One of the most charming attractive cities in Spain (España) and the whole world, and an exceptional place on this earth being the Capital of Costa del Sol (Coast of the sun)...Malaga is a major tourist region known mainly for its rich architectural history, beaches, and Mediterranean cuisine. To get to know this awesome city, you have to know a lot about its old history, pass down so much and uncover it since ancient times. It was the second Largest city of Andalusia (Al Andalus in Arabic and Andalucia in Spanish) and is the sixth largest city in Spain nowadays, located at the southernmost of Europe and at the North side of the Mediterranean sea.
Malaga was named Malaka by the Phoenicians after they first colonized it in 1000 B.C. and the name of the city came probably from Malac (a Phoenician word that means 'to salt' ). After sometime since the Phoenicians settled along the Guadalhorce River , that was the fish salting center...the city became a crucial commercial center as it was very rich in metals such as silver and copper.
The Greeks came at the 6th century and settled in an area called Mainake. However, the Greek rule was ended around 550 B.C. when the city was attacked and controlled by the Carthaginians. The Phoenicians were forced to abandon all their settlements after the Carthaginians took control of the commercial industry.
The Romans drove out the Carthaginians after attacking Malaga and other territories of Spain around 218 B.C.
Roman Malaga |
During the Roman rule , this city was amongst the few cities which had adapted well to the Roman lifestyle and where christianity majorly became present.
The Visigoths tribes attacked Malaga at the beginning of the 5th century after the Western Roman Empire fell. Later , when the last of Romans left the city , the Visigoths took full control of the whole city.
However, the Visigoths were not capable of dominating for a long period of time and they finally had to leave after the Moors attacked in 711.
Al Andalus Mosque |
They called the city Malaqah and named the whole territory Al Andalus which is comprising most of what is now Spain and Portugal.
Alcazaba Fortress |
One of the very well known castles in Granada, Andalus..is Calat Alhambra (Spanish) which means the red castle and its name was derived from its real name Al Qalaah Al hamra (Arabic).
Alhambra palace in Granada |
Alhambra Granada |
Alcazaba |
During the Christian rule the Muslims faced a lot of problems with them being sold as slaves or being killed. Malaga was transformed into a Christian town with the construction of churches and other structures, while the Moorish structures were destroyed. The only exceptions were the forts of Alcazaba and Gibralfaro. The conquerors of Christianity were Isabella and Ferdinand.
The Cathedral |
The 17th and 18th centuries were the worst periods for Malaga, with epidemics, floods, and earthquakes ruining the city. The situation improved during the 19th century and the town walls built by the Moors were demolished for expansion of the town. Malaga became a rich city and an important touristic center. Structures like Theatre Cervantes (1866), Calle Marqus de Larios y la Alameda (1891) were built during this period. Even though, the century ended on a bad note with economic crisis, new plagues and inundation.
The Economic crisis continued even during the start of the 20th century and the agricultural sector suffered the most due to natural disasters. Political instability dominated this era due to the Spanish Civil War. But during General Franco’s rule, Malaga started regaining its position as an important commercial center.
It was not till the 1960’s that Malaga became famous as an important tourist center with hotels and resorts sprouting all over the city. The Costa del Sol was one of the most important regions responsible for boosting the city’s economy. Malaga has undergone significant transport infrastructure since the 1900’s to improve its roads and motorway connections to other neighbouring cities.
Today Malaga is an important commercial center and boasts of being Spain’s second largest port and its third largest international airport. It is also an important business center with a number of international conventions held throughout the year.
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