Almería – The sunny state of Spain
Almería is a city of Andalusia, Spain, located in the southeast of Spain facing the Mediterranean Sea, and is the capital of the province of the same name. Recently, the city reached the age of 1,000 years, and celebrate its first millenium. It was Abd-ar-Rahman III who founded the Alcazaba (the Citadel), which gave this city its name: Al-Mari’yah (المريّة, the Watchtower). 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. Today, Almería is a prosperous city that has rebuilt its economy around vegetable and fruit crops production, with 100,000 acres of greenhouses, supplying much of its need to Europe.
