On This Day

Aghlabid emir Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya destroys Taormina, Sicily

Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II ibn Ahmad (27 June 850 – 23 October 902) was the Emir of Ifriqiya. He ruled from 875 until his abdication in 902.

Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II ibn Ahmad (27 June 850 – 23 October 902) was the Emir of Ifriqiya. He ruled from 875 until his abdication in 902. After the demise of his brother, Ibrahim was endorsed as emir where he took steps to improve safety in his domain and secured the development of commercial activities. He improved public works, such as building a vast reservoir, erecting walls as well as the development of mosques and his Raqqada palace.

A centralizing ruler, Ibrahim mistrusted the old Arab high aristocracy of Ifriqiya. He was involved in conflicts with the ambitious Tulunids, who after seizing Egypt (868), Syria and the Hejaz (878), decided to attack him.

Historical Significance

Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II ibn Ahmad (27 June 850 – 23 October 902) was the Emir of Ifriqiya.

Events Before

  1. Pope Formosus crowned Arnulf King of Carinthia and Holy Roman Emperor

    Pope Formosus (816 – 896) was the pope and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 891 until his death on 4 April 896.

Events After

  1. Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher

    Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher

  2. Byzantine city Thessalonica is sacked by Saracen pirates led by renegade Leo of Tripoli

    Byzantine city Thessalonica is sacked by Saracen pirates led by renegade Leo of Tripoli

  3. Holy Roman Emperor Louis III captured, blinded, and forced to relinquish his royal Italian and imperial crowns

    Louis the Blind (880 – 5 June 928) was king in Provence and Lower Burgundy from 890 to 928, and also king of Italy from 900 to 905, and also the emperor between 901 and 905, styled as Louis III.

  4. Date of the last known Maya "long count" inscription on a stela at the city of Toniná (modern Chiapas state, Mexico)

    Tonina (or Toniná in Spanish orthography) is a pre-Columbian archaeological site and ruined city of the Maya civilization located in what is now the Mexican state of Chiapas, some 13 km (8.1 mi) east...

  5. Bulgarian Saint John of Rila [Saint Ivan] performs the miracle of the two pies - uses two pies to feed the poor

    Bulgarian Saint John of Rila [Saint Ivan] performs the miracle of the two pies - uses two pies to feed the poor

More from the 900s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 1, 902?
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II ibn Ahmad (27 June 850 – 23 October 902) was the Emir of Ifriqiya. He ruled from 875 until his abdication in 902. After the demise of his brother, Ibrahim was endorsed as emir where he took steps to improve safety in his domain and secured the development of commercial activities.
Why is Aghlabid emir Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya destroys Taormina, Sicily significant?
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim II ibn Ahmad (27 June 850 – 23 October 902) was the Emir of Ifriqiya.

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