The historic city walls of Cadiz © Michelle Chaplow |
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Cadiz City - Fascinating Fact 2 - Name that City
The oldest continuously-inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly all of southwestern Europe - it was founded in 1104 BC - Cadiz´s fascinating history and varied fortunes can be glimpsed through the development of its name over the centuries. The Phoenicians called the city "Gadir", which means "walled stronghold"; the Berbers subsequently changed this word to "agadir", meaning "wall". In Greek, Cadiz was called was "Gadeira" - according to Greek legend, Hercules founded the city after his tenth labour. In Roman times, "Gades", its Latin name, was an important upper-class Augustine city. The Moors ruled for 500 years under the name "Qadis". You can still see traces of Cadiz´s ancient fortunes in the word "Gaditano", which means a resident of Cadiz.
- Fact 1 - If Cadiz looks strangely familiar, it could be because you´ve seen it in a James Bond movie - as Havana
- Fact 2 - The history of Cadiz as seen through its name
- Fact 3 - For 200 years Cadiz was regularly attacked by a succession of English pirates
- Fact 4 - Cadiz´s carnival is second only to Rio´s in fame
- Fact 5 - One of Spain´s foremost classical composers, as well as, bizarrely, a celebrated Union general of the American Civil War, were born in Cadiz Cadiz - Fascinating Facts
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