Everything about M Laga totally explained
Málaga is a
port city in
Andalusia, southern
Spain, on the
Costa del Sol coast of the
Mediterranean. According to the
2007 census the population is 561,250.
The population of the city of Málaga proper was 558,285 as of
2005 estimates. The population of the urban area was 814,000 as of
2005 estimates. The population of the
metropolitan area (urban area plus satellite towns) was 1,074,074 as of 2005 estimates, ranking as the fifth largest metropolitan area in Spain. Málaga is surrounded by mountains, lying in the southern base of the Axarquía hills, and two rivers, the
Guadalmedina - the historic center is located on its left bank - and the
Guadalhorce, which flows west of the city into the
Mediterranean.
The climate is mild and equable, the mean annual temperature being about 19
°C (66
°F). For its broad sky and wide bay the city has been compared to
Naples.
The inner city of Málaga is just behind the harbour. The quarters of El Perchel, La Trinidad and Lagunillas surround this centre. The city has much revenue from the agricultural sector and from tourism.
The
Holy Week, and the Málaga Fair ("
Feria de Málaga") are the two most well-known of Málaga's festivals. The Malaguenos choose the hottest month of the year, August, to celebrate the Feria de Malaga with not only the locals, but in addition to the thousands of tourists who come to see the spectacular sight. The streets are transformed into symbols of Spanish culture and history, with sweet wine, tapas,and live flamenco shows filling the town. The day events consist of live music and dancing, while the night fair is moved to the Palacia de Feria, consisting of restaurants, clubs, and an entire fair ground with rides & games.
History
The
Phoenicians from
Tyre founded the city
Malaka here, in about 1000 BC. The name Malaka is probably derived from the
Phoenician word for
salt because fish was salted near the harbour. Cf. "
salt" in other
Semitic languages, for example
Hebrew מלח
mélaḥ or
Arabic ملح
milḥ.
In the 8th century, Spain was conquered by the
Moors, and the city became an important centre of trade. Málaga was first a possession of the
Caliphate of Cordoba. After the fall of the
Umayyad dynasty, it became the capital of a distinct kingdom, dependent on
Granada. During this time, the city was called
Mālaqah (
Arabic مالقة).
At a late stage of the
reconquista, the medieval Christian Spanish struggle to drive the Islamic Moors out of Spain, Málaga became
Christian again, in
1487.
On
24 August 1704 the undecisive
Battle of Vélez-Málaga, largest naval battle in the
War of the Spanish Succession, took place in the sea south of Málaga.
Málaga didn't undergo fierce bombing by
Francoist or Nationalist
insurgent air forces during the
Spanish Civil War in
1936. The well-known British journalist and writer
Arthur Koestler was captured by the Nationalist forces on their entry into Málaga, which formed the material for his book
Spanish Testament.
Tourism on the adjacent
Costa del Sol boosted the city's economy from the
1960s onwards.
The magnum opus of Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, "
Malagueña", is named for the music of the Gypsies of this region of Spain.
Ecclesiastical history
Council of Eliberis (in present
Elvira). Under the Visigoths Málaga was made an episcopal see. Hostegesis governed the see from 845 to 864.
After the battle of Guadalete the city passed into the hands of the Arabs, and the bishopric was suppressed under both Moorish states.
In 1487 Isabel and Fernando besieged the city, which after a desperate resistance was compelled to surrender; and with the Christian religion, the episcopal see was restored. The first bishop after the restoration was Pedro Díaz.
The see was vacant from 1835 to 1848. The Catholic diocese was, by the Concordat of 1851, made a
suffragan diocese of the archdiocese of
Granada.
Since the concordat of 1851 the Cathedral Chapter has numbered 20 canons and 11 beneficed clerics. There were in the diocese (1910) 520,000 Catholics, a few Protestants: 123 parishes, 481 priests, and 200 churches and chapels; the Augustinian Fathers had a college at Ronda; the Piarists were teaching at Archidona and the Brothers of St. John of God had schools at Antequera, at which place there's also a Capuchin monastery. In the town of Málaga were convents for women, including Bernardines, Cisterians, Augustinians, Poor Clares, Carmelites and Dominicans. The Little Sisters of the Poor maintain homes for the aged and infirm at Málaga, Antequera and Ronda.
Nowadays in Málaga there's a wide spectrum of religions from the Occident and Orient:
Most of the citizens declare themselves to be Catholics. One of the most beautiful churches is the "
Santuario de la Virgen de la Victoria
".
Islam is also represented with the construction of a new mosque.
The
Evangelic are also making themselves known through a variety of different activities and social works.
The
Jewish Community in Málaga is represented by its synagogue and the Jewish Association.
It is also possible to visit the Hindu Temple and Buddhist Stupa in
Benalmadena, only 12 miles from Málaga. This Buddhist Stupa is the biggest in Europe.
Tourism
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The city is a popular tourist destination, due mainly to its proximity to the
Costa del Sol. Many tourists also visit here to see the birthplace of
Pablo Picasso. There are very cheap flights to Málaga from countries in
Northern Europe, particularly the
United Kingdom,
Ireland, the
Netherlands and
Germany.
From Málaga, other cities like
Sevilla,
Córdoba,
Granada, and
Jaén can be reached by train, bus or car.
A popular walk leads up the hill to the
Gibralfaro castle (a
Parador), offering extensive views over the city. The castle is next to the
Alcazaba, which in turn is next to the inner city of Málaga. By taking the Paseo del Parque, a promenade that runs alongside a park with many palm trees and statues, one can walk to the harbour, finishing in Calle Larios the main commercial street of the city.
Sights in Málaga
Famous births
Pablo Picasso, artist
Antonio Banderas, actor
José Puyet, artist
Amparo Munoz, Miss Universe 1974
Juan García Postigo, Mister Universe 2007
Sports
Málaga Club de Fútbol
Unicaja Málaga (External Link)
Transport
The city is served by Málaga Airport. The Port of Málaga is the city's seaport.
The main rail station is Málaga Mar%C3%ADa Zambrano which is connected with Madrid Atocha by Talgo 200. On December 23rd, 2007, the high-speed train AVE came into service, reducing travel time to Madrid to just two and a half hours. The city has two Cercanías (commuter train) lines and a metro system is under construction.
Buses are the main form of transport around the city. Málaga's bus station is connected with the city by the bus line number 4, although it's only 10 minutes walk to the Alameda from there.
The A45 road leads north to Antequera and Cordoba.
Sister communities
Málaga is twinned with:
Further Information
Get more info on 'M Laga'.
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