The Alcazaba is located on a solitary hill overlooking the town and bay of Almería. Together whith the walls of the river basin and the Cerro de San Cristóbal, the forstress is one of the most impressive mediaeval defensive complexes in Al-Andalus.

Its present-day structure is the result of its historical evolution and the many alterations made to it over the centuries. The sheer slopes of the hill and the dominating views of the surrounding area were determining factors in the choice of this site for a fortress, as well as in its continued military use right up until the twentieth century. It was declared a Historical-Artistic Monument and National Artistic Treasure in 1933 and work on restoring and adapting it for visitors begain in 1940.

In 1989, the Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía, which has owned and managed the monument since the auntonomous regional government was set up, created the institution known as the Conjunto Monumental de la Alcazaba, whit the aim of ensuring its preservation and encouraging the study and dissemination of its important historical legacy.