Cádiz, Spain

In a previous post (Atlantis off the coast of Spain?) I discussed possible locations for ancient Atlantis. My favorite choice is off the coast of Cádiz, a seaport on the Atlantic coast of Spain, near the Straits of Gibraltar.

There is a lot to learn about this fascinating city. The earliest history we know is that the city began as a Phoenician trading port. The Phoenicians called it Gadir. (Phoenician, Gdr, means a wall or enclosed/fortified space.) It was a wealthy city trading in amber, tin and silver. The city continued to be important under the Carthagians (Carthage was another city founded by the Phoenicians), the Greeks (who called the city Gadeira) and the Romans who called it Gades.

The city fell into squalor after it was sacked by Alfonso X, wresting it from the control of the Moors in 1262.

The city saw a revival though when Christopher Columbus sailed from its ports and naturally returned there with new wealth.

For more on this incredible city, visit the City of Cádiz homepage.

Consider visiting Cádiz on the Ubiquity International tour "Moors, Romans and Conquistadores" of Spain led by Alexa Flores-Hull.