Cartagena, Spain

Cartagena is a city in the Region of Murcia in Spain. As of 2024, with a population of 219,235, it is the second most populated municipality in the Region of Murcia. The city lies in a natural harbour of the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The wider urban or metropolitan area of Cartagena, known as Campo de Cartagena, has a population of 409,586 inhabitants. Qart-Hadast was founded around 227 BC by the Barcids of Ancient Carthage. Known as Carthago Nova under Roman rule, it was the capital of Hispania Carthaginensis. It was briefly held by the Byzantine Empire in late antiquity, before being raided by Visigoths circa 620–625. The Islamic city rebuilt around the Concepción Hill, mentioned as Qartayânnat al-Halfa, was noted by the 11th century as a great harbor.