Benalmadena Pueblo remembers its Moorish history

Benalmadena Pueblo remembers its Moorish history with the Zoco Arabe (Arab Souk) which returns after the pandemic from August 25 to 28.

It was in the 8^th Century that the Moors took control of what had been a Roman settlement on the coast and named it Ben-Al-Madina (children of the mines or children of the miners) due to the nearby iron ore and ochre (hydro ferric oxide) mines.

A castle was built on the site that is now the Santa Domingo church in the Pueblo but that was destroyed by the Christians as they captured the area and expelled the Moors.

Nevertheless, with seven centuries of occupation, the Moors left a great legacy in this part of what is now the Costa del Sol and the Benalmadena Council has regularly helped to organise the annual Souk as a nod to the town’s history and a way of generating income for companies in the Pueblo.

The last Souk opened in 2019 and was well attended with not only plenty of artisan stalls selling unusual gifts but with entertainment connected with North African culture but due to the pandemic it wasn’t possible to run the market in 2020 or 2021.

Now, working in conjunction with the Association of Merchants and Entrepreneurs of Benalmadena (ACEB), Centro Comercial Abierto and Andalucia Medieval, the Souk will cover the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, Calle Real, Plaza de España and Jardines de Muro with stalls open and events taking place from noon to midnight.

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