Alhama de Granada

Alhama de Granada municipality
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Andalusia
Province :	Granada
Coordinates	37 ° 0 ′  N , 3 ° 59 ′  W Coordinates: 37 ° 0 ′  N , 3 ° 59 ′  W
Height :	895  msnm
Area :	433 km²
Residents :	5,979 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	13.81 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	18120
Municipality number  ( INE ):	18013
administration
Mayor :	Jesús Ubiña PP
Address of the municipal administration:	Carrera de Francisco de Toledo, 10 - 18120 Alhama de Granada
Website :	alhama.org
Location of the municipality

Alhama de Granada is one of the cities of the province of Granada in Spain . The city, capital of the Comarca Alhama , is located in the southwest of the province of Granada and is surrounded on two sides (south and west) by the river Río Alhama, which lies deep in its gorge .

etymology

The name Alhama is derived from the Arabic word al-ḥamma  /الحمّة / 'Hot spring'. This refers to the hot springs a little outside the city. The name Alhama and its different variants are widespread across the Iberian Peninsula , but especially in the southeast, such as Alhama de Almería , Alhama de Murcia , Alhama de Aragón and in the variant Alfama (through hypercorrection ) the Catalan Sant Jordi d'Alfama and the Lisbon old town Alfama.

location

It borders on Zafarraya , Loja , Salar , Moraleda de Zafayona , Cacín , Chimeneas (via an exclave of their municipality), Arenas del Rey , Játar , Jayena , Otívar and Santa Cruz del Comercio (enclave in the municipality) of the province of Granada and on Cómpeta , Canillas de Albaida , Salares , Sedella , Canillas de Aceituno and Alcaucín in the province of Málaga .

history

Remains of the Römertherme in a modern design

The oldest finds were made in the Cueva de la Mujer ("The Woman's Cave"). They come from the Neolithic Age . The Romans built the first recorded thermal baths in the Iberian city ​​they called Artigi in the first century BC and a bridge under Octavian . After the conquest of the Visigoth Empire by the Moors , the city received its new name, Alhama . In the 12th century, the thermal baths were rebuilt in the Caliphate style. On February 28, 1482, Alhama was conquered in a spectacular action by the troops of the Catholic Kings led by the Marquis of Cádiz Rodrigo Ponce de León . The city, which is relatively deep in the interior of Granada, was taken in a surprise attack. La Guerra de Granada began with the sacking of the city . According to the sources, an advance guard came over the wall and murdered the gatekeeper. The fortress commander was outside at a wedding, but the Castilian troops were able to imprison his household. The looting allegedly left 800 dead and 3000 prisoners. The Castilian conquerors are said to have appropriated numerous treasures through the looting. When Abu l-Hasan Ali , the Emir of Granada , tried to recapture the Alhama , he was deposed by his son Boabdil, who had remained in Granada . As a result of the conquest, Alhama was a popular city for the Spanish nobility , as evidenced by the various coats of arms on house walls.

On December 25, the earthquake in Andalusia in 1884 shook large parts of the Axarquía (the eastern part of the province of Málaga) and parts of the province of Granada . The earthquake left a total of 900 deaths, 675 of them in the heavily damaged Alhama de Granada.

politics

Historical development in the municipal council of Alhama de Granada

Political party	2011		2015
	Be right %	Seats	Be right %	Seats
PSOE	34.22%	4th	39.66%	5
PP	54.95%	8th	48.34%	7th
IU	8.61%	1	10.66%	1

Population development

Source: INE archive - graphic processing for Wikipedia

Attractions

Alhama de Granada is a tranquil Andalusian town with architectural remains from almost all of its eras. There are also natural beauties such as the gorges ( Los Tajos ) around the old town of Alhama. The Roman bridge is located just outside the city , as are the thermal baths that give it its name, which are integrated into a modern hotel complex. Access is via the reception. Granaries carved into the rock are located right by the old town. In the old town itself there are monuments of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, for example the Casa de la Inquisición in Isabelline style, of which only the facade has been preserved in the original.

economy

The city's main livelihoods are tourism and agriculture, in particular cereal cultivation, pulses ( chickpeas ), olive trees and the breeding of sheep and goats.

El Balneario

Alhama: Bath in the Caliphatic style of the Almohads

The eponymous bathroom is Alhama's main attraction . It is located about 1.5 km outside the city on the river of the same name, Río Alhama, downstream. The bathroom is integrated into a hotel complex, access (with a guide) is available for a small fee. You can see the modern bathing facilities as well as the remains of the Roman bath and the Arab bath, which is built over a spring from which 47 ° hot water gushes continuously. The bathing operation is reserved for hotel guests, the Arab bath itself is not accessible for use. Outside the hotel there is a basin on the bank of the river, into which the hot water from the spring flows. Bathing is free here. A cooling bath in the river is not recommended for reasons of hygiene.

Town twinning

• Bagneres-de-Bigorre , France 

Web links

Commons : Alhama de Granada  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the city of Alhama de Granada
• Official website of the Alhama de Granada City Council
• Thermal bath in Alhama de Granada

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
2. ^ El terremoto de Andalucía 1884
3. ^ Election results 2011 Spanish Ministry of the Interior
4. ^ Election results 2015 Spanish Ministry of the Interior ( Memento of July 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive )