On the night of September 1, 1535, the navy of the
Ottoman Empire entered the
port of Mahón camouflaged as imperial ships returning from the
conquest of Tunis. The Franciscan friars Bartomeu Genestar and Francesc Coll went to receive the boats, believing they were imperial ships. Upon realizing that it was the Turks who were coming again, they gave notice to the population, which closed the city walls and began to prepare for battle. Seeing Barbarossa disembark his 2,500 men and begin to besiege the town, the population sent a warning of the danger to the governor in Ciutadella (the capital of Menorca at the time), who immediately gathered the knights and formed a relief column which headed quickly towards Mahón, recruiting additional reinforcements along the way. On September 3, the column of 300 men came into contact with the Ottoman troops, who, far superior in number, annihilated it, killing the governor and 100 of his knights. The failure of the relief column undermined the morale of the besieged population, and when the wall was partially destroyed, the leaders of Mahón contacted Barbarossa to discuss the terms of surrender. On the evening of September 4, they agreed to a surrender of the city, on the condition that in the plundering of the city the leaders and their houses would be respected. The following night was hellish for Mahón, with the death of the Franciscans and other civilians in addition to rapes, fires, depredations, and the capture of 600 prisoners who were never heard from again. Meanwhile, the leaders of the city took refuge in Binimaimut. == Consequences ==