Tarifa was significant during the Islamic period due to its strategic location. Starting from the caliphal castle, three successive walled enclosures were built: Almedina (of which a spectacular gate of the same name is preserved), Aljaranda and the last and largest known as Arrabal, with its main entrance was Jerez Gate. As the city grew, some sections were enclosed between houses, and their structures were sometimes used for other constructions. Today, Tarifa is still a fortified city, one of the best-preserved in Spain.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez.Fleta
Photo: General Map Fortified Route
1- CASTLE OF GUZMAN EL BUENO
Its construction is actually attributed to Abd al-Rahman III, first Umayyad caliph of Al-Andalus, which purpose was to control the Strait facing its Fatimid rivals in North Africa. During the Almohad period, it was reinforced with a barbican or a wall outside of, and after the Christian conquest in 1292, the Tower of Homage was erected. During the 15th and 16th centuries, it was enriched with decorations and adapted as a noble residence by Enríquez de Ribera family, descendants of Guzmán el Bueno.
The octagonal tower in front of us is an albarrana tower which tradition places as the spot where Guzmán el Bueno threw his dagger (hence its name). It likely had more height originally. Next to it, the river that crossed the town flowed, through a portcullis in the wall.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
2- WATCHTOWER OR TOWER OF SANTA MARIA
This slender tower receives its two names, on the one hand, due to its privileged location on a promontory with good visibility and, on the other hand, due to its proximity to the intramural church of Santa Maria. It marks the beginning of the walled enclosure of Almedina, built on a rocky outcrop by the sea. At its base, where the Port is now located, there were at least in the 16th and 17th centuries some shipyards.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: View of the Tower
3- MIRAMAR TOWER
Originally, this large tower closed the southeast corner of the first urban wall, that of Almedina, which turned inward from here. It was later renovated. Its walls are enriched with reused Roman columns and painted and incised decorations in lime including a large sloping base where the sea almost used to reach.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: Sgraffito details decoration on the side (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa) -General view of the tower.
4- MADEROS TOWER
Also known as Tower of Saavedra, it is one of the main towers of the Aljaranda enclosure. It was remodeled and expanded to house artillery in 1771 by Governor Isidro de Peralta, as indicated by an inscription on the corner. Graffitis from the 18th century depicting sailboats, a bagpipe, or a well-executed female face are preserved in the plaster.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-Photo of Isidro de Peralta’s inscription (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
-Graffiti on the plaster (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
-Side where the original tower and the addition are visible (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa).
5- SANTIAGO POSTERN AND FRONT
Most of the attacks on the city have occurred in this sector since there is a hill opposite the wall at the same height. Below the current street, there used to be a moat.
The Christian conquest in 1292 took place through this postern or small gate, connecting with the homonymous church inside the walls, named Santiago as the patron saint of Spain, a common dedication in times of conquest. It was recently rediscovered.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: B/W photo with a path
6- JESUS TOWER
It is named after a carving of Christ which, also, gave a second name to the church of Santiago where it was located, and, by extension, to the entire neighborhood. The tower is large, as it defends a corner. After the Christian conquest, it was renovated, and in modern times, a battery was installed. At its base, remains of the barbican or outer wall are preserved.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: Tower of Jesus with the barbican at its base.
7- RETIRO GATE
The stream of Tarifa, which was diverted in the late 19th century, entered the city through a sluice located on it. Although one side, and part of the vault of the land passage, is preserved, the gate was demolished in 1895. In its place stands the statue of General Copons, defender of Tarifa during the Peninsular War that occurred on Christmas 1811-12 in this sector.
It had to be reconstructed by British engineers with sloping walls, while the tower flanking the gate to the north was renovated to house artillery in 1812, as indicated by an inscription. Old architecture, even defensive structures, was typically plastered with lime and sometimes decorated to enhance its appearance and protect it from erosion.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-Preserved side of Retiro Gate (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
-Tower of the Paintings (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
-Sector restored by British engineers (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa).
8- CORCHUELO TOWER
This L-shaped tower boasts substantial dimensions as is customary for towers that mark the corners of fortified cities. It was selected as the boundary for the latest expansion of the wall, known as the Arrabal, as it rests upon a large rock at an elevated level, overlooking the city. Along this stretch, the wall features large towers and remains free of attached buildings until reaching the sea.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-View of the wall in the 19th century (Institut Cartográfic de Catalunya).
-View of Corchuelo Tower (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
9-CILLA BREACH
Its name comes from the nearby storage of the “decimal cilla,» where tithes paid to the church from the crops of the area were deposited. A «cilla» is a term used to refer to a place intended for the storage of grain or agricultural products.
This breach in the wall is often associated with another siege that Tarifa enfaced at the hands of the French army, in this case in 1824, by the so-called “l’expédition d’Espagne” or the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis who came to Spain to support Ferdinand VII. They set up their camp in the Franciscan convent of San Juan del Prado, located outside the city walls, and bombarded the city until it surrendered. However, it seems that the breach actually occurred at another point, closer to Jerez Gate. We can see the section of the wall that rests on natural rock and is formed by a masonry plinth, along with an elevated portion constructed using the tapial technique.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: Cilla Breach.
10-VAULTED CHAMBER TOWER
It is the only tower in the entire walled enclosure that, due to its preserved height, has an upper chamber or room covered by a pendentive vault in brick (although there may have been more). Nowadays, it houses a room of a hostel establishment. The original access was from the wall’s parapet.
Texto: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: Photo of the vault (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
11-JEREZ GATE
It is the main gate of the last walled enclosure. Originally, two towers flanked it, taller than the current ones. In Christian period, the space between the towers was closed with a pointed arch, followed by a barrel vault with a slot for a portcullis. Its demolition began in 1868 but fortunately, although its height had already been reduced, it was halted and had to be regularized with the merlons we see today.
Inside, you can see the stones that held the axis of the Muslim doors and the original horseshoe arches. Among them, at a height, there is a cloister vault painted.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
- Horseshoe arches (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa).
- Infographic of the original gate (Engineering and Services South of Europe / Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
- Evolutionary diagram of the Jerez Gate (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
- SAN SEBASTIAN TOWER
This imposing corner tower takes its name from a hermitage that was located nearby, also known as San Roque hermitage, where the first Christian cemetery outside the walls of the modern city was established. From its height, one can admire the city and the harbor..
Image: SIDE PHOTO, VIEW VAN DEN WYNGAERDE?
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
13. ALAMEDA OR SAN JULIAN ARCH
It owes its name to a chapel dedicated to this saint that was located inside the walls and also gives its name to a street. Popularly known as the Alameda Gap, this postern was opened in the wall in 1835 to connect it with the outside. In its passage, we can observe interesting contemporary artistic elements.
Image: Exterior of the arch.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Flet
14- PÓSITO TOWER
Although heavily modified, and lacking most of its towers, a significant portion of the wall crowned with embrasures is preserved in the Alameda. Only doors and balconies were added from the late 19th century.
This impressive structure from the 15th century stands out, overlooking the exterior as a bulwark. It housed the public butcher on its two floors and, for a period, also the granary (pósito) accessed from Santísima Trinidad Street. The facade is distinguished by a large pointed arch and an almost faded painted inscription. Inside, it features sturdy columns and wide flying arches, just like the upper floor accessed by a ramp.
Image: VIEW VAN DEN WINGAERDE, INTERIOR VIEW / FLOOR PLAN?
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
15-ALMEDINA GATE
Al-Medina (city in Arabic) was the entrance to the first walled enclosure. Dating back to the 11th-12th centuries, its intricate and unique structure in Al-Andalus includes arches of varied designs with spaces for portcullises between them. Its layout forms a bend, allowing it to bridge the height difference between Guzmán el Bueno Street and the castle. Until the 17th century, Almedina remained the last defensive stronghold of Tarifa.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-Photo of the outer arch, with alternating brick and stone voussoirs (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa).
-Photo of inner arches, with reused Roman columns (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
16-ROYAL PRISON
Its construction took the structure of the ancient wall of Aljaranda, which had its northwest corner here. In the courtyard, there is a large tower, and the corner of its facade serves as the barbican. Chambers with barrel vaults were built between towers, some of them superimposed. Its use as a prison persisted until the mid-20th century, and nowadays, it serves as the venue for a municipal exhibition hall.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-Tower in the courtyard (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa).
-Prison Vault (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa).
17- MACHO TOWER
This curious name refers to a tower in the northern enclosure of Aljaranda which became absorbed by the city development and isolated as the curtain walls were demolished. The alley that bears its name, La bajada del Macho, originally extended to the Moral neighborhood. There, at the end of Gravina Street, the remains of the next tower in the enclosure are preserved.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image: Macho Tower (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
18-ADARVE (Rampart)
The term «adarve,» comes from the Arabic word «darb,» designates the space that runs along the top of the wall where troops move. The street owes its name, Independencia (Independence), to being the point where the French army concentrated their attacks during the Christmas siege of 1811-1812. The defenders repelled the assault by digging trenches in it.
This section of the adarve of Tarifa fortification, corresponding to the Arrabal and Aljaranda enclosure, is open to visitors. From there, magnificent views of the city and the surroundings can be enjoyed.
To visit the adarve of the wall, please inquire at Guzmán el Bueno Castle for more information.
Text: Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa
Translation: Juan Glez. Fleta
Image:
-View from the adarve of the wall
-Independencia Street (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
-Adarve in one of the blocks of houses (Alejandro Pérez-Malumbres Landa)
