Situated on the bay of the same name Almeria is a luminous city,
whose origins go back a long way into the past. Presided over by
its impressive castle, uneven in appearance, from its battlemented
parapets there is an extraordinary panoramic view of the city and
the port. At the feet of the castle is the most typical district:
La Chanca with its colourful and picturesque houses.
Almeria is a city that faces the sea, and for this reason the port
forms part of the city in its physiognomy and its daily life. Within
the port, the mineral landing pier, known as "El Cable"
is especially interesting.
In the centre, the Cathedral, built as a fortress to protect the
city from pirate attacks, has an interesting interior.
Furthermore you can visit the Malecon Gardens (Jardines del Malecón),
the district of Muelle de S. Pedro, Puerta de Purchena square, the
old Square (Plaza Vieja) or the Virgin of the Sea Square (Plaza
de la Virgen del Mar).
Almeria also has good beaches for enjoying the sun and part of
its AREA is included in the Natural Beauty Spot Sierra de Alhamilla
Natural Beauty Spot, a place of great ecological and scenic interest
due to its abundant vegetation (consisting of a well-preserved holm
oak wood and replanted pine woods) and for its ornithological importance.
Historical Notes
Although it has been inhabited since prehistoric times, the Millares
and Argar cultures evolved and it was occupied by Phoenicians, Carthaginians
and Romans. The current settlement of the town and its moment of
greatest splendour both came about during the Al-Andalus period.
Al-Mariya Bayyana, origins of the current town, was a maritime suburb
of Pechina. It became the first Al-Andalus port and a naval base
for the Caliphate of Cordoba in the times of Abderramán III.
With the downfall of the Caliphate of Cordoba it became the capital
of one of the most important "taifa" kingdoms. Its textile
industry had more than 10,000 textile mills in which the richest
silks, velvets, damasks and brocades were made. In 1147 Alfonso
VII siezed and destroyed the town as it represented his greatest
competition in the commerce of the Mediterranean. It returned thereafter
to Moslem hands. Jaime II of Aragon tried to take the town again
in 1309. The definitive conquest was carried out in 1489 by the
Catholic Monarchs.
In the XVI century, it suffered a series of earthquakes in 1512,
1522 and 1550, as well as continued attacks from Berber pirates
who occupied the castle.
In the XIX century it continued to belong to the kingdom of Granada
until the year 1833 when Spain was reorganized into provinces. Almeria
became the capital of the province of the same name.
Foreign working of its mines gave Almeria a considerable push but
this was curbed with the withdrawal of the operating company at
the first signs of trouble with the commercialization of its products.
Nowadays, (its economy is based on tourism and greenhouse crops)
it is the winter orchard of Europe. Also in recent years, there
has been an increase in the demand and quality of craftwork products
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