The Citadel of Malaga.

The citadel is situated in the eastern section of the city of Malaga[1], whose port made it one of the most important commercial towns on the Mediterranean and whose architecture shows the influence of other trading cultures. In the south it is bounded by the Puerta Oscura gardens and in the west by the Calle Alcazabilla and the Plaza de la Aduana[2]. In 1065 King Badis ordered the development of the already existing defensive complex and it was further enlarged by the Nasrids. The citadel is in the shape of an elongated prism surrounded by three concentric fortified walls. The outer wall is equipped with many defensive points and it has only one gate permitting communication with the city: a long and narrow angular passage. This wall has several other gates including the Boveda Gate and the Arco del Cristo gate, which was rebuilt during the Nasrid era, but which still includes an 11^th century cupola and leads to the former gathering point for troops, today a public garden. The second wall communicates with the outer defences. Numerous bastions are built up against the ramparts. The walls were built with alternating rows of stone and brick on foundations of mortar, using a technique developed by the Byzantines, which can be found in other Muslim constructions, such as the Almonaster la Real mosque in Huelva.

Access to the central zone of the fortress, where the palatial complex is situated, can be gained through the Arco de Granada or Tunnel Gate. The palatial complex is also known as Los Quartos or the “Granada Rooms”.

These rooms, which today contain the museum, are situated around three successive courtyards with porticos on two sides. In 1934, in this part of the citadel the ruins of a magnificent edifice, in Nasrid style, from the end of the 13^th century were found. It includes interlaced nine-foiled cusped arches, with two-coloured cupola bricks. Another room from the 11^th century, which resembles rooms in the Aljaferia in Saragossa, was discovered at the same time. A small belvedere offers a beautiful view of the port and the city. It was around this royal nucleus that Badis developed the fortifications.

The garrison’s quarters were situated in the north-west extremity of the site. The quarters are made up of eight buildings, the largest of which, probably for hierarchical reasons, is situated closest to the royal quarters. This leads to suppose relatively advanced planned urbanisation, which later spread to the rest of the peninsular. The living quarters are situated around a square central courtyard, with a water basin in its centre. The upper floor of each building has been lost. Later Nasrid houses were built on more developed version of this model. 

In the east corner of the courtyard, we find the Abencerages tower (13^th – 14^th century). It is linked to the citadel by a rampart formed by the prolongation of the coracha descending from the barbican of the Giralfaro castle.

The citadel was also equipped with a Friday mosque, independent from the Great Mosque in the city, and a small hammam bathhouse.

Only a few decorative elements have survived.  Wooden ceilings have replaced the original cloister vaults. In several alleyways and houses, stucco panels remain. They are covered in red ochre and frame white painted inscriptions in Kufic script, generally praising the master of the house. Sometimes these inscriptions are decorated with flowers also painted in white. The porticos have three openings, consisting of horseshoe arches on columns in the same style as in the Great Western Salon of the Madinat al-Zahra. This style remained in use until the 14th century and can be seen in the Ambassadors’ Salon and the Moorish Kings’ Salon in Seville.

In 1487 the citadel fell to Ferdinand the Catholic. The site gradually fell into ruin until it was abandoned of all military use in 1786. From then on various habitations were built in the grounds. These were demolished between 1931 and 1945 in order to make way for archaeological excavations.

[2]In the past the Gibralfaro cemetery occupied this area. High on the hill of the same name, sits the Gibralfaro fortress, which was built under the reign of Yusuf. The fortifications employed the latest techniques of the time including a barbican that opens onto the Coracha, a long fortified passage, which leads to the citadel.