Atlas of Battles

siege, early modern

Capture of Mahdia

Capture of Mahdia was a siege conducted on 28 June 1550 at Mahdia, in what is now Tunisia; it lasted 2 months. It was part of the Ottoman–Spanish War, which ran from 1515 to 1577. The recorded result: Spanish victory. Recorded strength: 52 galleys; 28 naos; Unknown soldiers against Unknown in Mahdia; 3,700 Moors; 800 Turks; 60 cavalry.

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Mahdia in 1535
Mahdia in 1535. Braun and Hogenberg (Civitates Orbis Terrarum II 57), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought28 June 1550lasted 2 months
WhereMahdia, Tunisia35.505N, 11.062E
OutcomeSpanish victory
BelligerentsSpanish Empire; Knights of Malta; Republic of GenoaagainstOttoman Empire
Casualties and losses500 killed and 1,000 woundedand7,000 killed or captured in the assault
Part ofOttoman–Spanish War1515 to 1577

Where it sits in the Ottoman–Spanish War

Capture of Algiers, 1516Fall of Tlemcen, 1518Battle of Algiers, 1529Capture of Algiers, 1529Battle of Formentera, 1529Siege of Coron (1533–1534), 1534Conquest of Tunis, 1534Conquest of Tunis, 1535Attack on Sousse, 1537Battle of Antipaxos, 1537Siege of Castelnuovo, 1539Battle of Girolata, 1540Battle of Alborán, 1540Algiers expedition, 1541Capture of Mahdia, 1550Djerba Incident, 1551Capture of Béjaïa, 1555Siege of Oran, 1556Capture of Bizerte, 1557Battle of Djerba, 1560Battle of Saint Monica, 1561Battle of Lipari, 1561Sieges of Oran and Mers El Kébir, 1563Capture of Tunis, 1569Battle of Béja, 1569Battle of Lepanto, 1571Siege of Navarino, 1572Conquest of Tunis, 1573Conquest of Tunis, 1574Action of 26 September 1575, 1575Battle of Cape Corvo, 161315161613Capture of Mahdia, 1550
31 placed engagements of the Ottoman–Spanish War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date28 June 1550
to 8 September 1550
PlaceMahdia, Tunisia
35.505N, 11.062E
KindSiege, early modern
Strength52 galleys; 28 naos; Unknown soldiersUnknown in Mahdia; 3,700 Moors; 800 Turks; 60 cavalry
Casualties and losses500 killed and 1,000 wounded7,000 killed or captured in the assault
Commanders
  • Andrea Doria
  • Bernardino de Mendoza (Captain General)
  • Claude de la Sengle
  • Dragut
Capture of MahdiaCapture of MahdiaBattle of ThapsusBattle of RuspinaBattle of the Tarigo Convoyfall of KairouanOperation HarpoonBattle of RuspinaBattle of the Tarigo Convoyfall of KairouanOperation HarpoonSfaxNabeulSdid BouzidSilianaZaghouan100 km35.505N, 11.062E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1550

Capture of Mahdia is one of 1,390 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 119 in present-day Tunisia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q5037032, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Capture of Mahdia (1550), revision 1375739652, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.