Mahón (), officially Maó (, ; formerly spelled ''Mahó''), and also written as Mahon or Port Mahon in English, is the capital and second largest city of
Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...
. The city is located on the eastern coast of the island, which is part of the archipelago and
autonomous community
The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...
of the
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...
.
Mahón has one of the longest
natural harbour
A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be moored. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...
s in the world: long and up to wide. The water is deep but remains mostly clear due to the port's enclosed nature.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...
is considered to have originated in Mahón.
Its population in 2021 was estimated to be 29,125.
History
The name's origin is attributed to the Carthaginian general
Mago Barca
Mago Barca (; died 202 BC) was a Carthaginian, member of the Barcid family, who played an important role in the Second Punic War, leading forces of Carthage against the Roman Republic in Iberia and northern and central Italy. Mago was the ...
, brother to
Hannibal
Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.
Hannibal's fat ...
, who is thought to have taken refuge there in 205 BC. After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...
, it became part of the
Eastern Roman Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
; it suffered raids from
Vikings
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
and
Arabs
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
until the Islamic
Caliphate of Córdoba
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
conquered it in 903.
Mahón was captured in 1287 from the
Moors
The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a s ...
by
Alfonso III of Aragon
Alfonso III (4 November 1265 – 18 June 1291), called the Liberal (''el Liberal'') and the Free (also "the Frank", from ''el Franc''), was king of Aragon and Valencia, and count of Barcelona (as ) from 1285 until his death. He conquered the ...
and incorporated into the
Kingdom of Majorca
The Kingdom of Majorca (, ; ; ; ) was an insular realm off the east coast of modern day Spain, which included the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The islands were conquered from the Almohad Caliphate by James I of Aragon, ...
, a vassal kingdom of the
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...
. Its harbour, one of the most strategically important in the western Mediterranean, was refortified.
In 1535, the Ottomans, under
Hayreddin Barbarossa
Hayreddin Barbarossa (, original name: Khiḍr; ), also known as Hayreddin Pasha, Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1483 – 4 July 1546), was an Ottoman corsair and later admiral of the Ottoman Navy. Barbarossa's ...
, attacked Mahón and took 600 captives as slaves back to
Algiers
Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
, in the
Sack of Mahon.
British rule
Menorca was
captured in 1708 by a joint British–Dutch force on behalf of
Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, during the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
. The British saw the island's potential as a naval base and sought to take full control. Its status as a British possession was confirmed by the
Treaty of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaty, peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vac ...
in 1713. During the island's years as a
British dependency, the capital was moved from
Ciutadella de Menorca
Ciutadella de Menorca () or simply Ciutadella is a town and a municipalities of Spain, municipality in the western end of Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands (Spain). It is one of the two primary cities in the island, along with Maó.
History
...
to Mahon, which then served as residence for the
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
, the most famous being
General Richard Kane. During this period the natural harbour leading to the town and surrounding settlements were sometimes collectively known as "Port Mahon" (see adjacent map).
The island was lost to the French in 1756 following the naval
Battle of Menorca and the final
Siege of Fort St Philip, which took place several miles from the town. After their defeat in the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
, France returned the island to the British in 1763. In a joint Franco-Spanish effort and following a long
five month invasion, the British surrendered the island again in 1782; It was transferred to Spain in 1783 as part of the
Peace of Paris. The British
recaptured the island in 1798, during the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
. The British and the French tried (and failed) to end their hostilities with the
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it set t ...
in 1802. Both nations agreed to cede or withdraw from certain territories, with the island of Menorca passing to the Spanish, with whom it has remained since.
The Royal Navy
A small but important
Royal Navy Dockyard
Royal Navy Dockyards (more usually termed Royal Dockyards) were state-owned harbour facilities where ships of the Royal Navy were built, based, repaired and refitted. Until the mid-19th century the Royal Dockyards were the largest industrial c ...
was established by the British on the north side of the harbour, opposite the town, in 1715.
It served as the Royal Navy's principal Mediterranean base for much of the 18th century, and remains in use today as a
Spanish Naval station. Several Dockyard buildings, dating from the 1760s, can still be seen on Illa Pinto (formerly known as Saffron Island) including a Naval Storehouse with clock tower. There recently have been moves to establish a maritime museum here. The island has a distinctive octagonal shape, formed when wharves were constructed around it in the 1760s to enable several warships to be
careened there all at once.
The ruins of a former
Royal Naval Hospital
A Royal Naval Hospital (RNH) was a hospital operated by the British Royal Navy for the care and treatment of sick and injured naval personnel. A network of these establishments were situated across the globe to suit British interests. They were p ...
, founded in 1711, stand on another nearby island (
Illa del Rei). They recently have been restored.
Hauser & Wirth has established a gallery on the island.
File:S'Arsenal, illa des Gegants o d'en Pintot (Maó).JPG, Naval storehouse and careening wharf on Illa Pinto
File:IllaDelRei.jpg, The ruined Naval Hospital in 2008
File:Illa del Rei, Mao 2011.jpg, and in 2011, following restoration
20th century
During the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
, the island remained loyal to the Republic, but
was captured by the Nationalists in 1939. During
the battle to capture the islands from the republicans, Mahón was bombed by
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
's Nationalist bomber planes, with support from
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
's Italian Fascist government.
General Franco visited the city on 11 May 1960 to open a new
thermal power station
A thermal power station, also known as a thermal power plant, is a type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy. The heat ...
. The event was used by the authorities to further promote
Francoist Spain
Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
.
Modern era

Today it serves as the seat of the Island Council of Menorca (''Consell Insular de Menorca'').
Towards the end of the 20th century, the renovation of its historic centre was made possible by income from tourism.
A traditional cheese made on the island (''
Mahón cheese'') is named after the city. In Spanish ''mahón'' is also the name of
nankeen
Nankeen (also called Nankeen cloth) is a kind of pale yellowish cloth originally made in Nanjing, China from a yellow variety of cotton, but subsequently manufactured from ordinary cotton that is then dyed.''Oxford English Dictionary''
The ter ...
, especially the blue cloth.
Sport
In terms of sport, Mahón has an athletics track in the Carrer de Vasallo, as well as several other sport facilities. The city also has a sports centre with a municipal pool, 2 tennis clubs.
Football
Mahón has several football teams, including
UD Mahón,
CD Menorca and
CF Sporting de Mahón. The most noteworthy and successful club in Menorcan history,
Sporting Mahonés CF, was the only football club in Menorca ever to reach
Segunda División B
Segunda División B (English: second division B) was the third tier of the Spanish football league system containing 102 teams divided into five groups, until it was replaced by the new structure in 2021. It was administered by the Royal Spanish ...
. The team disbanded in 2013, and Sporting de Mahón took its place. As of 2024, no team in Mahón is in the
Tercera Federación or higher.
Basketball
In basketball, Mahón has the
Pavelló Menorca
Pavelló Menorca (''Pabellón Menorca'' in Spanish Language, Spanish) is an arena in Menorca in the area of Binitaufa, Mahón, Spain. It is primarily used for basketball and the home arena of Menorca Bàsquet. The arena holds 5,115 people and ...
, with capacity of 5000 spectator. The venue is most known for albergating one of the few teams in the Balearic Islands to be at the Spanish first division of basketball,
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...
, that team was
Menorca Bàsquet
Menorca Bàsquet, S.A.D. was a professional basketball team based in Menorca, Balearic Islands.
On July 5, 2012 the club announced its dissolution after it was forced to renounce to its third promotion to Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Lig ...
. After staying 5 seasons in their history at Liga ACB, the directors closed the club due to debts.
Mahón had to wait 5 years to get another basketball club, and that club is
CB Menorca
Club Bàsquet Menorca is a Spanish basketball club based in Mahón, Balearic Islands.
History
Bàsquet Menorca was founded in 2016 with the aim to reach again the professional basketball after the dissolution of former Liga ACB team Menorca Bàs ...
, considered by many to be Menorca Bàsquet's phoenix club. After 5 seasons in
LEB Plata
The Segunda FEB, formerly known as LEB 2 and LEB Plata, is the third basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system and the second basketball division organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation. Since 2019, three teams are promote ...
, on the
2022-23 LEB Plata season CB Menorca gained promotion to LEB Oro, making Menorca host basketball second division matches after a decade, and in their first LEB Oro season, the team finished 12th.
Notable residents
*
Juan Ramis
Juan Ramis y Ramis (27 April 1746 – 12 February 1819) was a lawyer, writer and historian from Menorca, Balearic Islands.
Biography
Ramis y Ramis was born and died in Mahón. He was the son of Bartolomé Ramis y Serra and Caternia Ramis y Ca ...
, lawyer and historian (1746–1819)
*
Pasqual Calbó i Caldés, painter (1752–1816)
*
Mathieu Orfila, toxicologist (1787–1853)
*
Orestes Araújo, Uruguayan historian and educator (1853–1915)
*
José María Martín Domingo, composer and musician (1889–1961)
*
Francesc de Borja Moll i Casasnovas, linguist and philologist (1903–1991)
*
Sergio Llull, basketball player at Real Madrid (born 1987)
Climate
Mahón/Menorca has a
Hot-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: Csa) with mild, somewhat humid winters and dry, hot summers. Autumn is the wettest season and heavy rain is not rare during October and November.
Other
Municipality of Mahon in Menorca
At , there is a large military
Wullenweber antenna for radio direction finding.
Twin towns
*
Cervia
Cervia () is a seaside resort town in the province of Ravenna, located in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.
Cervia is a major seaside resort in Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Its population was 28,983 at the 2023 census. It is mainly ...
, Italy
See also
*
List of deepest natural harbours
This article presents a non-exhaustive list of the world’s deepest natural harbours. Often formed by flooded estuary, estuaries, ria, rias, fjords, or coastal basins, natural harbours are valued for their protection from ocean swell, deep Navi ...
References
External links
*
* : walking tour Maó
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahon
Mediterranean port cities and towns in Spain
Municipalities in Menorca
Phoenician colonies in Spain
Populated places in Menorca