Rabita

Description

The mediaeval Islamic Caliphate Rabita (Ribat in English) is situated in Park Alfonso XIII next to the site of the Phoenician city of La Fonteta near the River Segura’s mouth.

It is the only monastic Islamic monument from the Umayyad Andalusian period (10th-11th century AD) preserved almost completely. It consists of 23 praying cells, with its own Mihrab, organised around two main streets. In this monastery, you would have found religious men, the faithful who stayed here and pilgrims performing the Ribat. They were all attracted by the spiritual retreat required by Islam to its followers.

The finding of this Rabita is remarkable for its uniqueness. It is the first example of this type of religious building in the Iberian Peninsula.