Villa Ciscarejo Country house between orange groves in Gádor (Almería)

It is believed that before the existence of what we know today as the Alcazaba, there was a citadel on the same hill, dating from the mid-9th century and intended to defend the suburbs from the Normans between 840 and 861.15 It was designed as a defensive structure within the city of Almería, just north of the historic center. A citadel is a multi-level fortress that usually occupies an entire hilltop. There are walls with defensive towers, streets, houses, and a mosque.
In 955, Abderramán III granted Almería the status of a medina. At this time, construction of the Alcazaba began. The main mosque was also built, the remains of which can be seen in the Church of San Juan and the walls surrounding the city. The Alcazaba was both a military fortress and the seat of government. From this spot, you can see the city and the sea. The entire complex was perfected and expanded under Almanzor and later reached its greatest splendor between 1012 and 1028 under Jairán, the first king of the Taifa of Almería.
The entrance is located on Almanzor Street, parallel to the wall, and leads via a zigzag staircase surrounded by vegetation to the first area of ​​the castle behind the Puerta de la Justicia (Gate of Justice).

First area

It is a large square, corresponding to a former military camp and refuge for the population in the event of a siege, divided into two quarters, as well as a small cemetery. There were good cisterns (aljibes), one of which can be seen today in excavated ruins, and one of the wells used to raise water 70 meters high. The entrance is through the so-called Torre de los Espejos (Mirror Tower), which houses the Puerta de la Justicia. According to tradition, this tower contained a system of mirrors whose function was to signal ships arriving at the port, wait for a response, and thus detect enemies. At the easternmost end is the Baluarte del Saliente, which now houses the monument's offices.

Around 1522, an earthquake destroyed large parts of the city and left severe damage in this area. Although the use of this site is known, its original appearance is completely unknown, as no documents or images have been found describing the interior layout of the original complex. For this reason, during the restoration of the Alcazaba, it was decided to create a series of gardens and ornamental features modeled on the Alhambra in Granada. The paved floors, the small canals that flow with the water through the uneven terrain, the hedges, the small fountains, and the trees are all elements whose original location is unknown, but which enhance the visit.

Muro de la Vela (Candle Wall) The Vela Wall separates the first area from the second, although access is from the latter. Its name comes from the fact that the Candle Bell (Campana de la Vela) stood there, which announced various events as they occurred: ships entering the bay, danger, fire, etc. Its construction was commissioned by King Charles III. The bell rallied the fortress's defenders with its ringing. At other times, it was used to mark the irrigation time, as a curfew, and to signal the closing of the gates in the walls and the departure of patrols. It could also be heard on stormy nights. It is protected by a cross and has a name: Santa María la Mayor (all bells have a proper name).

Second area

It was the residence of rulers, guards, and servants. It was actually a palatial city with buildings such as a mosque, a house, baths, cisterns, shops, etc. There are also military baths, modeled on Roman baths. Due to the earthquakes that devastated the province in modern times, few remains have survived, but it offers a large archaeological site that is still being studied today. Today, visitors can visit the cistern, the Muro de la Vela, and the Hermitage of San Juan, an old mosque rebuilt by the Catholic Monarchs. The military baths and two replicas of original houses, rebuilt from their ruins in the 1960s and housing exhibitions of objects from that period, have been ongoing since 2020. Archaeological excavations in the second area, led by the MEMOLab of the University of Granada, have resumed.

Hermitage of San Juan It was built between 1490 and 1523 and is currently used as a small auditorium.
Mirador de la Odalisca In the second area, a wall corresponding to the 11th-century palace of Almotacin still survives on the north side, with two openings onto the La Hoya ravine. There is a legend related to this place. Before this site fell into disrepair, this was Almotacin's residence, where he maintained a harem. One night, the king had to wait while he waited for his favorite concubine, named Galiana. In fact, she had come to free a Christian prisoner who sang to her beauty every night. As he lowered himself through this window with the help of some silk scarves tied together by the odalisque, the guard appeared, and he decided to let go to avoid being captured again. He died as he reached the ground. Seeing her lover fall, the concubine began to weep on the windowsill and died of pity shortly thereafter. This story speaks of the difficulty of coexistence between the two cultures that existed in the city.

Third area

This is the most modern part of the entire complex. After the capture of Almería on December 26, 1489, the Catholic Monarchs ordered the construction of a castle in the westernmost and highest part, where a fortress had previously stood, adapted to the new military and artillery needs. Construction began in 1490 and was completed in 1534 during the reign of Charles I.29 This area, protected by three semicircular towers called the Homage, Noria, and Pólvora, and a moat, was accessible via a drawbridge. It is unknown who the architect of this section of the citadel may have been, although his design, based on similarities to other fortresses of the time, suggests that this person was in touch with Castilian and even Italian Renaissance defensive architecture.
The interior is organized around the parade ground, dominated by the keep. The Windmill Tower and the Powder Tower are noteworthy. In the center of the courtyard are a rectangular cistern and a bell-shaped silo, which also served as a dungeon in the past. The ashlars used to build the walls of this complex are inscribed with all sorts of symbols based on geometric figures. These were not added later, but rather carved during the process. These are the signatures of the stonemasons who worked on them, as their salary depended on the quantity of stones they could produce. This allowed the creator of each individual block to be identified. Based on these traces, it is now assumed that some of these workers also participated in the construction of the city's cathedral, as the same markings have been found. More than 25 different marks have been counted throughout the entire area.

Torre del Homnaje The Tower of Homage is the largest of all those surrounding the third area of ​​this citadel. Unlike the others, it has a square rather than a circular floor plan, reflecting its use as a residence. On the main façade, a doorframe is prepared to house the coat of arms of Charles I, although it was never placed there. The interior housed exhibitions of the Andalusian Center for Photography until November 2016, after which new exhibitions were installed, particularly on the subject of cinema.
Torre de la Pólvora The Powder Tower, located at the westernmost end of the building, was used to store explosives for the fortress's weapons. Around 1845, the city's first lightning rod was installed as a safety measure to prevent possible accidental explosions, such as the one that occurred in 1707 when lightning struck the city. For its construction, three platinum spires were used, each purchased in Paris for 25 francs, as well as an eight-meter-high spire and an evacuation tank dug into the outer hill. The final cost of the entire project was 2,766 reales de Vellón. Since the city's treasury was insufficient for such expenses, the wealthiest families in the area were asked for donations for this purpose.

Outside the Alcazaba

Wall of Jayrán The wall of Cerro de San Cristóbal, better known as the Walls of Jayrán, is the current remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the entire city and was built by Jayrán, the first king of the Taifa of Almería. Although other sections of this wall have been found in other areas of Almería, such as the nearby underground bunkers of Almería, this is the only section that has always been found in the open and has not been later discovered in a state of ruin. It was originally called Mount Laham, which means "meat" in Arabic. Almería's Catholic name dates back to the brief period the city spent under the reign of Alfonso VII. During this period, a castle dedicated to Saint Christopher was built, which is now in a state of increasing disrepair. It was built to protect the old quarter of La Musalla during the reign of Abderramán III. Built between 1012 and 1028, the wall is three meters thick and five meters high in one section and has a total of seven towers: three with a square floor plan of Arab origin and four with a circular floor plan of Christian origin, built in 1147 by order of Alfonso VII. A gate known as the Puerta de la Almudaina also remains, providing access to the Arid Zone Experimental Station (EEZA). Boulders found on the ground were reused to restore the towers, which were destroyed after the conflicts in the 12th century.
Estatua del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
This is a statue erected in 1928 on the summit of San Cristóbal Hill. It is made of marble from the town of Macael in Almería. It was demolished immediately after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and later rebuilt in 1944. It was finally restored in 2000.