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Home > Travel Spain > Spain Destinations > Almeria
Almeria
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is one of the oldest inhabited regions on the planet. It is a country that is located in Southern Europe, politically organized as a parliamentary monarchy. It is the largest of the three sovereign nations that make up the Iberian Peninsula. Administratively, Spain is divided into 50 provinces, grouped into 17 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities with high degree of autonomy. The name Spain comes from the Latin name Hispania whose capital and largest city is Madrid.
Almeria is the capital of the province of Almeria in Spain. It is located in southeastern Spain on the Mediterranean Sea and all its area is an important Mediterranean resort. The name Almeria stems from al-Meraya, in Arabic, the watchtower, because of its magnificent Moorish castle, Alcazaba among the Muslim fortresses of Andalusia, only Alhambra is larger. The City was founded by Abd ar-Rahman III of Cordoba in 955 A.D. as a principal harbor in his extensive domain, to strengthen his Mediterranean defenses against the Fatimid caliphate in Tunisia. In this period, the port city of Almeria reached its historical peak, continuing, after the fragmentation of the Caliphate of Cordoba, under powerful local Muslim taifa emirs like Jairan, the first independent Emir of Almeria and Cartagena and Almotacin the poet emir, both fearless warriors but also patrons of the arts.
A silk industry, based upon plantings of mulberry trees in the hot dry landscape supported Almeria in the 11th century and made its strategic harbour an even more valuable prize. On that occasion Alfonso VII, at the head of mixed forces of Catalans, Genoese, Pisans and Franks led a crusade against the rich city and Almeria was occupied in October 1147. Within a decade it had passed to the control of the puritanical Almoravid emirs and though its glorious culture was diminished, not until the late 15th century did it fall permanently into Christian hands, surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, December 26, 1489.
Almeria is also known as the town of best geographical environment and has traced its origins back to prehistoric times. Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and can also enjoy its natural beauty concealed by the beautiful landscapes.
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