In the distant year 995, here - on the cliff of San Cristobal, the construction of the alcazaba, a city defensive structure, was started.
Built by the Arabs to protect themselves from the Vikings from the north and pirates from the sea, it was destined to become the largest Moorish fortress in the Pyrenees.
The watchtowers of the fortress, in Arabic "al-mariyat", they say, even formed the basis for the name of the city where the alcazab is located and Almería is located.
Here, by the way, and the town itself at the foot of the fortress.
It seems that the walls are carved straight out of the cliff rock.
As I said, the fortress was built by Muslims - during the rule of various caliphates.
At the same time, the city - an important port and strategic object - was once owned by the Romans and Phoenicians and Carthaginians.
Despite the terrible heat, everything around the building is blooming.
The fortress has several levels.
On the lower, where the military garrison used to be, the garden is now broken.
Here, in case of an attack from outside, the inhabitants of the city arrived.
To supply the fortress with water, wells were dug in the rocks, the water from which runs along the allotted paths to this day.
Unfortunately, there are no historical documents describing the first tier.
Therefore, when the restoration was decided - just let it be beautiful)
Here and the truth so.
You're surprised that it's all over the city.
Check the size of the teeth of the fortress walls.
Along them you can go down the stairs, admiring Almeria from above.
There is no one in the city of siesta.
Everyone sleeps in cold baths.
Or bathe in the sea.
The walls are burnt by the sun almost to white color ...
We go to the next building, in which local governors - governors and their servants lived.
The wall, enclosing the guide from the inhabitants of the city ...
In the buildings located here now there is a museum with displays of finds and life of inhabitants of those times.
At different times, shedding rivers of blood, the fortress passed from hand to hand between Muslims and Catholics.
In one of these Christian periods, a bell was installed, warning of the attack.
We rise to the third - the highest level of the fortress.
It was completed already in the time of the Christian rulers, who finally won the Alcazaba in the 15th century.
The part of the wall that extends to the north is the remains of ancient walls that surrounded the whole city in ancient times.
Unfortunately, not only wars and wars destroyed the fortress.
This place - a seismically-dangerous region and periodic earthquakes destroyed buildings ..
Here are the remains of the Gothic tower, where the viceroys of the church lived.
On the belonging to the Catholics indicate the surviving coats of arms of the Spanish kings.
And even earlier, on this site there was a palace in which there was a harem of the Sultan.
Correctly - the higher, the farther from prying eyes.
Well, understandably, the matter of height - an important military advantage, than Christians and took advantage of, built here powder and wind towers, on which the artillery was placed.
Everything is open to visit. In rooms with thick walls, withstand cannon balls, incredibly steep acoustics. In some places the instruments were preserved. The fortress is interesting, spent half a day on it. But it eserves .