The modern capital of Spain originated from an early Umayyad defensive outpost, named after the Arabic word Madris, a word for the river on whose banks once were tended orchards of apple trees.

The main streets of the medina began at the doors of the city wall and were paved with stone. Around these main thoroughfares, a labyrinth of tiny alleyways erupted. Due to a lack of construction regulations, people would build their homes wherever and however they wished, which meant that streets were never completely straight, and towns would quickly turn into mazes that locals had to know like the back of their hands.

We will be recalling Madrid’s Islamic origins as we pass by some of the city’s most famous monuments, the arched city gates that gave access to the former Muslim citadel. The Puerta del Sol, Puerta de Toledo, and Puerta de Alcalá, among others, are modern-day icons of Madrid, embedding the city’s history in stone, even though their architectural styles have evolved with the passage of time, and range from Neoclassical to Renaissance.