El Toyo

The place is now the province of Almeria, thanks to the Neolithic culture, is a stunning natural museum. During the classical period many towns and settlements became important, and it is remarkable that occurred as Adra, El Ejido, Vera or Tíjola. The Portus Magnus, existing port of the capital, and was much appreciated and exploited by traders. In the Muslim period Almeria became a great city, very influential and thriving, one of the richest. The admiral of the fleet is the second power in Spain during the period and had at its disposal more than three hundred ships that anchored in the harbor, one of the main ports of the naval base of the Caliphate of Cordoba. With the death of Hisham II, crumbles the Caliphate of Córdoba Taifa Kingdoms of appearing in the eleventh century, which became independent Almería. Continues to gain importance, becoming one of the most prosperous Taifa. The city had at least fifteen doors, guarding the entrance to a city of nearly one million square meters, labyrinthine and variegated. Of all those doors, contemporaries noted for their beauty three of them, who had a rare inner courtyard (the entire Muslim Spain, had only two more examples of these types of doors: one in Seville and one in Granada). He came to have 10,000 looms, creating wonderful silk fabrics, among which highlighted a "tissue of Almeria" which was exported to almost the entire Arab world. The port of Almeria was one of the largest in the Mediterranean in the Caliphate period, Taifa and the Almoravids. The latter gave shelter to pirates, making the port not only envy but also the terror of his enemies. What has been called golden age of the city touched its zenith when Pope Eugenius III proclaimed a crusade against the city. Christians in southern Europe came together to end the cruel Almería, as it was called at the time. The Count of Barcelona Berenguer Ramon Alfonso VII of León, King Garcia IV Ramirez of Navarre and Alava (grandson of Cid) or the Grand Duke William VI of Montpellier with Genoese and Pisan, gathered beneath the walls of Almeria. Each one brought the best of European chivalry. After a brief but fierce resistance, the walls were attacked by twelve points. Alfonso VII refused to negotiate any peace. Of the inhabitants of the city, 10,000 were able to escape miraculously to Murcia and 20,000 took refuge in the Citadel. Of these, most men were stabbed. Alfonso VII, "the Sultancillo" as he contemptuously called the people of Almeria, Almeria and destroyed systematically devastated the industries in the city in 1147. After ten years of Castilian rule, the Almohads manage to recover the city and attempt to restore its former glory, without success. The Granada then make its home port. At this time, Almeria is the scene of battles and raids between Murcia Christians and Moors of Granada. And in this era probably originated the saying: When was Almería Almería, Granada was his farm.