Which other cities rank among the oldest in Spain?
Huelva, founded in the Xth century bC by Phoenicians, and Tartessos as a commercial enclave.
Jaén, founded as well in the Xth century, was kickstarted by Iberians but then fell onto Carthaginian, and later even Roman, hands
Seville, Andalusia’s capital, can be traced back to the VIIIth century bC, when it was founded by the Tartessians as well.
The only non-Andalusian city among this top 10 of oldest Spanish cities is Ibiza, founded as Ibossim in 654 bC by Carthaginians. This goes to show the geostrategic prominence of Andalusia in the Southwest of Europe, able to point both at Africa and the Atlantic ocean without quitting the Mediterranean. Its mineral riches, agricultural potential and sheer surface also must have counted among the factors which made Andalusia irresistible for ancient civilizations since the Stone Age.