Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC followed by a period of Islamic rule. Aragonese Christian conquest took place in 1238, and so the city became the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia. The city's population thrived in the 15th century from trade with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, Italian ports and other locations in the Mediterranean, becoming one of the largest European cities by the end of the century. With the emergence of the Atlantic Ocean in lieu of the Mediterranean in global trade and the insecurity created by Barbary piracy throughout the 16th century, the city's economic activity declined  after the expulsion of the Moriscos (Former Muslims forced into conversion to Christianity) in 1609. The city became a major silk-manufacturing centre in the 18th century. The city served as the seat of the Spanish Government from 1936 to 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Today, the city's port is the 5th-busiest container port in Europe and the second busiest container port in the Mediterranean. Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain. Due to its long history, Valencia has numerous celebrations and traditions, such as the Falles, which were declared Fiestas of National Tourist Interest of Spain in 1965 and a cultural heritage by UNESCO in November 2016. We spend time on this trip at the Cuidad de las Arts y las Ciencias, El Carmen (the old town), the Mercadio Central and the Silk exchange.