![]() ![]() Velez was conquered by the Christians in 1487. Granada fell to Christian rule in 1492, five years after the capture of Velez-Malaga. It was not until the union of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile (the Catholic Monarchs) in 1469 unified the two larger portions of Spain that the Nasrid Kingdom would fall. These forces slowly began to gain momentum, and Alfonso VII of Castile and a coalition of Christian Kings forced the Moors out of central Iberia with the Portuguese Reconquista ending in 1249. Centuries before, in the north and west of the area, forces had gathered behind the Christian leaders and the small Kingdom of Asturias launched the Reconquista to reclaim the land in the name of Christianity. The Nasrid kingdom was the last Muslim stronghold to be conquered in the Iberian Peninsula. The Reconquista’s conquest of the Nasrid kingdom had begun. While the rulers fought amongst themselves the Christian forces took advantage of a divided and vulnerable people, captured Moorish strongholds and slowly turned the Emirs against one another. The ReconquistaĪt the start of the 15th century, however, civil war was beginning to weaken Nasrid rule over the throne of Granada. Granada sat at the helm of a successful kingdom and the Moorish princes built the spectacular Alhambra building. It was not just Velez that enjoyed peace and prosperity during this period. The neighbourhoods of San Francisco, San Sebastian and the Plaza de la Constitucion were born. Living outside the walls was a calculated risk for the opportunities that the town afforded at the time. Velez’s old town sprang up in this time as people arrived in droves to take advantage of this prosperity. Velez-Malaga grew and reached its prosperous peak in the period up to the 15th century, becoming one of the most important settlements in the Moorish Nasrid kingdom, defending the trade route between the capital of Granada and the coast. The Moors brought with them their skilled approach to irrigation, and this knowledge was used around Velez to grow abundant varieties of fruits and vegetables. The fortress, and the medina that sprung up around it, proved a popular spot due to its enviable position on the fertile river valley of the Rio Velez. The fort was a display of power designed to quickly nip any uprisings or rebellions from the conquered locals in the bud. The lofty position of the fort offered a great military view point and the location also made the fort incredibly imposing on local life always visible to any who might have been plotting against the rulers. Velez was initially conceived in the 10th century when the Moors built the Alcazaba fortress on a popular trade route between Granada and Malaga. It was during this period that the recognisable roots of ‘modern’ Velez-Malaga sprung up. At one point it was thought that 70% of the country practised Islam, and even after they were forced out of the area the influence on language and cuisine has remained. They successfully ruled for several centuries and their language, religion and cuisine was adopted into everyday life. The term ‘Moors’ refers to the original Arabic and Berber people of North Africa and is now used to refer to the entire culture that dominated the peninsula until the 15th century.Īfter an eight-year struggle the Moors held most of the Iberian Peninsula under their control, introducing and imposing their culture and ways of life on the existing peoples. The Moors crossed the straights of Gibraltar in the early 700s with the aim of conquering an Iberian Peninsula made up of modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and parts of southern France. Later the Romans occupied the area and prospered with agriculture, fishing and commercial activity stemming from the production of Garum, a fermented fish sauce which was essential in ancient Roman, Greek and Byzantium cuisines. With access to well-trodden mountain passes and close proximity to the sea they quickly developed trade routes with the local community. ![]() ![]() The area surrounding Velez-Malaga has been incredibly important throughout history with the Phoenicians settling on the coast as early as the 8th century BC. To the Phoenicians it was ‘Toscanos’, to the Moors ‘Ballix-Malaca’ and to the Catholic Kings a vital piece in the jigsaw of the reconquest… Location is Everything Velez-Malaga’s history is a long and proud one. ![]()
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