| HISTORY
The mineral wealth of the
province of Almeria alone with its position in the Mediterranean area originated
a neolithic culture which has reached our days thanks to the remains of
stone constructions and objects that can be traced back to their origins
in Africa, the Middle East and the rest of Europe, bearing witness of the
active trade that took place in the past.
In the Bronze Age, around
the year 1600 B.C., Almeria experienced the culture of El Argar, so called
because of the deposit located near Antas, close to the coast, where silver
and bronze works appeared together with over one thousand tombs containing
large earthen vats and the remains of a metallurgical centre.
The successive inhabitants
of Almeria did not ignore the different forms of mineral exploitation,
excepting a few blank periods, that reached the 20th century. The Phoenicians,
Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs founded factories and took advantage
of the resources.
Portus Magnus for the Romans
and Espejo del Mar (Mirror of the Sea) for the Arabs, Almeria became the
main seaport under the rule of the Omeyas, an arsenal of Abderraman I and
an independent kingdom in the 11th century, after the fall of the Caliphate
of C?rdoba.
Towards the middle of the
12th century, Alfonso VII, with help from France and the Italian cities
of Genoa, Pisa and Venice, conquered and ruled over Almeria during ten
years, which put an end to piracy during that short period.
Afterwards Almeria was incorporated
to the Muslim kingdom of Granada, and the attempts by James II, King of
Arag?n, to conquer the city in 1308 were fruitless. Almost two hundred
years had gone by when in 1489 the Catholic Kings freed Almeria from Muslim
rule.
The 16th century was for
Almeria a century of natural catastrophes, for there were at least four
earthquakes, of which the one in 1522 was especially cruel, devastating
the city. The landings and attacks by Bereber pirates were also frequent
in that century, and continued until the early 18th century.
During the last century
Almeria underwent industrial development thanks to the raw materials of
its mines, which favoured the entire communications system in the province.
Today its fertile fields, marble, research and tourism contribute to the
economic activity of the province.
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