Thursday, July 7, 2016

The Old And Improved Sohail Castle

Continuing my series on old and new Fuengirola (click here), here's Castillo Sohail (Sohail Castle). Built in 956 AD by Abd al-Rahman III, the castle was restored in 2000. (Click the images for a closer look.)

CASTILLO SOHAIL IN THE 1960s, FROM THE DISPLAY ON THE PASEO.

San Geraldo just discovered yesterday that he's got a family connection to the castle.

Abd al-Rahman's grandfather, (Abd Allah ibn Muhammad, Emir of Cordoba) was the first husband of San Geraldo's 34-greats-grandmother, Onneca Fortun de Pamplona, a Basque princess from the Kingdom of Pamplona (later known as the Kingdom of Navarre).

Great-grandma was a very rare case of a Christian princess marrying Muslim royalty. The union created strong ties between these Muslim and Christian rulers of the Iberian Peninsula.

Some years later she returned to Pamplona and married her cousin, Aznar Sánchez of Larraun with whom she had a son and two daughters. Both daughters married kings.

San Geraldo is descended from one of those daughters (I can't remember which) from that second marriage. Otherwise I'd be asking for the keys to the Castle!

NOT ON DISPLAY. ANOTHER IMAGE FROM THE 1960s.
AND TODAY, ALMOST THE SAME VIEW.

And a map to confuse you even more... (just because I find this all so fascinating).

The Iberian peninsula in the early 10th century:
  Territories of the Banu Qasi

20 comments:

  1. They should be casting roses beneath your feet every time the two of you go out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cranky:
      No, it's simply my job to go out ahead of Jerry with the roses.

      Delete
  2. Now I am beginning to understand why you guys are settling down in Spain.......a 'calling home', so to speak.
    Looks like the restoration brought the castle back to life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim:
      The restoration is great. I had no idea until I saw the photos how much work was needed. Now, when I look, it's obvious what's new (they didn't try to disguise it), but the re-construction was beautifully done. It is magical how much Jerry has discovered since we moved here... and not even as a result of the move, simply his continued family research.

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Judy:
      So do I. I'm trying to get all over to town to take new photos in the same positions. Some streets are so filled in with trees that I can't even recapture the view.

      Delete
  4. If San Geraldo has got a family connection to the castle perhaps you two should move it!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bob:
      Well, I WAS going to ask for the keys until he explained to me that they weren't the actually blood relations. Grandma Onneca was part of that family BEFORE remarrying and producing Jerry's line. What a shame. There's room for a pool.

      Delete
  5. It is fascinating. I love those old photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wilma:
      The exhibit is wonderful and makes me want to explore more.

      Delete
  6. We can all learn a lesson from the leaders of Moorish Iberia. The Moors tolerated all religions and Granada, from what I've read, was a center of art and learning where people were able to live in peace, until 1492 that is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephen:
      Too bad the Moors had so many tribal problems of their own. It's fascinating to wonder what the world would be like had that open culture continued to flourish.

      Delete
  7. Excellent workmanship from dedicated stonemasons - me thinks. So perhaps you and San Geraldo should knight a few of them ???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heron:
      I'm nothing more than the royal consort, but I'll see what I can arrange.

      Delete
  8. I went to fuengirola when i was 18
    I remember nothing of it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John:
      At that time, probably the only think memorable about Fuengirola was your presence here!

      Delete
  9. Makes me want to book plane tickets

    ReplyDelete
  10. I had forgotten the Iberian peninsula was once a bricolage of kingdoms. I must take a history of Spain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spo:
      Every day is a history lesson for me. There was so much I didn't know (and there still is)!

      Delete

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