During the Middle Ages, the city of Algeciras played a crucial role as a maritime traffic hub. It concentrated the movement of pilgrims heading to Mecca, as well as travelers and goods circulating between al-Andalus and North Africa. Andalusian authorities organized and controlled this port, recognizing it as a commercial, fiscal, and military base of great strategic value.
From its early days, the port of al-Yazira al-Jadrá was an embarkation point for Andalusian pilgrims bound for Mecca. It also witnessed the passage of Arabs and Umayyad clients who crossed the Strait fleeing the Shiite Abbasids. Historians such as al-Idrisi (12th century) and al-Himyari (14th century) highlighted the safety and convenience of its shelter, even in winter, considering it the most suitable point for crossing the Strait and the closest to the African coast.
“"Its port is the best of ports for crossing the Strait."
From the 10th century onwards, with the construction of shipyards by Abderramán III, the port of Algeciras added a military base function to its roles in passage and trade. These facilities were dedicated to both ship repair and galley refuge, as well as commercial activity and passenger control. A governor, known as qa’id, was responsible for military functions and fiscal control of goods and passengers.
Commercial and passenger traffic was intense between the 11th and 14th centuries. Arab historical and geographical sources document the construction of port infrastructures by the emirs, who also appointed officials responsible for their maintenance. A 12th-century scholar, Ibn Abdún, emphasized the importance of protecting the port area as state property, vital for the city and trade.
The port of Algeciras, strategically located on the northern shore of the Strait, channeled much of the traffic with the nearby ports of Ceuta and Tangier. It received Maghrebi wheat, horses, hides, metals, and coral jewelry, and exported fruits, salted fish, salt, and luxury ceramics. However, by the end of the 13th century, the Battle of the Strait led to a decline in its use as a transit port, being replaced by the ports of Málaga and Marbella.
