Alcazaba

I finally visited the local castle here, it was about time! Funny, my roommate didn’t even know that there was a castle here. I don’t know how you couldn’t, it’s HUGE! The biggest tourist attraction of Almeria. I think she watches just a little too much TV…I think the people here take all the castles and old buildings (tons) for granted because they are so common.

Almeria still isn’t very touristy like other cities in Spain. Probably because it’s in the very corner, not very pretty, not much to see, etc. It’s just not as popular. There is more of a Moroccan influence here than European. I wasn’t excited when I first got here, but it grows on you. I now consider it my home and actually really like it! There’s so much to explore.

Oh right, the alcazaba…It’s a really cool castle! I think way more so than the one in Má laga that I saw. It is situated above the city on the hill so you can look out and see the city and harbor. For you history buffs…it was originally founded by the Moors in the year 955 (imagine that!) until taken over by the Catholic monarchs, who built and added more to the structure. Under the protection of this massive fortress, Almería became the most important port and market in Andalucía, or Southern Spain. Merchants and travellers from Egypt, Syria, France, and Italy frequented the port and brought a lot of revenue to the city.

The castle itself has three different parts and there is a mosque, underground water cisterns, baths, etc. They are still working on under covering much of it as the picture shows where they are digging.

There is a small valley that dips down where a wall follows until the top of the opposite hill. There is also a big statue of Christ there as well. Here is a close-up.

Here are some pictures of the city from the view of the castle, which is the opposite side of the city from where I live. I live in a nicer area. Can you see the big passenger ship docked in the port ready to leave for Morocco?

When I was leaving, there was a bride and groom taking their wedding pictures with the castle in the background. The bride’s dress was gorgeous, of course, and the groom was wearing a purely gold suit! Cool! Imagine this picture with a bride and groom in the foreground…