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Mahon

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The Irish surnames Mahon and MacMahon are not related. For the town in Ireland see Mahon, County Cork.

Municipality of Mahón

Mahón (alternately, Maó in Catalan), is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca (the Balearic Islands form an autonomous Spanish community), located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon boasts one of the deepest natural ports in the world.

The name's origin is attributed to the Carthaginian general Mago Barca, brother to Hannibal, who is thought to have taken refuge there in 205 BC.

Mahon was captured in 1287 from the Moors by Alfonso III of Aragon and incorporated into the Kingdom of Majorca, a vassal kingdom of the Kingdom of Aragon. Its harbour, one of the most strategically important in the western Mediterranean, was re-fortified.

Minorca was captured by the British during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1707, and its status as a British possession was confirmed by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. During the island's years as a British dependency in the 18th century, Mahon served as its capital and residence for the governor, the most famous being General Richard Kane (references to General Kane as "Sir" are erroneous; he was never knighted ^[1] The Bonaventura Press).

Historic centre of Mahon

Today it serves as the seat of the Island Council of Minorca (Consell Insular de Menorca).

Towards the end of the 20th century, a refurbishment of its historic centre was made possible by income from tourism.

A traditional cheese made on the island (Queso de Mahón) is named after the city. Mayonnaise is argued to have its origin and name in this Minorcan city. In Spanish mahón is also the name of nankeen, especially the blue cloth.

There is some debate over what the correct spelling of the city's name in English should be; due to the general tendency in English to ignore accents in foreign words, many dictionaries refer to the city by an adaptation (Mahon) of its Spanish name (Mahón), while many other sources vouch for using the Catalan spelling (Maó) in English-language publications.

Traditional coat of arms of Mahon

Related to this, there is controversy around the correct official toponomy: (Maó) is the proper form according to Catalan orthography and approved by local, regional and national government, but (Mahón), is preferred by some conservatist sectors. Some also prefer the old Catalan spelling (Mahó).

Mahon port's nightlife displays many different aspects- some controversial. There is the Casino Maritimo end which is very pleasant and offers a wide range of bars including Le Mar, Latitude 40, Wepi, Portobello and Mambo; further on up the port is a nice American bar, Nashville, which offers a 2L boot for the "whole hearted" people. Further up there is the "steps" as the English know it. This is where it becomes controversial; there are three main nightclubs which include Aura, Virtual and Onda, and bars such as bar Terminal, Nou Berri, Akellare. There can sometimes be clashes in the three nightclubs between different groups of customers, particularly on a Friday or Saturday night. This area is also full of drugs, and often some large gangs. But Nou Berri is a very nice bar all round; as is Akellare. Once these have closed you can either call it a night or maybe walk or get a taxi to Club Si, a very basic nightclub but very enjoyable at the same time