Alcazaba Malaga Spain

What is the Alcazaba of Malaga?

Málaga´s vast Alcazaba was built between the 8th and 11th centuries on the site of a Roman town. The two are curiously juxtaposted with the Roman amphitheatre discovered in 1951, just outside the entrance. The remains of the roman walls can be seen, but the real attraction is the Museo Arqueológico, housing collections of Phoenician Roaman and Moorish artifacts including fine ceramics. The palace was built in the 14th century by Muslims. This fortress and palace are built within the Malaga city walls. At the edge of the fortress is a castle, named "Castillo Gibralfaro", connected to the Alzacaba by a passageway.

There are spectaculair views over the old town, the port and the Málaga bullring.

Where is it?

The Alcazaba is located on the mountain Gibralfaro to which it thanks its name: El Alcazaba de Gibralfaro

For further information about prices and opening hours:

Address
The Alcazaba in Malaga
C / Alcazabilla, s / n
29015 Malaga Andalusia

Tel: 0034 952 22 72 30
Fax: 0034 952 22 72 30

Prices:

• Normal: 2,10 Euro
• Combined visit Alcazaba-Gibralfaro: 3,45 Euro
• Less: 0,60 euro.
  (Prices lowered: Malaga inhabitants, kinderen from 6 to 16, at school or with a sturdent card, pensioners, large families and cat. General MALAGACARD card users.). Free tour every Sunday from 14.00 hours till closing.
  

Openings hours:

Summer times from 9.30 to 20.00 hours.
Winter times from 8:30 to 19:00 hours.
Closed: Mondays, 1 January, 28 February and 25 December.
(The change from Summer to Winter times and vice versa coincides with the official change of the summer and winter times.)

(Openings times and prices from : Malaga Turismo )

History

The Alcazaba was the first residence of the Islamic kings, built by Islamic king Badi in 1057. After the Malaga conquest by the Catholic Kings the Alcazaba was no longer used and due to the erosion sensitive materials used the building soon deteriorated. About 200 years later inhabitants started to build houses within the walls of the Alcazaba which turned into a neighborhood of almost 500 inhabitants.

The Alcazaba has a straight structure and is formed by towers, gardens, mosques and other buildings.

In 1934 the first archeological diggings were done excavating hidden parts such as "the rooms of Granada". In the same year renovation works were started.

Description:

De Alcazaba of Malaga is an essential element of the cultural and touristic inheritance of the city.
The Puerta de las Bóvedas is the entrance, after entering you need to pass through a small labyrinth of hallways and walls to the "Puerta de las Columnas." This gate thanks its name to the material used from the Roman Theater located on the edge of the mountain of Gibralfaro.

The "Arco del Cristo", Arc of Christ, is the "real" entrance to the fortress. Before reaching it you need to change direction 4 times and go through 5 gates. The Alcazaba was built this way in order to protect it from intruders.

After the "Arco de Cristo" gates we reach the Weapons Square (Plaza de las Armas) mostly likely used to store weapons used for protection from sea attacks.
After the "Puerta de los Arcos", we pass the second wall and enter the 2nd square: The palace from the XI century and the former palaces from the Islamic government.
After climbing the stairs we reach an area with gardens. From there you can go to the Nazarí Palace (on the foot of the Gibralfaro mountain) dating from 1940, and built on a mountain of ruins, formed by rooms and courtyards.