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This magnificent building dates back to the beginning of the 14th century when it was built by Yusef 1 of Granada on a former Phoenician site and lighthouse from which the castle's name was derived - gebel-faro (rock of the lighthouse). The castle is famous for being the site of a three month siege by the citizens of Malaga against the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. This came to an end only when hunger led to capitulation, after which Ferdinand occupied the site while his queen took up residence in the town. All that remains of this historic monument today is the series of solid ramparts which rise majestically among dense woods of pines and eucalyptus. The Castillo de Gibralfaro in Malaga is situated above the Alcazaba and is connected by a path at the eastern end of the Alcazaba. It was built in the 14th and 15th centuries by the Muslim King Yusuf, on the site of a Phoenician lighthouse known as Yabal-Faruk, and an older Muslim castle built by Abdar-Rahman I who was an 8th century Cordoban emir. The name is derived from the Arabic word Yabal (mountain) and the Greek word Faruk (lighthouse). The castle was constructed as a fortress to defend the Alcazaba against the spread of artillery use. The fortification includes the defensive devices of a large flanking tower, a rampart perimeter adapted to the terrain by zigzaging walls and an angled gateway. Within the ramparts there once stood a mosque that was converted to a Cristian church and later abandoned because of the exclusively military role of the fortress. An Airon well of Arabic origin and more than 40 metres deep dug out of solid rock can still be seen and is mentioned in historical records. There are also cistern wells, baker's ovens, lookout turrets and the building of an ancient powder magazine. The site of the gunpowder arsenal now houses an exhibition potraying the uses of the castle as a military garrison and coastal lookout post from 1487 to 1925. Plans, weapons, uniforms and objects of everyday life are on display.