THE ROUTE OF THE ALMORÁVIDES AND ALMOHADES
(Ruta de los Almorñavides y Almohades).
The regional government in Andalucía has created a number of routes that cover the legends and history of the region. You can find full details on all the routes on their website at www.legadoandalusi.es.
The route of the Almorávides and Almohades has its origins in Moorish times and the conquest of Spain. It refers to the two movements that forged great empires in the North of Africa and the Iberian Peninsula between the 11th and 13th centuries. From the Western Sahara and Marrakech, the capital they founded in 1070, the Almorávides created a vast domain that stretched from Senegal to the kingdoms of Al-Andalus. Their successors and rivals, the Almohades, surfaced in the Atlas Mountains. In the middle of the 12th century they took Marrakech and consolidated their power both in the Mahgreb but also in the Iberian Peninsula.
The route is born in Tarifa in Cádiz province and then stretches through Málaga until it reaches Granada. For the purpose of this page we will only concern ourselves with the Cádiz stages of the route which goes from Tarifa to Algeciras before dividing in two with one section going towards Cádiz city and then back across the top of the province via Jerez, Arcos, Grazalema and Zahara. The second section goes to Castellar and then Jimena before crossing the border in to Málaga.
In Cádiz province the route passes through:
Tarifa: the key to the Strait of Gibraltar and the southern most point in Europe that is so near to Morocco that you can clearly see its coastline and mountains. First came the Phoenicians and Romans then the Muslims created a port town that was to play a decisive role in Iberian-African relations. It was named after the Berber, Tarif Ibn Malluk, who in 710 sent an expeditionary force to Spain ahead of the conquest. In the 10th century a strong fortress was built in Tarifa. When the Christians retook the town in 1292 Tarifa entered the legends of Spain after Guzmán el Bueno preferred the death of his son to surrendering the castle to the attacking Muslims.
Algeciras: Algeciras and Granada both symbolised the North African presence in Andalucía. Algeciras, from the Arab 'al-Yazira-al-Jadra', the Green Island, became the bridge between the Peninsula and Africa, a role it still holds today. In the 11th century it was the first town in Al-Andalus to pass in to the hands of the Almorávides under the grand emir Yusuf Ibn Tasufin who formed a strategic bastion on both sides of the Strait. Sadly its splendour deteriorated under subsequent North African dynasties until the Nazarenes of Granada. However today Algeciras flourishes again as Spain's third largest port and a major town in Cádiz province.
Alcalá de los Gazules: after Algeciras the route divides going left towards Cádiz through lush pasture land that today incorporates the route of bulls – Ruta del Toro. The first town is Alcalá de los Gazules, the fortress of Gazules where you will find the remains of a castle and the Gothic church of St George – San Jorge.
Medina Sidonia: this historic town was on a strategic crossroads between the mountains, the country and the coast. It originated under the Phoenicians as Assido and was inhabited by the Romans and Visigoths. In the times of Al-Andalus it was the capital of the province with a population in which Berbers were in the majority. Madinat Saduna or abu Salim features in the chronicles of both the Almorávide and Almohade eras and the wall town remains to this day.
Cádiz: the city of Cádiz, today the provincial capital, is believed to be the first urban development in the West born over 3,000 years ago when the Phoenicians created Gadir. It retained its importance as a trading centre through the Roman occupation through to the days of Al-Andalus and became Spain's maritime metropolis in the 18th century. Cádiz was the naval base for the Almorávide fleet through which it controlled the Strait and became the point of penetration inland by the Almohades until the middle of the 12th century. After its re-conquest in 1262 the Christians returned Cádiz to being a naval centre.
El Puerto de Santa María: On the other side of the Bay to Cádiz next to the estuary of the Guadalete this town has been popular for both its port and wine cellars. It was mentioned in the Muslim chronicles of al-Qanatir when it was known as the 'port of the salt pans'. Amongst its historic sites is an ancient mosque that in 1265 was incorporated in to the Castillo de San Marcos by Alfonso X.
Jerez de la Frontera: Famous for its vines Jerez was an important fortress town during the Hispano-Muslim period when as Saris it was one of the main population centres in the then province of Saduna. It retained its importance until 1264 when it was incorporated under the crown of Castile and formed part of the frontier with the Muslim Kingdom of Granada, hence its full name of Jerez de la Frontera. There are many artefacts from the Muslim era in the town's archaeological museum and the legend lives on in Jerez's Alcázar that dates back to the end of the 12th century.
Arcos de la Frontera: Arcos is considered to be one of the most beautiful 'pueblos' in Spain. It has a fantastic situation on a rocky peak which is around 150 metres high. It is said that it was one of the grandsons of Noah that founded the town and during the Muslim era it was known as Arkus and was included in their empire by the Berbers from the 11th century.
Grazalema: this is the capital of the mountain region, is today in the Sierra de Grazalema National Park and is located at 1,500 metres above sea level. The Berbers, mountain people themselves, settled here during the Muslim era and used the local forests and land for farming. It was known to the Berbers as Banu Salim or Ben Zulema. From the 13th century it was a Nazarene fortress until it was taken by the Christians in 1485 along with the rest of the mountain region of Cádiz and Ronda.
Zahara de la Sierra: a beautiful 'pueblo blanco' with a castle sitting atop its vertical rock. It was known to the Muslims as 'sajara' or the rock, which says it all. Zahara sat between the localities that were the limits of the Kingdom of Granada and the Christian area controlled by Castile. It was taken by the Christians in 1407 but a surprise attack by the Muslims in 1481 acted as the pretext for the Reyes Católicos to start the final war against the Nazarenes.
Olvera: today Olvera can be seen from the surrounding countryside by its castle and church on top of a high crest and it would have appeared very much the same to medieval eyes. It was known to the Muslims as Wubira but was renamed Olvera or Olivera by the Christians on its conquest in 1327.
Setenil de las Bodegas: Setenil lies in the riverbed cut over the centuries by the Trejo river. It was taken by the Reyes Católicos and the remains of the Alcázar and church high over the town are there to be seen to this day. Setenil is also famous for its cavehouses that date back over many centuries.
Going back to Algeciras again the route also goes to the right taking in Castellar and Jimena then passes in to Málaga province. The route joins up with its left arm at Ronda before then travelling in a single line to the city of Granada. Before leaving the route we take a look at its final two stops in Cádiz province.
Castellar de la Frontera: on the road to Ronda the old fortress of Castellar sits up high looking down on the local countryside. There is also a new Castellar as the population was moved from the hillside castle to a new town in the 1970s. The fortress is wonderfully preserved from the medieval era and it is possible to stay at houses within its walls. It formed part of the frontier with the Nazarene kingdom of Granada and like Jerez, Arcos and Jimena shares the 'de la frontera' tag.
Jimena de la Frontera: an ancient town, known to the Roman's as Oba and then called Xemina by the Muslims. It was a Nazarene fortress but fell to the Christians in 1456 and then became part of the frontier between the two kingdoms. Jimena today sits on the edge of the Alcornocales national park an immense area of Mediterranean forest that forms one of Spain's most valuable natural assets.
