The History of Ibiza

A human presence on Ibiza has been proved as far back as 4860BC from animal skeletons, the animals being brought to the island by Neolithic man and settlements have also been discovered dating back 3000 years, through archaeological diggings, it would seem that all throughout history, people have been discovering and moving to Ibiza.

The Carthaginians arrived on the island in 654BC, claiming it as their own and naming it Ibossim. They were merchants and traders and Ibiza grew into an important trading centre, salt from the Salinas, constructed by the Carthaginians, being the most important commodity.

They also used Ibiza as their burial ground and large amounts of Punic artefacts have been found in the graves at Puig des Molins in Ibiza town. The Carthaginian goddess Tanit became the goddess of Ibiza and her image is still in incorporated in ceramics and artwork today.

The Romans conquered the Balearic Islands in 123BC. A reminder of their presence is still seen in the Roman bridge which forms the entrance to Santa Eulalia town and the Roman statues at the entrance to Dalt Vila, the old town in Ibiza.

After the Romans came a succession of invaders such as the Vandals, Barbarians and the Byzantines. In the 9th Century AD the Arabs invaded, renaming the island Yebisah and settling there for nearly 500 years. There was a period of economic growth, the basis of which was formed by salt, agriculture and fishing.

Traces of their influence can still been seen in the house styles, traditional costumes and the island dialect, Ibicenco. In 1235AD the Catalans invaded and Arab rule came to an end. They tore down the mosque that the Arabs had built on the hill overlooking Ibiza town and replaced it with the cathedral that is still there today. They renamed the villages with the names of Christian saints and constructed more churches around the island.

During the subsequent centuries the Catalans rather left the islands alone and the inhabitants had to build defences to protect themselves against the constant attacks made by pirates. These defences can still be seen today-the wall of Ibiza town and the towers around the coast of the island, which were used as lookout posts. When pirates were sighted out at sea fire was lit on the tower which could be seen by the next tower and so on forming a warning chain which alerted the whole island to possible attack.

Today sees another kind of invasion - holidaymakers. Approximately 2 million people descend on Ibiza every year and the tourist industry is worth E710 million every year. Initiated in the 1950s, when mass tourism took off, and continuing through the 1960s with the development of hotels and the influx of people seeking an alternative lifestyle.

In the 1970s the big nightclubs were established and Ibiza’s reputation as the party capital of the world has continued to the present day, and with the more recent advent of VIP culture the island is fast shedding the low-end reputation (San Antonio) and becoming a millionaire's playground (Cala Jondal - Blue marlin etc) and with property prices to match

The island is also one of Europe's prime destinations for getting married abroad, indeed weddings in Ibiza are becoming highly fashionable, and surprisingly good value when compared to the cost of a dreary grey wedding in the UK. For example it is possible to book a traditional style wedding venue in Ibiza for a few thousand Euros, often way less than a dingy pub hall in England.

Despite all this activity around them, many Ibicencans still continue their sedate lives, working in offices and shops or on the land. It is not unusual to see the older payesas (female peasant farmers) dressed in the traditional long , black dresses, sitting at their front doors and chatting with their neighbours or working the land with their husbands as their ancestors did before them.They smile to themselves at the frenetic pace of the visitors, with that "seen it all before a thousand times" look and just continue on with their own island life as they have for hundreds of years.