Siege of Melite (870)

Siege of Melite
Part of the Muslim conquest of Sicily
(Arab–Byzantine wars)

A possible reconstruction of the Roman walls of Melite (model by Richard Azzopardi and Stephen C. Spiteri, displayed at the Fortifications Interpretation Centre)
Datec. 870 AD
Location
Melite, Byzantine Empire (modern Mdina, Malta)
35°53′10″N 14°24′11″E / 35.886003°N 14.403017°E / 35.886003; 14.403017
Result
  • Decisive Aghlabid victory
  • Melite captured and destroyed
  • Malta depopulated until around the 11th century
Belligerents
Aghlabids Byzantine Empire
Commanders and leaders
Halaf al-Hādim †
Sawāda Ibn Muḥammad		 Amros (Possibly Ambrosios) (POW)
Casualties and losses
Unknown Heavy

The siege of Melite was the capture of the Byzantine city of Melite (modern Mdina, Malta) by an invading Aghlabid army in 870 AD. The siege was initially led by Halaf al-Hādim, a renowned engineer, but he was killed and replaced by Sawāda Ibn Muḥammad. The city withstood the siege for some weeks or months, but it ultimately fell to the invaders, and its inhabitants were massacred and the city was sacked.