Torres almenaras medievales y postmedievales en ambas riberas del mar de Alborán. Un estudio comparativo

Abstract

In this paper, we make a summary report of our research programme covering both shores of the Alboran Sea in the Middle Ages, including the coast of eastern Andalusia, formerly part of al-Andalus, and the historic territory of the Moroccan Rif. In this case, a comparison is made between the coastal defensive systems of the two territories. Written documentation, architectural archaeology and space archaeology are used to carry out this task. The most important contributions of this work are the establishment, for the first time, of an intervisibility analysis of the Moroccan watchtowers, which makes it possible to measure the true importance of these towers in their context, and a proposal on the date of foundation of these towers (first half of the 16th century and by Abū l-Ḥasan ‘Alī al-Manẓarī) thanks to the comparison between those ones and the towers of Granada and Malaga, their situation and characteristics.