History of Malaga
The city of Malaga was founded by Phoenicians approximately in 770BC. The Phoenicians was a naval force of the time, an civilization who began travelling from the area that is described as Canaan, a region that nowadays cover territories from Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and a few coastal areas from Jordan, Syria and the Northeastern part of Egypt. The specific colonists that came to Malaga were from the Phoenician city of Tyre
The name of the city is most likely derived from the Arab word for salt, Malaka, as they have observed that the water in this harbor was more salty than they were used to, since the fish they caught there were more salted. After the period of the Carthaginian (metropolitan city of Phoenicia) colonization, the city was conquered by the Roman legions and was annexed to the Roman Empire. The Latin name became Malaca,so Malaca under the Roman rule developed very much.
Malaga went under Muslim rule during the 8th century AD, when the Arabs invaded many regions of the Iberian peninsula and conquered the land. At first Malaga became a part of the Caliphate of Cordoba but later got promoted into a capital of the kingdom that a Sunni Islamic tribe called the Zirids, established. At this point of history, the city was called Malaqah.
During the Reconquista period, when the kingdoms of Spanish Christians formed a coalition in order to regain the lost territory from the Muslims, Malaga was one from the last area that the Christians won back, in 1487, as Malaga was a part of the Emirate of Granada that proved to be tough and very difficult to fall.
If you wish to see the Arabic influence in the city’s architecture and culture in general, the car hire companies in Malaga are Argus, Budget, Europcar, Avis and Hertz.