Alcazaba, Malaga, Andulucia, Spain

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Alcazaba

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No time to visit Granada’s Alhambra? Then Málaga’s Alcazaba can provide a taster. The entrance is beside the Roman theatre, from where a meandering path climbs amid lush greenery: crimson bougainvillea, lofty palms, fragrant jasmine bushes and rows of orange trees. Extensively restored, this palace-fortress dates from the 11th-century Moorish period; the caliphal horseshoe arches, courtyards and bubbling fountains are evocative of this influential period in Málaga’s history. The dreamy Patio de la Alberca is especially redolent of the Alhambra.

There are various unlabelled exhibits of Islamic pottery, but the main joys are the building itself, the gardens and the views.

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