Cádiz


Cádiz (/kəˈdɪz/, US also /ˈkdɪz,ˈkæd-,ˈkɑːd-/ ,[2][3][4] Spanish: [ˈkaðiθ]) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.

Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, was founded by the Phoenicians.[5] In the 18th century, the Port in the Bay of Cádiz consolidated as the main harbor of mainland Spain, enjoying the virtual monopoly of trade with the Americas until 1778. It is also the site of the University of Cádiz.

Situated on a narrow slice of land surrounded by the sea‚ Cádiz is, in most respects, a typically Andalusian city with well-preserved historical landmarks. The older part of Cádiz, within the remnants of the city walls, is commonly referred to as the Old Town (Spanish: Casco Antiguo). It is characterized by the antiquity of its various quarters (barrios), among them El Pópulo, La Viña, and Santa María, which present a marked contrast to the newer areas of town. While the Old City's street plan consists of narrow winding alleys connecting large plazas, newer areas of Cádiz typically have wide avenues and more modern buildings. In addition, the city is dotted with numerous parks where exotic plants flourish, including giant trees allegedly brought to Spain by Columbus from the New World.

Numismatic inscriptions in the Phoenician language record that the Phoenicians knew the site as a Gadir or Agadir (Phoenician: ‬𐤀𐤂𐤃𐤓, ʾGDR),[6] meaning 'wall', 'compound', or (by metonymy) 'stronghold'.[7] Borrowed by the Berber languages, this became the agadir (Tamazight: 'wall'; Shilha: 'fortified granary') common in North African place names,[8] such as that of the Moroccan city of Agadir. The Carthaginians continued to use this name and all subsequent names have derived from it.

Attic Greek sources hellenized Gadir as tà Gádeira (Ancient Greek: τὰ Γάδειρα), which is neuter plural. Herodotus, using Ionic Greek, transcribed it a little differently, as Gḗdeira (Γήδειρα). Rarely, as in Stephanus of Byzantium's notes on the writings of Eratosthenes, is the name given in the feminine singular form as hè Gadeíra (ἡ Γαδείρα).

In Latin, the city was known as Gādēs and its Roman colony as Augusta Urbs Iulia Gaditana ("The August City of Julia of Cádiz"). In Arabic, the Latin name became Qādis (Arabic: قادس), from which the Spanish Cádiz derives. The Spanish demonym for people and things from Cádiz is gaditano.


Satellite view of the Bay of Cádiz
Phoenician anthropoid sarcophagi (400–470 BC) found in Cádiz, thought to have been imported from the Phoenician homeland around Sidon (now in the Museum of Cádiz)[9][10]
Votive statues of Melqart-Hercules from the Islote de Sancti Petri
The Bay of Cádiz in antiquity featuring a notably different coastline.
Defense of Cádiz against the English, by Francisco de Zurbarán, 1634 (Prado Museum, Madrid)
Proclamation of the 1812 Constitution of Cádiz.
City skyline
View of Cadiz, with Catedral de Cádiz, from Mirador El Vendaval
San Francisco church
Plaza de San Antonio and church
Cádiz Cathedral
View of the Plaza de San Juan de Dios, featuring the façade of the Old Town Hall.
Monument to the Constitution of 1812
Admiral's House
Plaza de las Tortugas
La Pepa Bridge at night
View of the cathedral from Playa de la Santamaría
Tortillita de camarones
Poster advertising the 1926 Carnival of Cádiz
View of the Port of Cádiz