Antequera

 

Antequera is geographically the largest city of the province of Malaga. Due to its importance for culture and history of the country and its geographical location at the crossroads between Malaga, Granada, Cordoba and Seville, the city, since the 16th century, carries the nickname "Heart of Andalusia". At the edge of the mountain ranges of El Torcal and El Arco Calizo Chimenea, Antequera is located in a geographically and historically unique landscape. The nearby saltwater lagoon Fuente de Piedra is one of the few breeding sites of the Pink Flamingo in Europe.

From the 7th century BC Iberians populated the region. Their cultural and economic contacts with the Phoenicians and Greeks have been proven by numerous archaeological finds. From the early 13th century Antequera was border town between the Muslim Andalusia and the Catholic kingdoms to the north. The massive Alcazaba (citadel) still attests to that era.

 

In 1410, the town was conquered by Ferdinand I of Aragon, starting the downfall of the Muslim rule in Spain's south. But only after the fall of Granada in 1492 Antequera flourished again. Its central location between the four southern Spanish cities and the excellent conditions for agriculture along the Rio Guadalhorce contributed significantly to its rise.

Today 40,000 Antequeristas live in one of the major cultural centers of southern Spain, as the city's museums are said to hold about 80% of all notable art of the province of Malaga.

At the north-eastern outskirts of the city the Dolmen de Menga and de Viera hail from around 3800 BC. With up to 25 meters in diameter, they are amongst the largest megalithic structures in Europe and were added to the UNESCO Cultursal World Heritage in 2016. Just to give an impression of the sheer size: The heaviest of the 32 megaliths of the Dolmen de Menga weighs around 180 t. After the chamber and the hall, constructed from massive slabs of rock, were completed, the whole structure was covered with earth. The hill has been preserved until today.

Whether the dolmens were used as burial sites or for other purposes (for example, as a meeting place), is controversial. There is contradicting information on the web with regard to the discovery of skeletons when the Dolmen de Menga was first explored in the 19th century.

El Torcal is a popular destination for climbers.