A stroll along Calle Mayor heading west of la Calle de Bailén takes you downhill; and before you are past the two sharp left curves when the narrow street becomes Cuesta Ramón, you realize that you are partially encircling the remains of Muralla Islamica off to your left behind a black wrought iron fence.
Muralla Islamica de Madrid — or the Muslim Wall of Madrid in Spain
Also known as the Muralla Árabe or Muslim Wall or Arab Wall, the Muralla Islamica was erected during the ninth century by Moorish forces sometime before the year 880 — hundreds of years before Madrid became the capital city of Spain in 1561.
The origin of the name Madrid supposedly evolved from al-Majrīṭ, which is the Arabic term for source of water — named for the Manzanares River which passes through Madrid.
The Muralla Islamica was built to protect the Muslim almudaina — or citadel — on the site currently occupied by the Palace Real de Madrid. In fact, the church on the north side of Calle Mayor is called Santa María la Real de La Almudena — possibly constructed on the site of a medieval mosque which was destroyed in 1083 when Alfonso VI reconquered Madrid.
Declared a national monument in 1958, Muralla Islamica is a part of Parque de Emir Mohamed I — named after the Umayyad emir of Córdoba from the years 852 to 886.
Three gates surround the site:
- Puerta de la Vega, which is located in the current Cuesta de la Vega that is connected the military compound with the plains of the Manzanares river and the roads of Castile and Extremadura; and might have been located on the site now occupied by the foreign niche of the Virgin of la Almudena, which is next to the crypt of the eponymous cathedral
- Puerta de la Mezquita or Arco de Santa María led to the civil core developed outside the fortress, through the current Calle Mayor
- Puerta de la Sagra, or de la Xagra, or del Campo, which ended up in the gardens by the current Calle de Bailén, which is located semi-corner with Plaza de Oriente
I would like to think that three faiths are represented in this photograph: the concentric Stars of David of Judaism in the foreground; Santa María la Real de La Almudena, which is the Catholic cathedral in the background; and Muralla Árabe, which is the Muslim Wall…
…and one might tend to initially be confused as to why there are concentric Stars of David — a symbol of Judaism — located in the center of the plaza in the park; but the star in Parque de Emir Mohamed I may actually be the Seal of Solomon, which is a popular symbol of Islam.
This paved garden offers viewing platforms over the remains of ancient stone walls.
The site was declared an Artistic-Historic Monument in 1954.
While the Muralla Islamica is actually an example of Moorish architecture, the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest is considered to be constructed in the style of Moorish architecture. Arches are but one of the characteristic elements of Moorish architecture which both structures share in terms of design.
Final Boarding Call
If ancient artifacts interest you, taking a stroll down to the Muralla Islamica is worth the time and effort. No admission fee is charged as this is yet another free attraction in Madrid — you can visit the permanent collection at the Museo Nacional del Prado free of charge during certain hours — but the Parque de Emir Mohamed I is not always open to the public. That is not a problem, though — all you would be missing is a closer look at the Muralla Islamica; and that is not missing much, as you can see everything from outside of the wrought iron fence from different angles.
Muralla Islamica
Centro
28005 Madrid
Spain
Muralla Islamica and Parque de Emir Mohamed I are surrounded by the streets of Calle Mayor, le Calle de Bailén, and Cuesta Ramón directly south of the Santa María la Real de La Almudena Catholic cathedral; and the site is located within walking distance several minutes west of the Opera Metro station, which serves the red 2 and green 3 subway lines. Bus stops for the 3, 148 and N16 bus lines are located on le Calle de Bailén right at the site.
All photographs ©2014 by Brian Cohen.
