Yahia Ben Bakr

Yahia Ben Bakr was an important Mozarab (Iberian Christian living under Muslim domination) figure in Medieval Portugal.

Yahia Ben Bakr was of Jewish descent, the son of a Bakr Ben Yahia (not to be confused with Yahia Ben Bakr's son, also called Bakr Ben Yahia). He was related to or a descendant (possibly a grandson) of Yahia Ben Yahi III, a Sephardi Jew. Yahia Ben Yahi III had been entrusted by King Afonso I of Portugal with the post of supervisor of tax collection. He was also nominated the first Chief-Rabbi of Portugal. At some point, some of Yahia Ben Yahi III's descendants seem to have converted to Christianity.

Yahia Ben Bakr was succeeded in office by his son, Bakr Ben Yahia. Both Ben Bakr and Ben Yahia held political office and executed important construction in the city of Faro. They are credited with constructing the actual city walls, as well as the iron gates around the perimeter of the city. It is during this time that they brought the image of Mary as it is stated in the songs by King Alfonso X of Castile. It is believed that during this period the city adopted the name of Santa Maria de Ocidente (English :Holy Mary of the West), or simply Santa Maria.

Bakr Ben Yahia's son and Yahia Ben Bakr's grandson, Aloandro Ben Bekar, Governor of Faro, lived to see his daughter Madragana become a mistress to king Afonso III of Portugal. She was the ancestor, among many others, of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (daughter of Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen), queen consort of George III of the United Kingdom. By this union she became the grandmother of Queen Victoria, and the great-great-great-great grandmother of the current Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II).

==Yahia Ben Bakr's family tree==