The Longest Siege In History
Why did it last so long?
If you look at a modern map, you will notice something strange. Hugging the Moroccan coast is the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. This city is surrounded on all sides by Morocco and the sea. This raises an obvious question: Why does Ceuta belong to Spain and not Morocco? The answer to that question is tied up in Spain’s long and fraught history with North Africa. Ceuta was the site of the longest siege in history in which Moroccan forces tried, and failed, to surround and seize the important city.
The city became the center of numerous campaigns launched by the Moroccan Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif. Ceuta was a symbol of Spain’s lingering presence on the African continent, and it was an affront to Ibn Sharif, who saw it as rightful Moroccan territory. The city was put under siege in 1694, and it would not be fully relieved until 1727, the year that Sultan Ibn Sharif died. The siege lasted over thirty years, making it the longest siege in history.
But why did the siege last so long?
The First Siege
The first siege of Ceuta began in 1694 and was well thought out by Morocco. Instead of…
