Contrary to popular belief, Ibiza didn’t spring up when a group of English geezers decided they needed a holiday destination where they could ‘large it’ in peace. Neolithic settlers crossed from the mainland to utilise Ibiza’s fertile terrain as far back as 4500 BC. Officially discovered in 654 BC by the Phoenicians, it was one of the earliest towns in Europe and was named Ibosim after Bes – the Egyptian god of celebration, fire and fertility, entertainment or dance (depending on your source). Ibosim’s most important export at this time was ‘white gold’ (salt), and Salinas were constructed to draw salt from sea water by process of evaporation. These Salinas are still in use today.
Easily defensible with its natural harbour set into a steep hill, Ibiza became an ideal port for intermediate military stops. It also boasted an ideal location on the trade route between Europe and North Africa. Ibiza quickly became the largest burial ground for the Carthaginian culture (geographically placed were Tunisia is today). Historians believe this was due to the fact that there were no wild animals on the island to dig up the bodies.
In 146 BC The Romans conquered the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Formentera, Majorca and Menorca). Ibosim became Ebesus and retained independence as a confederation town. Between the 5th and 9th centuries AD, Ibiza was conquered by the Vandals, the Barbarians and the Byzantines. In the 9th century the Arabs came and renamed the island to Yebisah. They remained for almost 500 years during which the island experienced much economic growth.
With its fortified city walls and fortuitous geographical features, Yebisah was now considered unconquerable. That is until – legend has it – a ruling sheik argued with his brother over a mistress from his harem. His brother sought revenge and revealed the town’s secret underground entrance to besieging Catalan forces from mainland Spain. Conquered once more on August 8, 1235, the island was called Eivissa and put back in Christian hands by Catalan King James 1 of Aragon. Eivissa remains the Catalan pronunciation of what we now know as Ibiza.
During the following centuries, the villagers were forced to defend themselves as the ruling Catalans neglected the Balearic Islands. In the 16th Century, Italian architect Malvi completed construction of the same walls we see enclosing Ibiza’s old town today. The coast was also lined with pirate towers, each within sight of the next. If a pirate ship was detected, a warning fire would be lit inside the tower which would gradually by sighted by the next and so on like a warning system inspired by Chinese whispers. Some of these pirate towers are still standing. Defensive churches with extra fortified walls were built to shelter the entire island’s population and cannons were installed on each roof.
Many cultures have contributed to Ibiza’s evolution. It seems natural for this island to continue to entertain travellers from all corners of the globe.
