Mojacar
Known throughout Spain as the "Village of
Enchantment" with its sister beach
resort nearby,
Mojacar Pueblo
is undoubtedly the most romantic
picturesque resort town in south-eastern Spain. Its white-washed
houses and cobbled streets are sprinkled atop a hill overlooking
pristine sandy beaches, washed by the warm Mediterranean. This unspoilt
ancient Moorish fortress town has been a favourite with artists and
writers for
many years. The village centre is honeycombed with narrow Kasbah-like alleyways, which hide many quaint surprises, like a Roman fountain
pumping fresh spring water and the unusual fortified church of
Santa Maria. Information on local and provincial fiestas
many years. The village centre is honeycombed with narrow Kasbah-like alleyways, which hide many quaint surprises, like a Roman fountain
pumping fresh spring water and the unusual fortified church of
Santa Maria. Information on local and provincial fiestas
History
Mojacar has been populated since
the Bronze Age around 2000 BC,
Phoenician and Carthaginian traders arrived to serve the growing
communities. Under Greek rule, it was called Murgis-Akra
then the Latinized Moxacar, the Moorish
Muxacra and finally the current "Mojácar". Moors established themselves in Spain
in the early 8th century when the province of Almería
came under the authority of the Caliphate of Damascus
and later ruled from Cordoba. Mojácar quickly grew in
size and importance. With the coronation of of
Muhammad I in
Granada, Mojácar and its lands became part of the Nazari sultanate, and found itself on the
frontier with Christian forces to the east.
Watchtowers and fortresses were built or reinforced
during the 14th century, doing little
to discourage Christian incursions and fierce battles
like the event of 1435 where much of the
population of Mojácar was put to the sword.
In 1488, the leaders of the
region agreed to submit to Christian forces at an
historic meeting at Mojacar's Moorish
fountain with a pact of free association between
the local Moors, Jews and Christians.
Mojácar
expanded until the early 18th century when
records show that several severe droughts
brought about a drop in the town's fortunes, with
a subsequent emigration of inhabitants to northern Spain, Europe
and South America.
By the 1960s tourism began to
reverse the trend. Today, Mojácar remains loyal to
the past with its architecture; the whitewashed houses
and the openness of the people. Perhaps one result of this continuous
mixing of
cultures and
religions is the
Indalo or Mojácar man. This magical totem is
said to bring protection and good luck, and was painted onto the fronts of
houses once the whitewash was dry: keeping away the
evil eye and protecting those within from
storms. The figure might be interpreted to be a man
holding a rainbow between his outstretched arms. The
original totem is thought to be around 4,500 years
old, and the earliest known one appears among other
prehistoric paintings in a cave in
Vélez-Blanco. The name, Indalo, is recent, and was
coined by a group of artists and intellectuals who
settled in Mojácar in the early 'sixties, attracted
by the magic and bewitchment of the town. The totem today
signifies the whole province of Almería.
Source:
INE (Spain)