ed ▁until ▁ 1 3 4 8 ▁when ▁Ab u ▁al - Has an ▁Ali ▁ibn ▁O th man ▁was ▁over th rown ▁by ▁his ▁son ▁Ab u ▁In an ▁Far is . ▁Y us uf ▁I ▁res umed ▁host ilities ▁with ▁a ▁ra id ▁against ▁Cast ilian ▁territory . ▁This ▁gave ▁Alfonso ▁XI ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁declare ▁to ▁the ▁Cast ilian ▁Cort es ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 3 4 8 ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁march ▁against ▁Gib ral tar , ▁which ▁was ▁by ▁now ▁a ▁Mo or ish ▁enc lave ▁within ▁Cast ilian - h eld ▁territory . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁an ▁easy ▁target ; ▁the ▁town ▁had ▁been ▁substantial ly ▁ref ort ified ▁with ▁new ▁walls , ▁to wers ▁and ▁a ▁greatly ▁strength ened ▁cit adel , ▁the ▁Mo or ish ▁Castle . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁weak ness es ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁exposed ▁in ▁the ▁sie ges ▁of ▁ 1 3 3 3 , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁fort ifications ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁Gib ral tar , ▁had ▁been ▁rem ed ied . ▁ ▁Sie ge ▁and ▁pl ague ▁Alfonso ▁XI ▁launched ▁his ▁expedition ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 3 4 9 , ▁having ▁made ▁extensive ▁prepar ations ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁face ▁the ▁problems ▁that ▁had ▁do omed ▁his ▁ 1 3 3 3 ▁attempt . ▁He ▁raised ▁money ▁through ▁three ▁extraordinary ▁lev ies , ▁obtain ing ▁shares ▁of ▁ecc les iast ical ▁income ▁granted ▁by ▁the ▁Pope ▁( who ▁had ▁end ors ed ▁Alfonso ' s ▁campaign