Architecture in Malaga

The oldest architectural remains in the city is the Roman theater which dates from the 1st century BCE, and that was rediscovered fortuitously in 1951.
The Moors left the dominating castle on mount Gibralfaro that is connected to the Alcazaba , the lower fortress and regal residence. Both constructions built during the Taifas period (11th century) and extended during the Nasid period (13th and 14th centuries.). The Alcazaba stands on a hill within the city of Malaga. Originally, the Alcazaba monument defended the city from the incursions of pirates. Later, in the mid-11th century, it was completely rebuilt, by the Hammudid dynasty. Occupying the eastern hillside that rises from the sea and overlooks the city, the Alcazaba was surrounded by palms and pine trees.
Like many of the military fortifications that were constructed in Islamic Spain, the Alcazaba of Malaga featured a quadrangular plan. It was protected by an outer and inner wall, both supported by rectangular towers, between which a covered walkway led up the slope to the Gibralfaro. (This was the only exchange between the two sites.) Due to its rough and awkward hillside topography, corridors throughout the site provided a means of communications for administrative and defensive operations, also affording privacy to the palatial residential quarters. The entrance of the complex featured a grand tower that led into a sophisticated double bent entrance. After passing through several gates, open yards with beautiful gardens of pine and eucalyptus trees, and the inner wall through the Puerta de Granada, one finds the eleventh and fourteenth century governor's palace. It was organized around a central rectangular courtyard with a triple-arched gateway and some of the rooms have been preserved until today. An open eleventh century mirador (belvedere), to the south of this area, affords views of the gardens and sea below. Measuring 2.5 square meters, this small structure highlighted scalloped, five-lobed arches. To the north of this area were a waterwheel and Cyclopean well, penetrating forty meters below ground, a hammam, workshops and the monumental Puerta de la Torre del Homenaje, the northernmost point of the inner walls. Directly beyond was the passage to the Gibralfaro above.
The church of Santiago (St James) is a splendid manifestation of Gothic- Mudejar, the hybrid  that evolved after the reconquista incorporating elements from both Christian and Islamic tradition. Also from the period is the Iglesia del Sagrario, which was raised on the site of the old mosque immediately after the city fell to Christian troops. It boasts a richly ornamental portal in the Isabeline-Gothic style, unique in the city.

Façade of the Cathedral
The Cathedral and the Episcopal palace were planned with renaissance ideals but fell short of funds and were finished in baroque style.
The Iglesia de la Victoria built in the late 17th century has a spectacular chapel in which the vertical volume is filled with elaborate baroque plasterwork.