Phoenicians and Carthaginians – the founding
The history of Ibiza as a settlement begins around 654 BC, when Phoenician sailors founded a trading post on the island. Soon after, the Carthaginians took control. Ibiza – then Ibossim – became an important trading center in the western Mediterranean. From this period also comes the necropolis of Puig des Molins, one of the best-preserved Punic burial sites in the world.
Romans and Late Antiquity
After the Punic Wars, the island came under the influence of Rome. As Ebusus , it retained a certain degree of independence for a long time and benefited from trade in salt, wool and the famous purple dye. Salt from the salt pans in the south of the island is still an economic and landscape legacy of this era today.
Moors and the Catalan conquest
From the early 10th century onward, Ibiza belonged to the Moorish realm. This period left behind irrigation techniques and place names that continue to shape the island’s landscape today. 1235 was conquered and Christianized by Catalan troops – the Catalan language (on the Pityuses as eivissenc) and culture became firmly established.
Fortified city of Dalt Vila & UNESCO World Heritage Site
In the 16th century, the Spanish Crown had the mighty Renaissance fortress wall around the old town Dalt Vila built because of the threat from pirates. This fortification is considered one of the best preserved of its kind in the Mediterranean. 1999 the UNESCO declared Dalt Vila together with the necropolis of Puig des Molins and the Posidonia seagrass meadows a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site.
Hippies, club culture and the present
In the 1960s and 1970s dropouts and the hippie movement discovered Ibiza as a place of longing – an era that still lives on today in hippie markets such as Las Dalias and the Adlib fashion . From this free-spirited way of life grew the world-famous club culture. Today, Ibiza combines this heritage with tourism, nature conservation and Mediterranean tradition.
❓ Häufige Fragen
Who founded Ibiza?+
The island was settled by the Phoenicians around 654 BC and developed into an important trading center under the Carthaginians.
Why is Dalt Vila a UNESCO World Heritage Site?+
The fortified city of Dalt Vila is one of the best-preserved Renaissance fortifications in the Mediterranean. In 1999, it was awarded UNESCO status together with the Punic necropolis of Puig des Molins and the Posidonia seagrass meadows.
Since when has Ibiza been known for its club culture?+
Out of the hippie movement of the 1960s/70s, the world-famous club scene developed from the 1980s onwards, for which the island is now known internationally.