In Seville, the Almoravid army joined the troops of the Taifa kingdoms and together they marched to Extremadura where, on 23 October 1086, they faced the troops of Alfonso VI — who had to abandon the siege of Zaragoza — in the Battle of Sagrajas. Álvar Fáñez, who had been called from Valencia, came and joined the king's forces. The battle ended with the defeat of the Christian troops, who returned to Toledo to defend themselves. The Emir, however, did not take advantage of the victory since he had to rush back to Africa because of the death of his son. The defeat marked the beginning of a new era in the Iberian Peninsula that lasted about three decades, in which the military initiative was taken by the Almoravids and Alfonso VI had to remain on the defensive. Nevertheless, he was able to retain Toledo, the main target of the Almoravid attacks.