Muralla urbana, Medieval city wall in Ronda, Andalusia, Spain
The Muralla urbana is a medieval city wall in the old town of Ronda, in the province of Malaga, and is listed as a protected monument. It runs along three sides of the historic center and is made up of separate sections, each with its own gates and towers, including the Puerta de Almocábar, the Puerta de la Cijara, and the Arco del Cristo.
The walls were built during the Arab period of rule in the Middle Ages, when Ronda was the center of a region called Takurunna. After the Christian reconquest in the 13th century, some gates were rebuilt, including the Puerta de Almocábar, which received a Renaissance-style arch in the 1500s.
The gates of the wall still carry their old names: Almocábar comes from Arabic and referred to the cemetery that once stood just outside the city. Walking through one of these gates today gives a direct sense of how the Arab past of Ronda has stayed visible in the streets.
The walls can be explored on foot at no cost, and the Puerta de Almocábar in the south is a good starting point. Wear comfortable shoes, as some paths run along uneven rock surfaces and steep sections.
The western section of the wall, known as the Muralla de la Albacara, was not built to protect houses but to shelter mills and grazing land that lay outside the main town. This shows that the fortification was designed to protect the economic foundation of the city, not just its residents.
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