Alcazaba of Almería

About this place

The Alcazaba of Almería is a huge fortress on a hill above the city of Almería in southeast Spain, overlooking the city and the Mediterranean, about 107 km east of Granada and 412 km southeast of Madrid in a straight line. «Alcazaba» comes from the Arabic word for a walled citadel within a city. In 955 the Caliph of Córdoba, Abd ar-Rahman III, gave Almería the title of madina, or city, and work began on the citadel in its upper part. It was more than walls and towers: it held squares, houses and a mosque and was the seat of local government, watching over the city and the sea. Al-Mansur enlarged it, and later Khayran, first ruler of the independent taifa of Almería. Most finds from the site are kept in the Museum of Almería. Sand-coloured crenellated walls run along the dry hills and drop from the citadel into the next valley before climbing to San Cristóbal hill. Inside are gardens, water pools and paths between the remains of houses, and from the towers the view takes in the city's white roofs and the harbour. Allow about two hours to explore the Alcazaba's three enclosures, and go in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat. It is a short walk from the city centre.