History of the Alpujarra Almeriense
Under the shelter of the Sierra Nevada, where small white villages dot the landscape, the Alpujarra of Almeria extends with the Andarax river as the main water source for the region. This forms a fertile valley where gardens and grapevines grow, which contrasts with the rugged slopes of the Sierra de Gador. Water is a key element in the whole of the Alpujarra, where the land is replenished by the same rivers and springs that sustained the Muslims more than a thousand years ago.
The history of the Alpujarra was at its most convulsive during the time of Muslim domination, mainly during the 16th century, when there was a Moorish rebellion against the Christian troops of Philip II of Spain.
With the arrival of the Arabs in the year 711 AD, they begin to record historical data about the Alpujarra. In the time of the Taifa kings from the 11th century, the Taifa of Almeria arose as a result of its silk industry, when it became Alpujarra of Almeria in a silk producing center.
Later, in the 13th century, the Muslim environment was limited to the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, which divided the Alpujarra into Tahas (large municipalities) and castles were built in each municipal area. Until recently, the cultivation of mulberry trees and silkworms has been of great commercial importance in the Alpujarra.
Later, in the 13th century, the Muslim environment was limited to the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, which divided the Alpujarra into Tahas (large municipalities) and castles were built in each municipal area. Until recently, the cultivation of mulberry trees and silkworms has been of great commercial importance in the Alpujarra.
After the capitulations of 1492, the Catholic Monarchs granted the Muslim population respect for their beliefs, customs, and their properties. However, the distribution of land to the Castilian aristocracy and the intransigent policy of Cardinal Cisneros provoked several uprisings, the most serious being the one which occurred in the year 1500: this first uprising was suppressed with some difficulty. With the reign of Charles V, relations softened slightly, but when Philip II came to the throne, relations became strained again. This culminated in the Moorish rebellion of 1568, led by Aben Humeya. He was also known as Aben Omeya, as he came from an old Muslim family related to the Omeya who had converted to Christianity in the past.
In the first months of 1569, atrocities were taking place on both sides. In April, Christian control was taken by D. Juan de Austria, stepbrother of Philip II, and after several months of bloody confrontations, he managed to quell the rebellion, he then proceeded to expel the surviving Moorish population (estimated 80,000) to different areas of western Andalusia, La Mancha and Castilla. A few thousand were able to remain in the Alpujarra until they were all expelled from the country in the year 1610, under the reign of Philip III.
