Alcazaba

An alcazaba (Spanish: [alkaˈθaβa], Galician: [alkaˈθaβa]), alcáçova (Portuguese: [ɐɫˈkasuvɐ]) or alcassaba (Catalan: [əɫkəˈsaβə]) is a Moorish fortification in Spain and Portugal. The word derives from the Arabic word القصبة (al-qasbah), a walled-fortification in a city.

According to architect restorer, Leopoldo Torres Balbás, the Alcazaba of Málaga is the prototype of military architecture in the Taifa period, with its double walled and many fortifications. Its only parallel is the castle of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria.

Alcazabas also are present in Almería, Antequera, Badajoz, Guadix, Mérida, Molina de Aragón, Alcalá la Real and Granada, which is the oldest section of the Alhambra palace.

The word alcazaba should not be confused with alcázar (Spanish) and alcácer (Portuguese), which have their etymology in the Arabic al-qasr, which in turn derives from the Latin 'castrum', and denotes a fort or castle.

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Alcazaba of Badajoz

The Alcazaba of Badajoz is an ancient Moorish citadel in Badajoz, Extremadura, western Spain. The alcazaba as it now appears was built by the Almohads in the 12th century, although it probably existed from the 9th century, when Badajoz was founded. In the 11th and 12th centuries it was the residence of the rulers of the taifa of Badajoz.

It was declared a national monument of Spain in 1931.

History

Badajoz was founded by Abd-al Rahman Ibn Marwan in 875. After he had led several rebellions, he was expelled by Mérida but was given the chance to found a new city. Here, on a hill commanding the new city, he built a large citadel which granted Badajoz a strategic role in controlling the passage from Portugal to central Iberia.

The current line of walls date mostly from the Almohad age, although there are traces of earlier work from 913 and 1030; in 1169 the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf rebuilt the fortress, giving it its current appearance. The last Muslim restoration was carried on by Abu Yahya ibn Abi Sinan in the 13th century, few years before the capture of the city by the Christian King Alfonso IX of Castile.

Alcazaba of Mérida

The Alcazaba is a 9th-century Muslim fortification in Mérida, Spain. Like other historical edifices in the city, it is part of the UNESCO Heritage List.

Located near the Roman bridge over the Guadiana river, the Puente Romano, it was built by emir Abd ar-Rahman II of Córdoba in 835 to command the city, which had rebelled in 805. It was the first Muslim alcazaba, and includes a big squared line of walls, every side measuring 130 metres in length, 10 m of height and 2.7 m thickness, built re-using Roman walls and Roman-Visigothic edifices in granite. The walls include 25 towers with quadrangular base, which also served as counterforts. Inside is an aljibe, a rainwater tank including a cistern to collect and filter water from the river.

The Alcazaba is accessed from the Puente Romano through a small enclosure, traditionally known Alcarazejo. This was used to check the traffic of pedestrians and goods to the city. Annexed is the military area, whose gate is flanked by two towers; over the horseshoe-shaped arc is an inscription celebrating Abd ar-Rahman patronage of the work.