History of Málaga

History of Malaga
 
On the place where now the city is,  once stood a settlement of the Turdulen, a Pre-Romanic people who lived in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. 

There are two theories about how the city was founded. According to one of these, around 1000 v.Christus. Malaga was  founded as one of the colonies of the Phoenicians.  It is probably the oldest and most extensive Phoenician settlement in Spain, due to its convenient location on the Mediterranean Sea, and the possibilities for the construction of a harbor at the foot of the mountain "Gibralfaro". 

Another theory says that the city was founded by a colony from Phocea, who gave Malaga the name Mainake. However,  proof of this is found only in a few written documents, but there are never found archaeological remains of civilization pointing to the Greek founders called  Phocea. Anyway, in the nearby towns of Antequera, Nerja, Comares and Rincón de la Victoria, remains can be found of a much earlier civilization, perhaps of the legendary Tartessians. 

The city was in any case known as "Malaka". Even though it is often said that this name comes from the Phoenician word for "salt", that is linguistically not credible. Most likely, however, the name of the Semitic term MLKT to Melkart, or God of the city (Malik Kart).  Melkart was the god of trade.