The Alcazaba

The Alcazaba, in Malaga

The Alcazaba is one of the most emblematic jewels of Malaga, a majestic Moorish citadel of the eleventh century, one of the best preserved fortresses of Spain. The Malaga audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this palace-fortress at once a princely residence and a military bastion, standing on the heights and offering a superb view over the town and the sea.

The citadel of the governors of Al-Andalus

Difficult to imagine a better gateway into the history of Malaga than this majestic Alcazaba, one of the most emblematic jewels of the town. Erected between 1057 and 1063 on the ruins of a former Roman fortification, this citadel, that is the meaning of the word alcazaba, of Arab origin, was at once a princely residence and a military bastion. It sheltered the Muslim governors, notably Berbers, who then reigned over Al-Andalus. Perfectly integrated into the steep relief of the Gibralfaro mount, it dominates the town and the sea in a strategic position, conceived to watch and repel the eventual assaults coming from the open sea or from the interior of the lands. The whole impresses by the robustness of its walls and by its complex defensive system, with its double walls, its bent gates, its towers and its chicanes designed to slow the attacker. But the Alcazaba was not only a fortress: inside hides a true palace, organised around flowered patios, terraced gardens, ponds and fountains, in the refined tradition of Hispano-Moorish art, that announces the Alhambra of Granada. You admire there horseshoe arches, chiselled stuccos and azulejos, in an atmosphere of gentleness and freshness. From its ramparts, the view embraces the roofs of the centre, the Roman theatre below, the port and the Mediterranean. A Moorish fortress and a palace of gardens, the Alcazaba is a fine stop of the discovery of Malaga.

What to see

Here you discover one of the best preserved Moorish fortresses of Spain, erected between 1057 and 1063 on Roman ruins, at once a princely residence and a military bastion of the governors of Al-Andalus; you admire its double walls, its bent gates and its towers, but also its palace with flowered patios, gardens, ponds and horseshoe arches, in the Hispano-Moorish tradition, with a superb view over the town and the sea. The Alcazaba is a jewel of Malaga. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Alcazaba lies on the heights of the historic centre of Malaga, above the Roman theatre, on the slopes of the Gibralfaro mount, reachable on foot by a climb. It follows its own days and opening hours, variable according to the season, and entry is generally subject to a fee. It is best to plan good shoes and to enquire before coming.

What is the Alcazaba of Malaga?

A majestic Moorish citadel erected between 1057 and 1063 on Roman ruins, at once a princely residence and a military bastion of the governors of Al-Andalus, and one of the best preserved fortresses of Spain; it shelters, behind its double walls and its towers, a palace with flowered patios, gardens and fountains of Hispano-Moorish art, with a superb view over the town and the sea.

Where is the Alcazaba in Malaga?

On the heights of the historic centre of Malaga, above the Roman theatre, on the slopes of the Gibralfaro mount, in Spain.