Menorca: Mahon

Mahon is the capital city of Menorca, known as Mao in Catalan. It sits on a high ground high above one of the world’s largest and deepest natural harbors. Some of the views are truly spectacular and panoramic – the city on a high perch! The old town is quite compact and filled with Georgian-influenced architecture (from the British occupation era), colorful colonial buildings, narrow cobbled streets, and large plazas. The city was a prized possession throughout many civilizations and its history is truly insane – settled in 2000 BC during Talayotic times, it was later prominent as Portus Magonis during the Carthaginians in the 3rd century BC, and later under Rome. Then it went through Byzantine and Vandal hands, then Muslim forces conquered it in 904 AD, then Christian reconquest happened in 1287. Ottoman armies sacked the city in 1535, and then Spanish seriously fortified it once they retook it. The 18th century went like this – British, French, Spanish, British again, and finally back to Spain. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site.