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MALAGA - SPAIN
Málaga is a port city in Andalusia, southern Spain, on the Costa del Sol
coast of the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the
same name. As of the 2003 census, the population of the city of Málaga
proper was 547,105, and the population of the entire urban area was
estimated to be 1,019,292, ranking as the fifth-largest urban area of Spain.
Malaga is surrounded by mountains, and two rivers, the Guadalmedina and the
Guadalhorce, flow near the city into the Mediterranean.
The inner city of Málaga is just behind the harbour. The quarters of El
Perchel, La Trinidad and Lagunillas surround this center. The city has much
revenue from the agrarian sector and from tourism. The painter Pablo Picasso,
the 19th-century Spanish politician Antonio Canovas del Castillo, and the
actor Antonio Banderas were born in Málaga .
History
The Phoenicians founded the city Malaka here, in about 1000 BCE. The name
Malaka is probably derived from the Phoenician word for salt because fish
was salted near the harbour; in other Semitic languages the word for salt is
still melach (Hebrew) or milch (Arabic).
About seven centuries later, the Romans conquered the city along with the
other Spanish areas of Carthago. From the 5th century CE it was under the
rule of the Visigoths. In the 8th century, Spain was conquered by the Moors,
and the city became an important centre of trade. At a late stage of the
reconquista, the reconquering of Spain, Málaga became Spanish again, in
1487.
Málaga underwent fierce bombing by the Italian and Nationalist air forces
during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Tourism on the adjacent Costa del Sol
boosted the city's economy in the 1960s
Tourism
The city is a very popular tourist destination and as such has large numbers
of visitors each year. There are various very cheap charter flights to and
from Málaga from cities like Amsterdam and London. Many people come to
appreciate the good weather and fine beaches of the Costa del Sol.
From Málaga, other cities of Andalucia, like Sevilla, Córdoba and Granada,
can be reached by train, bus or car.
A beautiful walk leads up the hill to the castle, which is called the
Castillo de Gibralfaro (Parador). From here there is a very beautiful view
over the city, as the pictures show. The castle is next to the Alcazaba,
which in turn is next to the inner city of Málaga. By taking the Paseo del
Parque, a promenade that runs alongside a park with many palm trees and
statues, one can walk from the Alcazaba to the harbour.
Sights in Málaga:
Alcazaba
Castle
Harbour
The Picasso Foundation - Native Home Museum of Picasso
Museo Picasso Málaga
CAC Málaga (museum of modern art)
Museo Municipal (city museum)
Museo de Artes y Tradiciones Populares
Cathedral in the inner city
Palacio Episcopal (palace in the inner city)
Iglesia del Sagrario (church in the inner city)
Iglesia Parroquial de Santiago (church in the inner city)
Palacio de los Condes de Buenavista (palace in the inner city)
Plaza de Toros (bullring)
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