Albarracín Castle and Wall
History
Prehistory. The paintings found in the caves in the pine forest (el pinar) show that people were already living in this area in the Stone Age. Remnants from the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and from the times of the Celtiberians have been found here as well.
Roman period.The tombstones used during the construction the cathedral –they can be found at the base of the tower- are indications of the Roman presence. Other remnants are the bridge over the river Guadalaviar, a few kilometers west of Albarracín and the aqueduct running from Albarracín to Cella, covering a distance of about 25 kilometres.
Moorish period.In the 10th century mention is made of an important castle with military purposes. In the first reference made to the castle it is called Castillo de Santa María de Oriente. It is said that Meurán ben Razín, military commander of Abderramán III, lived in the castle. The “Alcazaba”, the “torre del Andador”, the “torre del Agua” and the “torre de la Muela” stem from this period. In Arabic texts from before the 11th century the settlement at the location of the current city of Albarracín is referred to as Santa María de Oriente , named after a Visigothic church (on the site of the current Santa María church). Initially, Albarracín will have existed of only a church surrounded by a small Christian community. In the 11th and 12th century, Albarracín is already a city (or medina, as it is called in Arabic) with a landlord residing in a fortress. Albarracín was the capital of the realm “La Sahla” of Ibn Razín´s (which subsequently belonged to his descendants Banu Razín). It was considered one of the most important cities of Moorish Spain. During Ibn Razín reign (11th century) a large-scale urban extension took place. It was in this period that the town got enclosed by a new city wall.
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