Vélez-Málaga or Balish, as it was called in Arabic, formed part of the history of al-Andalus throughout its different periods until the date of its conquest in 1487. Since its foundation by the Andalusians in the 9th century, it grew in size and importance until it became an important medina, especially in the last period of the history of al-Andalus: the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. The medina was structured around its alcazaba (citadel) and its aljama mosque. Ibn Battuta, the great 14th-century traveller, said of it: "It is a good city, with an extraordinary mosque. There are grapes, fruits and figs in it, as many as in Malaga", and it also had a Jewish quarter and the quarter of the Gomara, the North African military men in charge of its defence. Hardly anything remains of its baths, souk and alcaicería, which made it so famous. Nevertheless, it still preserves some exceptional monuments and one can recognise the Andalusian urban planning in these historic areas of the city.