Soail

Soail Fortress

Fortress Soail ( Spanish: Castillo Sohail ) - an Arabian fortress on the outskirts of the Andalusian city ​​of Fuengirola in the province of Malaga . Located on a hill 38 meters above sea level near the mouth of the Fuengirola River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea .

In Antiquity, on the site of the fortress, the Phoenician settlement of Sual existed, which was later replaced by ancient Roman buildings. The fortress was built in the middle of the 10th century by the Cordoban caliph Abd ar-Rahman III to protect the mouth of the Fuengirola River, which at that time was navigable for four kilometers.

The fortress was recaptured during the Reconquista in 1485 and subsequently served the local population as a defense against Berber raids . In the 1730s, the fortress was modernized thanks to the efforts of its owner Count de Montemar.

On October 15, 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, the fortress was at the center of hostilities during the Battle of Fuengirola , when a small Polish garrison of 200 people distinguished itself. Thanks to the help of another Polish detachment of the same 200 people, the Poles were able to completely defeat the British expeditionary force of four thousand people, supported by the fleet. The fortress was taken by the Spanish general Francisco Ballesteros on April 16, 1812.

After the war, the fortress of Soil lost its significance and gradually fell into decay. In 1988, the fortress was bought by the municipality and restored. In the summer, the fortress serves as a venue for concerts and other cultural events.