Lecture series “The power of the past. 150 years of Archaeology in Spain”.

Following organisational models that are well documented in Andalusian citadels, the Salobreña citadel is divided into three enclosures that had very different uses. The layout of the three gates that mark its perimeter corresponds to a very sophisticated design for the relationship and control of the surrounding territory: the port, the medina and the countryside. Inside, there is a complex system of checkpoints designed to guarantee maximum security, especially that of the enclosure at the top of the mountain, which is none other than the palatine area. In the latter we can identify the very scant remains of the main residence and a tower-qubba which, in addition to housing the throne room, served to stage Nasrid power in front of the jetty at its foot. Attached to the palace and at a lower level, we have exhumed a bath that conserved part of its original glazed floor tiles. The remains of both buildings are sufficient to affirm that their articulation and the presence of the tower-qubba correspond to the existing model in the palace of Comares in the Alhambra.