AUGUSTA EMERITA, CAMINO MOZARABE

AUGUSTA EMERITA Arab Alcazaba This huge fortress was erected by the Muslims in Mérida by Umayyad emir Abd ar-Rahman II in 835 AD. The fortress was designed by the architect Abd Allah. The Alcazaba is the oldest fortress on the Iberian Peninsula and it was... More

AUGUSTA EMERITA
Arab Alcazaba
This huge fortress was erected by the Muslims in Mérida by Umayyad emir Abd
ar-Rahman II in 835 AD. The fortress was designed by the architect Abd Allah. The
Alcazaba is the oldest fortress on the Iberian Peninsula and it was modeled after
Byzantine structures. The fortified enclosure had multiple purposes: it served as the seat
of the Umayyad residence of the local governor and administrative units, it was the main
entrance into the city from the Roman bridge so it was an important gateway since it was
how the Muslims could control who could enter and/or leave; it was the refuge of the
Muslim minority when, at the time, the locals were staging riots against the Muslim
power in Cordoba. The square inside the fortress is the square where troops of the Emir
were discovered which happened to be a good area to stop all Muslim revolts and for the
Spanish to eventually take over control. The entire perimeter of this vast citadel was
surrounded by a large moat, e Less