Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
1212 CE · Spain
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was fought in 1212 CE in Spain between Christian kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, Navarre and Portugal vs the Almohad Caliphate; decisive Christian victory and the turning point of the Reconquista.
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa: quick facts
- Date
- 1212 CE
- Location
- Spain
- Belligerents
- Christian kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, Navarre and Portugal vs the Almohad Caliphate
- Commanders
- Alfonso VIII of Castile vs Muhammad al-Nasir
- Result
- decisive Christian victory and the turning point of the Reconquista.
- Era
- 🏰 Medieval Europe
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa?
A grand coalition of the Christian kingdoms of Castile, Aragon, and Navarre, supported by crusaders from across Europe, defeated the Almohad Caliphate in a battle that broke Muslim military power in Iberia. The Almohad caliph's elite bodyguard, chained together to prevent retreat, were overwhelmed. The victory was the turning point of the Reconquista, leading to the rapid Christian conquest of Cordoba, Seville, and most of southern Spain within decades.
Did you know?
The Almohad caliph's elite bodyguard at Las Navas de Tolosa were literally chained together to prevent retreat. The Christian coalition had to hack through both the chains and the men.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.