badajoz, doors of the arabic fortress

THE DOORS OF THE ARABIC FORTRESS
*Version française*		*Versão Portuguesa*
The rehabilitation works that have been carried out in recent years, have made it possible to verify that two or more alcazabas came to "coexist". The foundational fortress much smaller than that we know today and later, another of intermediate dimensions of the Aftasí and later Almorávide period. The one that has come to this day was the result of a great enlargement made by the Almohads, who also strengthened their west flank with powerful Albarranas towers, among which the Watchtower or Scarecrow. The alcazaba was therefore a consequence of a construction process, carried out over almost two centuries, in which it was expanded, strengthened and adequate to the times and to the defensive needs..
The city expanded outside the boundaries of the alcazaba from the Aftasí period in successive fences to the west and south. The last of them was the Old fence, which according to a plane from 1641 had albarranas and barbacan towers and stretched, roughly, where the fortificationa abaluaada was subsequently erected.


DOOR OF THE CAPITEL	DOOR OF YELVES	DOOR OF THE CORACHA

DOOR OF THE ALPENDIZ	ARABIC DOOR OF THE METIDO	OTHER DOORS

THE CAPITEL DOOR

Raised by the Almohads, it has always been considered the main access of the enclosure, since it communicated the fortress and its primitive citadel, with the area of expansion through which the population was preferably expanded. The Old Town of Badajoz still retains much of the urban plot drawn up by the Arabs.

This door replaced an earlier shortcut, which opened nearby flanked by towers. The Almohads built it as a double gate in a bend, with a fair enclosed inner courtyard. The double extruder arch is horseshoe, built with granite dobes inserted in an alfiz of the same material. The interior part was modified to half a point and built in brick.

The double inner arch, also made up of horseshoe, is composed of dobes that alternate granite with brick. The whole complex is awaiting rehabilitation works currently quite degraded.

The entire gate enclosure was surrounded by a barbacan now gone, on whose remains were erected in the sixteenth century the primitive Casas Consistoriales and a beautiful Renaissance court door with monumental half-point arch and triangular pediment.

CHRONOLOGIE CONSTRUCTIVE DE LA PORTE DU CAPITEL

Like the rest of the main doors of the citadel of Badajoz, the initial design was of direct entrance doors flanked by two towers, quadrangular according to the tastings and rehabilitations carried out. Later in Almohad times and perhaps in an Almoravid case, they were established with an advanced tower on the wall, cremenated inner courtyard and double door in a bend. This is the case with the doors of the Capitel and the Alpendiz. Somewhat more complicated are the structures of the Metido and the door of Yelves.

Recreation of the initial configuration of the Puerta del Capitel in the Marwani and Aftasí era

Recreation of the appearance of the Puerta del Capitel after the first Almohad remodeling. In green, the remains of the Marwani and Aftasi

GATE OF YELVES

The yelbes gate owes its name to the neighboring Portuguese city of Elvas. As the remaining almohade was built in bend, composed of double arches on the adjacent faces of its inner courtyard. It was demolished in 1914 and later rebuilt in 1970, without saving a total similtude are original factory.

It is located in front of the Convent of the Adoratrices, and near the Plaza de San José, in the western part of the Alcazaba. He was also called Carros because his blast was justified under the pretext of allowing vehicles to the nearby Military Hospital.

Its origin is in an old albarrana, apex and start of a liezo that joins the existing tower in the hermitage of the Consolation and that was part of a fortification before the alcazaba that reached to this day. This albarrana was attached a new tower and the corresponding wall, in order to form the inner courtyard.

All this set is pending study, excavation and subsequent rehabilitation, in a work that will reach along this area, to the tower of Espantaperros and the beginning of La Galera.

CONSTRUCTIVE TIMELINE OF YELVES GATE

DOOR OF THE ALPENDIZ

This door, located on the east side of the Alcazaba, is of a structure very similar to the Puerta del Capitel, but of smaller proportions. Its access is also in recess and replaced at the time another previous shortcut of possible Aftasí origin.

Its inner courtyard is protected by a braised adarve and a tower of great proportions that has come to this day after suffering important modifications on its original Arab factory. It communicated the alcazaba and its citadel with the eastern arrabal, which would later be extended to the well-known neighborhood of San Salvador. To protect this core of the city was built a wall that from the tower and the barbacan descended down the hillside to the vicinity of the Rivillas.

Due to various circumstances, it is known that later this door was closed like several others of the city, opening behind its tower a new factory door much more modest and direct access. In front of it was built an earth window, which protected it from direct shooting that was made from the Guadiana vega.

With the construction of the fortification, the access to the tower and gate of the Alpendiz, was hidden by a straight curtain that about one hundred meters to the south formed the semi-baluarte of San Antonio.

CONSTRUCTIVE TIMELINE OF ALPENDIZ GATE


From left to right, the three charts show the constructive evolution of the Alpendiz Gate. At the time Marwaní and Atasida was a direct access door, guarded by tore paths of square base. During the Almohade period it was transformed into the classic doubled door, by building an interior courtyard and a new tower to the outside.

THE METIDO GATE

As a consequence of the last excavations and rehabilitation works of the alcazaba, two new Almohad doors have appeared inside the tunnel of the Tucked, corresponding to an old entrance in bend whose existence was only until recently, the product of mere suspicions or assumptions. After the last siege of the Allies to Badajoz, the old Aarab walls of the eastern sector of the camphouse were heavily bombed, leaving them completely ruined.

After the takeover of the city, it was urgently restored and on the Muslim ruins a kind of semi-baluarte with platform was raised, being crossed the whole by a tunnel that communicated the interior of the alcazaba with a powder room installed in the shelter external to the new walls. All these works completely masked the original appearance of this part of the Alcazaba, leaving in oblivion what some tenacious researchers pointed out as almohade door perfectly aligned with that of the Capitel.

After the excavation, the unstable remains of the affected towers were consolidated and the complex work was left for later campaigns to fully bring to light the new redodo door. It should be noted that this was quite precisely aligned, with the fortified line that from the Puerta de Yelbes departed through the hermitages of consolation and the Rosary to that same area.

CONSTRUCTIVE TIMELINE OF METIDO GATE


From left to right, the three charts show the constructive evolution of the Alpendiz Gate. At the time Marwaní and Atasida was a direct access door, guarded by tore paths of square base. During the Almohade period it was transformed into the classic doubled door, by building an interior courtyard and a new tower to the outside.

THE CORACHA GATE

Although many date this door in the Foothilly period, this view is difficult to sustain, since about sixty meters above this door and its walls, ran a fence that bordered the alcazaba to the north, from the Gate of Yelbes to the newly opened Puertas del Got. In this vicinity, there were albarranas towers of Almohade origin and one of them was preserved integrated into the hermitages or churches of La Consolación and the Rosary.

It consists of a horseshoe arch with alternating dovelas of brick and stone, framed under a low alfiz on the wall. It is also known as the gate of Betrayal because for a time it was stated, erroneously, that in this place it was where in 1169 the Portuguese king Alfonso Enríquez of Portugal fell wounded and taken prisoner. He besieged the city and had managed to enter its arrabales, but Ferdinand II of León came in defense of his Arab allies, thus bearing the Portuguese attack.

It is unlikely that these events occurred in this place, since the chronicles say that the Portuguese managed to enter the city that then stretched outside the alcazaba and that the Almohads took refuge in it.

OTHERS GATES

The doors that have been mentioned and commented on, were the usual accesses of the Alcazaba. However, throughout the perimeter of this, several doors of different times are opened that at the time had very specific tasks assigned.

At the foot of the walls of La Galera and from the interior of the so-known as the Old Tower, a staircase gave way to a gate, which at the time allowed restricted access to the interior of the fortress. This door was possibly found by two buckets and rested by it with the stairs still existing, Subsequently the Old Tower was erected, possibly during the Almovid occupation.

Next to the gate of La Coracha or La Tratain, an old tower kept a door with a half-point arch, which allowed a fortified passage to descend to the margin of the Guadiana, where the collection of water was carried out for the maintenance of life and health in the city The.

The door of the Tuck also had a small portillo, which flanked the passage through the barbacan that protected the main walled ensemble.

When the door of the Alpendiz was closed, another door with a half-point arch, built in bricks and fitted with rotating blades and rake, opened next to its defensive tower. The portillo of the Alpendiz and a modern work that has nothing to do with the alcazaba or the fortification.

Fotografías propiedad del autor

Antonio García Candelas Suggestions and impressions

ARABIC FORTRESS

BADAJOZ

ENTER