Tariq ibn Ziyad

Tariq ibn Ziyad (d. c. 720 CE) was a Berber Muslim military commander who led the Umayyad conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 92 AH (711 CE), one of the most consequential military campaigns in world history. He served as the deputy of Musa ibn Nusayr, the governor of North Africa.

Tariq crossed the strait between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula with approximately 7,000 troops, landing at the mountain that bears his name to this day: Jabal Tariq (Gibraltar, from the Arabic Jabal Tariq). He is traditionally credited with delivering a famous speech to his soldiers upon landing, in which he ordered the ships burned and said, 'The enemy is in front of you and the sea is behind you.' He then defeated the Visigothic King Roderic at the decisive Battle of Guadalete.

The conquest that Tariq initiated led to the establishment of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula (al-Andalus) that lasted for nearly eight centuries. Under Muslim rule, al-Andalus became one of the most advanced civilizations in medieval Europe, producing landmark achievements in science, philosophy, architecture, and interfaith coexistence. Despite his monumental achievement, Tariq was recalled to Damascus and his later life remains obscure.