Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Conquest of Ceuta

Conquest of Ceuta was a battle fought on 21 August 1415 at Ceuta under Muslim rule, in what is now Morocco. It was part of Q35810458. The recorded result: Portuguese victory. Recorded strength: 45,000 or 50,000 men.; About 200 ships. against Unknown.

See it on the globe Read the article

Panel of azulejos by Jorge Colaço (1864–1942) at the São Bento railway station, depicting Prince Henry the Navigator during the conquest of Ceuta.
Panel of azulejos by Jorge Colaço (1864–1942) at the São Bento railway station, depicting Prince Henry the Navigator during the conquest of Ceuta.. HombreDHojalata, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought21 August 1415
WhereCeuta under Muslim rule, Morocco35.896N, 5.300W
OutcomePortuguese victory
Belligerents20px|border Kingdom of PortugalagainstMarinid dynasty
Part ofQ35810458

Where it sits in Q35810458

Battle of Covadonga, AD 718Battle of Olalíes, AD 722Siege to Pelayo, AD 735Battle of the Burbia River, AD 791Battle of Lutos, AD 794Battle of Río Quirós, AD 795Battle of the Nalón River, AD 795Battle of Campo da Matanza, AD 795Capture of Oviedo, AD 795Battle of las Babias, AD 795Battle of Anceo, AD 825Battle of Clavijo, AD 844Battle of Albelda, AD 851Battle of Guadalacete, AD 852Battle of Monte Laturce, AD 859Battle of the Morcuera, AD 865Siege of Coimbra, AD 878Battle of Cellorigo, AD 882First Battle of Cellorigo, AD 882Second Battle of Cellorigo, AD 883Siege of Lérida, AD 884Battle of Bayyana, AD 891Day of Zamora, AD 901Battle of San Esteban de Gormaz, AD 917Battle of Valdejunquera, AD 920Battle of Castromoros, AD 920Siege of Toledo, AD 930Siege of Madrid, AD 932Battle of Osma, AD 934Battle of Barcelona, AD 935Siege of Pals, AD 935Siege of Empúries, AD 935Battle of Simancas, AD 939Battle of Alhandega, AD 939Battle of Alhandic, AD 939Battle of Estercuel, AD 975Battle of Rueda, AD 981Battle of Torrevicente, AD 981Battle of Rovirans, AD 985Sack of Barcelona, AD 985Battle of Cervera, 1000Battle of Calatañazor, 1002Battle of Albesa, 1003Battle of Torà, 1006Battle of Cesar, 1035Battle of Graus, 1063Crusade of Barbastro, 1064Battle of Paterna, 1065Siege of Barbastro, 1065Battle of Golpejera, 1072Siege of Toledo, 1081Battle of Morella, 1084Battle of Piedra Pisada, 1084Siege of Zaragoza, 1086Siege of Tudela, 1087Siege of Monzón, 1089Battle of Tevar, 1090Battle of Alcoraz, 1096Battle of Arouca, 1102Battle of Valtierra, 1110Siege of Morella, 1117Conquest of Zaragoza, 1118Battle of Cutanda, 1120Siege of Lleida, 1122Siege of Lisbon, 1142Conquest of Santarém, 1147Siege of Almería, 1157Battle of Alcácer do Sal, 1161Capture of Juromenha, 1170Siege of Huete, 1172Battle of Ceuta (1182), 1182Siege of Moya, 1183Siege of Jaén, 1225Siege of Jaén, 1230Battle of Jerez, 1231Siege of Córdoba, 1235Battle of Chio, 1239Siege of Jaén, 1245Siege of Seville, 1248Siege of Faro, 1249Battle of Salé, 1260Battle of Écija, 1275Battle of Martos, 1275Siege of Algeciras, 1278Battle of Algeciras, 1278Battle of Moclín, 1280Siege of Jerez, 1285Battle of Arjona, 1297First Siege of Gibraltar, 1309Siege of Algeciras, 1309Siege of Ceuta, 1309Siege of Almería, 1309Battle of the Vega of Granada, 1319Battle of Guadalhorce, 1326Battle of Teba, 1330Siege of Guardamar, 1331Siege of Elche, 1332Battle of Ceuta, 1339Battle of Vega de Pagana, 1339Battle of Getares, 1340Battle of Río Salado, 1340Battle of Ceuta, 1341Battle of Sierra Bullones (1342), 1342Battle of Guadalmesí, 1342Battle of Estepona, 1342Siege of Algeciras, 1342Battle of Linuesa, 1361Battle of Guadix, 1362Siege of Algeciras, 1369Battle of Puerto Lope, 1394Battle of Collejares, 1406Battle of Gibraltar, 1407Siege of Setenil de las Bodegas, 1407Siege of Antequera, 1410Conquest of Ceuta, 1415Aljazira Skirmish, 1415Good Friday Skirmish (1417), 1417Escaramuça dos Gazulos (1418), 1418First Siege of Ceuta, 1419Second Siege of Ceuta, 1419Skirmish on the eve of Santa Maria de September, 1429Battle of La Higueruela, 1431Battle of Archidona, 1434Battle of Tangier, 1437Battle of Castril, 1438Battle of Río Verde, 1448Battle of Hellín, 1448Battle of Los Alporchones, 1452Siege of Ksar es-Seghir, 1458Eighth siege of Gibraltar, 1462Siege of Tangier, 1463Conquest of Asilah, 1471Siège of Graciosa, 1489Siege of Graciosa, 1489Battle of Tangier, 1502Capture of Castelo Real, 1510Battle of Azemmour, 1513Battle of the Alcaides, 1514Raid of Marrakesh, 1515Battle of Maâmora, 1515Siege of Asilah, 1516Siege of Agadir, 1533Siege of Safi, 1534Fall of Agadir, 1541Siege of Mazagan, 1562Battle of Alcácer Quibir, 1578Battle of Mamora, 1696Siege of Mazagan, 1769AD 7181769Conquest of Ceuta, 1415
148 placed engagements of Q35810458 in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date21 August 1415
PlaceCeuta under Muslim rule, Morocco
35.896N, 5.300W
KindBattle, medieval
Territorial changeEstablishment of Portuguese Ceuta; Beginning of the Portuguese Empire
Strength45,000 or 50,000 men.; About 200 ships.Unknown
Casualties and lossesAt least 8 killed. Unknown losses from diseaseSeveral thousands killed or taken prisoner; 1 cannon captured
Commanders
Conquest of CeutaConquest of CeutaSiege of CeutaFirst Siege of CeutaBattle of Ceuta (1182)Second Siege of CeutaSiege of CeutaSiege of CeutaCádizGibraltarMálagaKsar El KebirLaracheOuezzaneMarbellaAlgeciras100 km35.896N, 5.300W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Conquest of Ceuta
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Conquest of Ceuta today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-08-18. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 5 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -4 to 195 m, 199 m of relief, hilly country and today it is 83% water, 10% built-up, 4% tree cover.

water: 83%built-up: 10%tree cover: 4%grassland: 3%water 83%built-up 10%tree cover 4%grassland 3%
west to east, 10.0 km-1 to 190 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 64 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 12 times between 1182 and 1859.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1415

Conquest of Ceuta is one of 720 engagements of the 15th century in the atlas and one of 143 in present-day Morocco.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2888296, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Portuguese conquest of Ceuta, revision 1383567392, 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.