Mojácar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mojácar, Spain | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | Almería |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Gabriel Flores Morales (PSOE) |
| Area | |
| - City | 72 km² (27.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 152 m (502 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - City | 6,092 |
| - Density | 84.6/km² (219.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Mojácar is situated in the south east of the Province of Almería (Andalucía) in southern Spain, bordering the Mediterranean Sea; its people are called “Mojaqueros”. In 2005 it had 6,092 inhabitants. Its total surface is 72 km², with a total population density of 84.6/km². Its coordinates are 37º 08' N, 1º 51' W. It is 152 m above sea level and 90 km from the capital of the province, Almería. It is an elevated mountain village displaying the traditional white color from its earlier days. There is also a tourist resort to the south of the town on the coast called Mojacar Playa.
Contents |
[edit] History
Mojácar has been habitated by many and varied peoples since antiquity. Populated since the Bronze Age around 2000 BC, traders such as Phoenicians and Carthaginians arrived to serve the growing communities. Under Greek dominion, the settlement was called Murgis-Akra, from whence came the Latinized Moxacar, the Moorish Muxacra and finally the current name of Mojácar. The north African Moors established themselves in Spain in the early 8th century and the province of Almería became under the authority of the Caliphate of Damascus and later ruled from Cordoba.
Under this second enlightened rule, Mojácar quickly grew in size and importance. With the coronation of Muhammad I of Córdoba in Granada, Mojácar and its lands became incorporated into the Nazari sultanate, and the town found itself on the frontier with the Christian forces to the east. Watchtowers and fortresses were built or reinforced during the 14th century, which nevertheless did little to discourage Christian incursions and fierce battles like the bloody event of 1435 where much of the population of Mojácar was put to the sword.
On June 10, 1488, the leaders of the region agreed to submit to the Christian forces, although Mojácar's alcaide refused to attend, considering his town to be already Spanish. At that time occurred the well-known meeting at Mojácar's Moorish fountain, where a pact of free association between the local Moors, Jews and Christians was agreed to. Mojácar once again began to expand until the early 18th century, when the census of the time recorded 10,000 people. Around the middle of the 19th century, Mojácar began another period of decline.
The records state that several severe droughts brought about this drop in the town's fortunes, with a consequent emigration to northern Spain, Europe and South America. The depopulation of Mojácar was reaching worrying proportions by the 1960s when tourism began to reverse the trend. Today, Mojácar remains loyal to the past with architecture, the whitewashed houses and the openness of the people, who inherited the ways of understanding and sympathy from their forebearers. 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 from times past was always 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 Velez 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, and who commercialised the totem which today signifies the whole province of Almería.
[edit] Demographics
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4,615 |
4,825 | 4,983 | 5,279 | 5,959 | 5,375 | 6,092 |
Source: INE (Spain) Indalo Man has, probably due to the increase in tourism, spread in popularilty and has been seen on houses as far apart in Europe as Brittany in France and Cornwall in England for the benefit of it's protection from storms and the evil eye.
[edit] Climate
Mojácar has more than 3000 hours of sun per year. The medium yearly temperature is around 20 ºC. Winter is practically nonexistent, it passes as a long autumn or spring, with the marine temperature higher than the air temperature.
[edit] Cuisine
The traditional dishes still found today in Mojácar denote the rural nature and the Arabic origins of the village. Its cuisine is plain. Amongst the most well known dishes are: Gurullos, Pelotas, Gachas, Migas, Ajo Colorao, and Pescado frito.
[edit] Fiestas
Fiestas are important in Spain, and tend to be very participative. The most important in Mojácar are:
- Moors and Christians: the nearest weekend to the 10th of June.
- San Agustín: Agustín is the male patron saint of Mojácar. This fiesta falls on 28 August.
- Romería de San Isidro: 15 May.
- San Juan Hogueras: (Bonfires of Saint John) 24 July.
- Virgen del Rosario: Rosario is the patron saint of Mojácar.
The cuisine of the beach area of Mojacar Playa is increasingly becoming more international with high quality restaurants serving English, French, Mexican and Argentine food to name just a few. As well as this there are many late opening beach bars or chiringuitos serving quality food and dring until the early hours. Mojacar Playa is becoming an increasingly popular and sophisticated resort.
[edit] Arts
Mojácar is home to the Fundación Valparaíso, an international artists colony.
[edit] External links
- (Spanish) Mojácar - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía
- (Spanish) Mojácar - Diputación Provincial de Almería
- Costa Almeria Community Non commercial community website for the whole of the Costa Almería including Mojácar
- Mojacar.info Guide and portal to Mojácar
- Mojacar.net Spanish portal for Mojácar
- The Entertainer Online English-language Mojácar newspaper for expats*[*[1]
