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Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, located in the southeast of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea, and is the capital of the province of the same name. It was Abd-ar-Rahman III who founded the Alcazaba (the Citadel), which gave this city its name. In the 10th and 11th centuries, it formed part of the Caliphate of Córdoba, and grew wealthy on trade and the textile industry, especially silk. It suffered many sieges and fell under Christian domination in 1489. In 1522, Almería was devastated by an earthquake and rebuilding and recovery did not really get underway until the 19th century. During the Spanish Civil War, the city was shelled by the German Navy, and fell to Franco in 1939. It has since rebuilt its economy around vegetable production, with 100,000 acres of greenhouses, supplying much of Europe.

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The Alcazaba of Almería is a fortified complex in Almería, southern Spain. The word alcazaba, from the Arabic signifies a walled-fortification in a city.

In 955, Almería gained the title of medina ("city") by the Caliph of Cordoba, Abd ar-Rahman III. Construction of the defensive citadel, located in the upper sector of the city, began in this period. The alcazaba, provided not only with walls and towers but also with squares, houses and a mosque, was to be also the seat of the local government, commanding the city and the sea nearby.

The complex was enlarged under caliph Al-Mansur and, later, under Al-Jairan, first king of the independent taifa of Almería (1012–1028).

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