History of Madrid "Madrid" evolved from the Mozarabic "Matrit", which is still in the Madrilenian gentilic. The site of modern-day Madrid has been controlled since prehistoric times, and archaeological research found a small Visigothic village nearby. In the mid-9th century, Muhammad I of Córdoba constructed a small castle where the Palacio Real stands today. The Moors built a citadel, al-Mudayna, around this castle. They named the area after the nearby Manzanares River, which the Muslims called al-Majrīṭ (Arabic: "source of water"). From this came the name "Majerit", later spelled "Madrid". The Moors controlled the citadel until Alfonso VI of León and Castile conquered
Tetuán (Madrid) Madrid Central Mosque, the oldest and second biggest mosque in Madrid. Tetuán (Madrid) Tetuán is a district of Madrid, Spain. The district takes its name from Tetouan, Morocco, which was the capital of the former Spanish protectorate in northern Morocco. The district is administratively divided into 6 wards ("Barrios"): When Leopoldo O'Donnell returned with his forces to Spain after the Battle of Tétouan (1861), he camped at a spot north of Madrid while a triumphal entry into the capital was being arranged. The camp, which acquired permanent structures as well as shops over time, became the Madrid neighborhood known as