The capital of Spain lies at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, enclosed by the Central Mountain range. It is surrounded by Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y Leon, the two regions that Madrid was once a part of. Although the city very probably existed before that inhabited by the Celts, its verifiable origins date from the 9th Century, when Emir Mehmed I ordered to built a wall (Mayrit) along the length of the Manzanares.

Madrid remained in the shadow of near by wealthier Toledo until the late 11th Century, when Alfonso VI made it part of Al-Andalus. The city fell during the re-conquest of Spain in 1110. Arabs had ruled it for centuries before that. Only the Alcazar (fortress) and the Almaidana (citadel surrounded by fortifications) resisted destruction during the 'Reconquest'. After Alfonso VI came to power, the border of la Corona de Castilla was relocated to Toledo. The Almoravides (Iberians-Spanish) made efforts to recapture what was once theirs, but the struggle gradually weakened after Alfonso VII acceded to the throne. As a result, Islamic society remained largely intact in Madrid, and few buildings were lost.