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History of Vejer
Archaeological remnants establish
that Vejer was inhabited before the rule of the Carthaginians around
400B.C. The reason being that the area is strategically positioned
for ships to easily set out to sea through the river. It was used
by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians to defend the factories and
the tunny fishing that occupied their coasts. The town was initially
called ‘Baka’. The Romans later occupied the region
and named the town ‘Besaro’. There are several monuments
and relics from the time of the Roman rule.
The Vandals occupied the southern
part of spain for a short period of time before the Arabs took over.
The Arabs named the region ‘al-Andalus’ meaning country
of the Vandals and named the city ‘Bashir’. Later it
came to be known as "Vejer of the Honey" for the quantity
of beehives and honey produced in the city. The city prospered under
the Arabs for the next 5 centuries with the infrastructural development
of streets, houses, castles and fortifications. The peace was destroyed
during the reconquest during the 13th century. In 1250 it was conquered
by Fernando III, who built walls around the whole city. Vejer continued
to change hands between the Christians and Arabs following the 13th
century. Guzmán 'el Bueno' protected Vejer against the last
Arab attack in 1292. In 1293 Guzmán became the first mayor
of Vejer and a reward for his contributions, Guzmán was given
ownership of the land by Fernando IV.
In 1805 Admiral Nelson of the British navy defeated
the unified French and Spanish armada at Cabo Trafalgar. The battle
of Trafalgar gave international recognition to this area. Later
in 1811 Napoleon's troops occupied Vejer. Don José Miranda
Cabezón, led a successful campaign against the French occupation
which once again resulted in the liberation of Andalusia. The 20th
century saw the birth of forts like the one on Pirata beach and
los apartmentos, to keep enemies at bay. The Guardia Civil headquaters
were also built to watch the coast.
After the civil war, the municipality of Barbate
was founded and the area was administratively dependent on this
city. Population of the city grew and tourism gained momentum in
the 1960s in Los Canos. Roads and other urbanization projects along
with the movida and nudism attracted tourists to Vejer.
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