Bakr Ben Yahia

Bakr Ben Yahia II was an important Mozarab (Iberian Christian living under Muslim domination) figure in Medieval Portugal.

Bakr Ben Yahia II was the son of Yahia Ben Bakr. Both father and son were Governors of the city of Faro in the 13th century and executed important construction there. They are credited for constructing the actual city walls, as well as the iron gates around the perimeter of the city. It is during this time that they brought the image of Mary as it is stated in the songs by King Alfonso X of Castile. It is believed that during this period the city adopted the name of "Santa Maria do Ocidente" ( _en. Holy Mary of the West), or simply "Santa Maria".

Bakr Ben Yahia's son, Aloandro Ben Bekar, Governor of Faro, would see his daughter Madragana become a mistress to king Afonso III of Portugal, and ancestor, amongst many other, of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (daughter of Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen), queen consort of George III of the United Kingdom (and grandmother of Queen Victoria, and the great-great-great-great grandmother of the current Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II).

Bakr Ben Yahia's family tree

External links

* [http://www.davidicdynasty.org/ Dedicated to uniting the Jewish descendants of King David]
* [http://www.geneall.net/P/per_page.php?id=565143 Bakr Ben Yahia's genealogy in a Portuguese Genealogical site]
* [http://www.heymannfamily.com/web/HeymannGed4Web/f_1297.html Genealogy of Yahia Ben Rabbi]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/ego/et_deo/davidicdynasty.wps.htm Genealogy of the Davidic Dynasty] or mirror site [http://www.members.aol.com/rdavidh218/davidicdynasty.html Genealogy of the Davidic Dynasty]