Neanderthal man lived in
cave complexes near Malaga many thousands
of years ago, this archaeology tells us.
As time went on populace increased, &
by the time the Bronze Age dawned human
presence throughout the Costa was widespread.
Malaga itself took rather longer to emerge.
The city was founded over 3000 years ago
by Phoenician traders, though then called
Malaca (probably originating from the word
Malac - to salt). In fact they used the
harbour area as a centre for salting fish.
The fortress overlooking the city was also
(originally) built by the Phoenicians &
beneath it a collection of pottery &
other remnants are on display.
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In the 6th century BC the Phoenicians were replaced
by the Greeks, who held the city for just 70 years
until conquered by the Carthaginians. They of
course were to be embroiled in the Punic wars
(ending in 202BC) which saw them expelled from
Malaga by the Romans, & eventually the entire
peninsular (Spain).
Under Roman rule the city was renamed Flavia
Malacita. Malaga quickly grew in importance, becoming
a major colony, which in turn led to the Romanisation
of the surrounding lands. Aqueducts, bath houses,
temples, fortifications & government structures
were built in & around the city, as well as
farther along the coastline. In fact Julius Caesar
himself was once a governor of Hispania Ulterior
(the south & west of Spain) & is said
to have spent time here.
By 476 AD the Roman Empire was in decline &
Malaga was affected by large migrations &
settlements of Germanic tribes. First the Vandals,
Alani & Suevi peoples took power; though quickly
followed by the Visigoths, who went on to conquer
much of Spain.
The Moors (Arabs) brought about the next major
change in the history of Malaga, & indeed
much of southern Spain. In the 8th century AD
they invaded the region after defeating a Hispanic-Visigoth
army. Malaga then became the main port for the
kingdom of Granada & the entire region was
named Al-Andalus. Much progress was made during
the years of Islamic rule. They brought with them
advances in art & architecture. Also imported
were oranges, palms & rice, in addition to
the irrigation techniques needed to transform
the arid landscape into fertile agricultural land.
Some of Malaga's most beautiful buildings &
monuments were left behind by the Moors; such
as the Alcazaba, & the La Puerta de Atarazanas
gate (now the entrance to the central market).
Though the Moors held key areas in the South
of Spain for a considerable length of time, the
seats of power in the rest of the country were
increasingly taken by Catholic kings. As time
passed the Moors were tolerated less & less
& before long the situation descended into
hostilities. The first attempts at the conquest
of Malaga took place in the 14th century, but
it was not until August of 1487 that the city
was finally overthrown. Much change took place;
the first town square was built (constitution
square), the convents of Trinidad & Victoria
were founded, & many of the remaining Moors
were compulsorily converted to Christianity.
A period of optimism was followed by a downturn
in Malaga's fortunes. The 16th & 17th centuries
were plagued by epidemics & bad harvests,
in addition to economical crisis as a result of
the expulsion of the Moors. Little was to change
(save the building of the cathedral) until the
20th century, which after a slow start was to
change the city more than ever. Post war Europe
demanded entertaining & this brought many
celebrities to the Costa del Sol. This was quickly
followed by a budding package tourism industry,
focusing in the main on Torremolinos. With its
international airport Malaga was to be the gateway
for any travel to the region, & as a result
it prospered. Quite how much it would prosper
was unforeseeable; today it is Spain's 5th most
important city & much of it built with the
income from the tourist industry.
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