I have always been one of those who build the house from the roof down, one of those who started reading the newspaper from the last page, one of those who peeked at the end of the book to see if the tale would be worth the journey. Thus, on this occasion, it may also be fitting to begin with a great ending: the end of Almanzor.

But for those who do not yet know him—who was Almanzor? Almanzor, Muhammad Ibn Abi Amir, known as Al-Mansur, the Victorious, was the chief dignitary of the Caliphate of Córdoba. Though he respected the hereditary rights of Caliph Hisham II, who was too young to rule, he rose to become the Caliphate’s great warrior. Proclaimed "the Victorious", he used the royal seal and was addressed as “Sire” or “Lord”; his armies called him the “noble king”. He governed all the lands of Hispania under Muslim rule and stood as the sole and undisputed lord of Al-Andalus from the year 978 until 1002. His death marked a turning point in the Muslim dominance of the Iberian Peninsula.

The route I present to you is his last—Almanzor’s path to Medinaceli, crossing the province of Soria. This trail follows the course of his retreat through the region, as traced by historians. I have endeavored to link, by unpaved roads, the villages that Almanzor and his troops are believed to have passed through.

We shall journey across the lands of Soria, retracing the steps of the Andalusian army in their final march to Medinaceli. Our aim is to connect these settlements with off-road paths, avoiding asphalt as much as possible. I invite you to join me on this historical overland adventure.

This final march of Almanzor—and our first overland route—begins in Vinuesa and continues through Molinos de Duero, Mueredra, Abejar, Cabrejas del Pinar, Muriel Viejo, Muriel de la Fuente, Calatañazor, La Muela, Nafría de la Llana, Fuentelárbol, Fuentepinilla, Andaluz, and the Fortress of Gormaz (though there is no proof Almanzor passed through it, its historical value justifies a brief detour). The route proceeds to Berlanga de Duero, Cihuela, Casillas de Berlanga, Caltojar, Bordecorex, Rello, Barahona, Romancillos de Medinaceli, Yelo, Miño de Medinaceli, and ends in Medinaceli.

In those distant times—August of the year 1002—Soria was a frontier land, the “Wild West” of the Middle Ages, a realm without clear Christian or Muslim ownership, where both communities coexisted in uneasy harmony. Every stone and path breathe history here. I urge you to walk with open eyes and open heart through this borderland and absorb its legends, stories, and silences.

On this route, we will uncover the historical and artistic charm of each village, regardless of its connection to our main character. For truth, Almanzor serves merely as a pretext—a noble one—for exploring the hidden corners of Soria’s heritage.

May this final path of Almanzor, known as the Way of the Yacija, become the first in a long list of journeys in which history and legend are the perfect excuses to traverse the roughest and most secluded trails of this ancient land we now call Spain. In time, we may come to understand—because history teaches us—that we were all, and many still are, wanderers on this earth.

Let us now offer a brief glimpse at the life of this formidable figure. On the 11th of August in the year 1002, in the village of Bordecorex, province of Soria, Kingdom of Castile and León, passed away Ibn Abi Amir Muhammad, known as Al-Mansur bi-Allah (Victorious by the Grace of God), remembered by history as Almanzor.

For over two decades, Almanzor held absolute power in Al-Andalus. He was the military commander of the Caliphate of Córdoba and served as Hayib (chief minister) to Caliph Hisham II. His influence is said to have stemmed from Subh (Aurora), wife of Caliph Al-Hakam II, a Christian Basque and mother of the future caliph—whom many sources claim was also his lover. In practice, Almanzor was the unchallenged ruler of the Caliphate.

During his rule, Almanzor launched relentless campaigns against Christian territories in the north of the Peninsula. His governance brought prosperity and stability to his subjects, earning him a lasting legacy.

Historians attribute over fifty victorious military expeditions to his name. His final campaign led him to La Rioja, where he sacked the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. In the spring of 1002, wounded and afflicted—perhaps with gout—he began his retreat southward through Soria. Hounded by Christian forces, he sought shelter in the Arab city of Medinaceli, hoping to recover.

His declining health slowed the army’s pace, allowing Christian kings to catch up. At Calatañazor, near what came to be known as the Valley of Blood, his troops were ambushed. Though gravely ill, Almanzor led his men into what would be his final battle and was mortally wounded.

That night, the Andalusian army fled toward Medinaceli, leaving their camp intact to deceive the enemy. The next morning, Christian soldiers charged again, only to find an empty, ghostly encampment.

Despite pursuing the retreating army, the Christian kings—out of respect for their noble foe—allowed Almanzor to reach Medinaceli. He was carried hidden in covered litter, and later, after passing in Bordecorex, his generals bore his body on their shoulders to Medinaceli, where he was buried.

His daughters had woven for him a linen shroud, which he always wore to battle—ever ready for death. Over his body, dust gathered from his own clothing after every campaign was sprinkled, to be buried with him. He was laid to rest in the courtyard of Medinaceli’s alcázar, beneath a stone that bore this epitaph:

"His deeds shall tell you of him,
as though you had seen him with your own eyes.
By God, the world shall never again see his like,
nor shall any defender arise to match him"

https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-todo-terreno/ruta-la-ultima-razia-de-almanzor-soria-134822808