Muxima
| Muxima | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
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| Coordinates | 9 ° 31 ′ S , 13 ° 58 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Angola | ||
| Luanda | |||
| Município | Quiçama | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | AO-LUA | ||
| Comuna | Muxima | ||
| founding | 1599 | ||
Muxima ( Portuguese Muxima [ mʊʃˈimɑ ]) is a small town in Angola , near the capital Luanda . It is the capital of the district of Quiçama , which is sometimes called Muxima itself.
The small town is considered the most important place of pilgrimage in Angola, even before Libolo . Every year on August 31st and September 1st, over a million pilgrims come to Muxima.
Muxima means "heart" in the local Kimbundu language.
history
The place was founded in 1599. The Forte de Muxima, which was built as the first fortress in 1581 and then expanded, was part of a line of fortifications along the Cuanza , which was intended to enable and secure the economic and political expansion of the Portuguese colonial power inland. This line of fortresses was particularly important against the advancing Dutch in the mid-17th century. So the residents of Muxima were able to escape to the fortress in 1646 when the place was attacked by the Dutch. In 1655 the fortress was rebuilt. In connection with the Second World War , military units from Portugal, which remained neutral, were stationed here from 1941 to 1948.
Since a presumed apparition of Mary in 1833, Muxima has been the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in Angola. Every year on August 31st and September 1st, about one million believers visit the place.
Attractions
Muxima has been Angola's most important pilgrimage site since 1833. The goal of the Catholic pilgrims is the representation of the Virgin Mary in the church Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Muxima (also Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição or Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Muxima ). The church was rebuilt in the 17th century, after the presumed destruction of the first church in the town, built around 1599, by the Dutch. In 1924 the church was placed under a preservation order. Application has been made for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996 . During the service on Sunday October 27, 2013, supporters of a Christian sect broke into the church and damaged the statue of Mary. However, the intervention of pilgrims and the police prevented greater damage.
The fortress Forte de Muxima , first built in 1581, was also listed as a historical monument in 1924. In 1956 the monument protection status of the complex was renewed. After Angola's independence in 1975, the fort fell into disrepair during the Angolan civil war (1975–2002) before it was restored in 2008. The Muxima Fort has also been applied for as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
In addition, the historic center of Muxima as a whole is one of the state-registered architectural monuments of Angola.
The Kissama National Park is also located in Quiçama County. In 1957 it was the first to be declared a national park in Angola .
administration
Muxima is the seat of a municipality of the same name (Comuna) in the district ( Município ) of Quiçama , Province of Luanda . The exact population of the place is unknown, estimates are around 30,000, but the estimates for the entire Quiçama district are also around 30,000. From now on, the 2014 census should provide reliable population data.
Muxima is the capital of Quiçama County. Since the changes in the administrative structure in 2011, Quiçama has been a district ( Município ) of the province of Luanda , previously it was part of the province of Bengo .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Entry on Muxima ( Memento of the original from November 28, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the website www.guiaturismoangola.com (port.), accessed on June 3, 2014
- ↑ a b Entry of the Forte de Muxima on www.fortalezas.org, accessed on June 3, 2014
- ↑ a b Entry of the fortress of Muxima in the Portuguese list of monuments SIPA , accessed on June 3, 2014
- ↑ Article of August 31, 2013 about the increase in the number of buses to transport visitors to Muxima , state news agency ANGOP , accessed on June 3, 2014
- ↑ Article of August 9, 2013 about new public facilities in Quiçama County , state news agency ANGOP, accessed on June 3, 2014
- ^ Entry of the Church of Muxima in the Portuguese list of monuments SIPA , accessed on June 3, 2014
- ^ Entry of the Church of Muxima on the UNESCO candidate list, accessed on June 3, 2014
- ↑ Article of October 28, 2013 about the damage to the statue of Mary from Muxima , state news agency ANGOP, accessed on June 3, 2014
- ↑ Entry of the Fort of Muxima on the UNESCO candidate list, accessed on June 3, 2014
- ↑ List of protected buildings and places ( memento of the original from February 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. of the province of Bengo (to which Quiçama belonged until 2011) on the website of the Ministry of Culture of Angola (port.), accessed on June 3, 2014
