catastrophic event that was soon followed by an invasion from Africa.

This has nothing to do with the medieval Moors. To the left, actual cartouche as engraved on an alabaster trader vase found in tomb 16, Almunecar (courtesy Instituto Arqueologico Aleman de Madrid). Right, same cartouche as rendered in the British Museum style.

The drought that devastated Spain, however, is described by a number of Spanish historians. Pedro De Medina in libro de Las Grandezas de Espana, published in Seville in 1549 A.D., dates the drought at 1070 B. C. E. Al-Makkary also informs us of how Africans banished from North Africa by an African King against whom they revolted, enter Spain and took control of that country. The leader of the Africans was called Batrikus. We do not know his original name. However, his Romanic Latin name Batrikus survived. The Romans defeated the Africans 157 years later.

Turbaned Moor

The first African migration landed on the western shore of Spain called Cadiz. They spread about, extended their settlements, built cities, towns and increased their numbers by marriage.

They settled between the west of the country and country of the Franks in the east. They appointed kings to rule over them and administer their affairs. They called their capital city Talikah, (Italica) a city now in ruins, which once belonged to the district of Isbilah, which is the modern Seville.

Eleven African Kings reigned over Andalus within 57 years, however, they were annihilated by the Romans, who invaded and conquered the country.

The second major intrusion of an African army into Spain before the Moors occurred around 700 BCE, about the same time as the 25th dynasty in Egypt. The Egyptian pharaoh that was around that time was Taharka, his uncle was called Shabataka.

Taharka was the Egyptian pharaoh that invaded Spain, referred to in the early Spanish Chronicles as Tarraco. There are indisputable reference to the manuscript by Florian de Ocampo Cronica General published in Medina Del Campo in 1553. However, that most persuasive of all is the fact that cartouches of the Egyptian Kings of the period were found in Spain. Evidence of such cartouches may be found in the journal of the Epigraphic society (Vol 7, No. 171 - April 1979). The cartouche of shishonq was found in tomb 16, Almunecar, Spain.

Left Coat of Arms of Aragon

The fact that Africans from the north had been intruding into Southern Europe from early times shall not come as a great surprise. The strait that separates the two continents can be crossed by the simplest boats in a matter of hours.

Many historians, however, make clear cut distinctions between early North Africans and Africans of the Sahara. They contend that the early North Africans should not be confused with the sub Saharan Africa type.

Since many North Africans in modern times seem to fit into this theoretical construct it hard worked very well to confuse and confound the definition of their ethnicity.

However, the inhabitants of present day North Africa are considered ethnically and culturally distinct from people dwelling south of the Sahara. This is only so today because of the considerable influx of European types during the white slave trade era and their later movement into positions of dominance after the defeat of the Moors.

Coat of Arms of Corsica

The seven hundred years during which the moors dominated the Iberian Peninsula was an era in which many Europeans came into North Africa in the states of servitude.

The Muslims brought millions of European slaves over to the North African port of sales, Tangier, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, Fez and Marrakesh, including Northern Egyptian towns.

One very famous Sultan, Mulai Ismael of Meknes, in Morocco, had as many as twenty five thousand European slaves who participated in the building of colossal stables. Left Coat of Arms of Sardinia.