Caractéristiques
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Maison urbaine
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1 chambre
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4 couchages
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1 salle de bain
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50 m² de superficie
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25 m² de terrasse
Divers
Description
The house is a typical Andalucian house of Moorish origins in the Axarquia region of Malaga Province. It has two floors plus a large roof terrace, and is on the edge of the Sierra Al Mijara and Tejeda Natural Park and Wildlife Reserve. On entering the house you will find a reception area and a large double bedroom with an archway leading to a dressing area. The typical Andalucian ceilings are cane and beam. The floors are tiled in terra cotta. A three-piece bathroom comprising of a W.C., sink, and bathtub with shower attachment is also on the ground floor. This was formerly the bodega (wine cellar).
A stone staircase leads up to the second floor. This is the living/dining and kitchen area. There are two sofas (one is a double sofa bed) a coffee table, a comfortable rocker and a television with video and DVD. There is also a wood burning stove for the cooler winter months and an air conditioner for the summer. Between the two rustic windows is the dining table with four chairs. The kitchen area has a fridge, a four burner gas stove top and an oven. There is lots of cupboard space under the kitchen counter. Some small appliances such as a toaster, iron, microwave and a CD/radio/cassette player are also available, along with a large selection of videos to choose from.
The kitchen leads onto a small balcony overlooking the street below. An outside stairway also leads from the balcony to the roof terrace. The furniture on the roof terrace includes a table, chairs, two foldable beach lounge beds and a BBQ. Looking south from the roof terrace one can see wonderful views of the rooftops of the village and the narrow winding roads leading down towards the Mediterranean Sea. If you turn around and look North, you will see the Sierra Almijara and the peak of Maroma at just over 6,000 feet, as well as the whitewashed village of Sedella five kilometres away. The roof terrace is a great spot for outdoor dining and sitting out under the brilliant starry night skies.
There are many trails leading from the village up into the sierra. There is a particularly beautifully scenic and invigorating climb which starts at the Roman Bridge and takes three hours. Another climb will take you near the summit of Maroma. Still other walks will link you up with the many villages that dot the foothills. The villagers make a fine local terreno, or local wine, which is extremely cheap and eminently drinkable!
The history of the village
Salares, Archez, Sedella, Canillas de Albaida, Canillas de Aceituno, Competa, are all villages which stand at the foot of the impressive Tejeda and Almijara Sierras; all are morisco (Moorish convert to Christianity) villages, where vines were the main crop and are still an important element in the landscape as well as the economy; all display similar characteristics, reflecting the true essence of the Axarquia region, its scenery, its way of life and its history.
The layout of their streets and the architecture of their whitewashed houses, which create unforgettably-picturesque corners, gives them a unique seal of identity, so much so that, together, they make up what is known as the Mudejar Route (Ruta del Mudéjar).
The highlight of the village of Salares is undoubtedly the minaret of its church, declared a monument of historical and artistic importance.
Before the arrival of the Romans. Salares had been inhabited by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians. The Roman era, during which the village was known as Salaria Bastitanorum, saw the building of the bridge over the River Salares which still stands in excellent condition at the exit from the village and is still in use.
The villages urban design has changed little since Moslem times. A small castle once stood here, though all that remains today is a tower which now forms part of a dwelling known as the turret house.
The church still conserves the minaret of the former mosque, covered in sebka material and tiling, as its belfry, as well as several pillars discovered during its restoration.
Following the capture of Velez-Malaga by the Catholic Monarchs (1487), the inhabitants of Salares were subjected to Christian rule. in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs gave control of Algarrobo, Salares and Benescalera (no longer in existence) to Don Pedro Enriquez, Chief Governor of Andalusia, but he died that same year, and the aforementioned villages were inherited by his widow, being known for a time as "Catalina de Riveras territories".
Years later, 1569 saw an almost general revolt by the moriscos (Moslem converts to Christianity) of Salares, Cutar, Benamargosa, Competa, Sedella, Daimalos and other villages in the Axarquia region against Christian rule; the rebels established themselves at El Peñon de Frigiliana, where they were finally defeated by the governor of Velez, Alvaro de Zuarzo. His ruthless oppression was followed by the definitive expulsion of the moriscos from the area in 1791.