Barcia Arab War Cemetery
The Barcia Arab War Cemetery, or better known as the Moro Cemetery, is located in the parish of Barcia, in the municipality of Valdés (Asturias) . It was built in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War to bury Arab legionaries from Morocco who fell in the Oviedo offensive . The Moroccan soldiers of the Spanish Legion were used as cannon fodder west of Oviedo during fighting in El Escamplero .
There is no information on the number of Arab legionaries who were buried in the military cemetery. Some sources assume up to 300 graves. In addition, another 120 Arab legionaries were buried in the parish cemetery of Barcia. The fallen Arab legionaries were buried without identification .
The military cemetery has about 4000 square meters and is one of the largest military cemeteries in northern Spain. In the military cemetery are the remains of a mosque , which apparently was never completed. The cemetery was surrounded by a wall that completely encloses the cemetery in a rectangular shape with four watchtowers. Access to the military cemetery is via an Arab portal.
Today the cemetery is overgrown with acacias , eucalyptus and pine trees . The aim of the local administration is to restore the Arab military cemetery. Currently, to preserve the military cemetery, the cemetery is being recorded as the historical heritage of Spain. The military cemetery and 29 other buildings in Asturias were listed as historical monuments.
Web links
- Cementerio Moro o musulmán de Barcia, Luarca, Asturias on YouTube
- Cementerio moro en Barcia-Luarca (Asturias). In: La Guerra Civil Española. Retrieved May 29, 2012 (Spanish).
Coordinates: 43 ° 32'9.9 " N , 6 ° 29'25.2" W.