Alcazaba de Antequera, Antequera, Spain

The Alcazaba of Antequera was erected in the 14th century to counter the Christian advance from the north, over Roman ruins.

The fortress is rectangular in shape, with two towers. Its keep (Torre del homenaje, 15th century) is considered amongst the largest of Moorish al-Andalus, with the exception of the Comares Tower of the Alhambra. It is surmounted by a Catholic bell tower/chapel (Templete del Papabellotas) added in 1582.

Connected to the former by a line of walls is the Torre Blanca ('white tower').

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Kari Peltomaa (13 months ago)
Hih, it was hot there, + 35, you must visit there, all well and turists well welcommend.

Michael Carpentier (14 months ago)
Best value for money visit on this years spanish road trip. Great architectural ancient stuff to be seen here. Do not miss this one on your trip. Note: book online no to have to wait in the que

Angela M.H (15 months ago)
The entrance to the fortress is on the right side, when we got into the gate, just missed it. There’s no clear directions and not friendly for handicapped visitors. The admission provides audio set service, that’s nice but I feel annoying. Be honest, this place has been preserved and repaired, but not good enough. The gardening and plantation are boring. If without panoramic view, the credit could be lower.

Tweed Tango (16 months ago)
This is a MUST to visit for anyone interested in history and architecture. The Alcazaba is remarkable. I loved everything about it, wasn't expecting to see soo much. Take comfy shoes and be prepared to climb steps. You can buy a bottle of water for €1 when you pay your combo ticket for the Alcazaba and the FABULOUS church. The self guided tour is great and easy to follow. There is ambience music while in the gardens, which is a nice touch. There are modern, clean toilets and a small gift shop. There are ramps for access to all areas of ground floor.

grodhagen . (19 months ago)
The views alone are worth the effort. The gardens give a sense of serenity. There are speakers along the route playing traditional Arabic instrumental music, tastefully on the laid-back side, and evocative of a past era. There are also traces of TardoRoman structures, but just their exposed foundations. The old fortress walls take pride of place. The audio guide was informative and well narrated (I chose Spanish languages, my wife English). There are 6 other languages, Russian, Japanese, French, German, Italian, and Chinese, if memory serves me right.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Dan Lundberg

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Hagios Demetrios

The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios, is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.

The church had an unusual shrine called the ciborium, a hexagonal, roofed structure at one side of the nave. It was made of or covered with silver. The structure had doors and inside was a couch or bed. Unusually, it did not hold any physical relics of the saint. The ciborium seems to have been a symbolic tomb. It was rebuilt at least once.

The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Byzantine Iconoclasm in 730. These mosaics depict St. Demetrius with officials responsible for the restoration of the church (called the founders, ktetors) and with children. An inscription below one of the images glorifies heaven for saving the people of Thessalonica from a pagan Slavic raid in 615.

Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1430. About 60 years later, during the reign of Bayezid II, the church was converted into a mosque, known as the Kasımiye Camii after the local Ottoman mayor, Cezeri Kasım Pasha. The symbolic tomb however was kept open for Christian veneration. Other magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church. Black-and-white photographs and good watercolour versions give an idea of the early Byzantine craftsmanship lost during the fire.

Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. Tombstones from the city"s Jewish cemetery - destroyed by the Greek and Nazi German authorities - were used as building materials in these restoration efforts in the 1940s. Archeological excavations conducted in the 1930s and 1940s revealed interesting artifacts that may be seen in a museum situated inside the church"s crypt. The excavations also uncovered the ruins of a Roman bath, where St. Demetrius was said to have been held prisoner and executed. A Roman well was also discovered. Scholars believe this is where soldiers dropped the body of St. Demetrius after his execution. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.

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