| Melilla | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude | From 0 to 130 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 12.3 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 87.076 (2020) | |
| Prefix tel | 34 952 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 52001 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | San Francisco de Asís Virgen de la Victoria | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Melilla it is an autonomous city Spanish located on the Mediterranean coast of the Morocco.
To know
Melilla, together with Ceuta, the other possession Spanish on Mediterranean coast of the Morocco, is renowned for its architectural heritage which makes it afterwards Barcelona, the most interesting example of modernist style in vogue in Spain of the early twentieth century.
Many of Melilla's modernist buildings bear the signature of Enrique Nieto, a student of Gaudí who arrived here in 1909 and worked there continuously for the next 40 years.
Melilla has some beaches, unfortunately not well maintained and if your primary interest is bathing, you'd better change your destination.
Another drawback is the housing costs, which are higher than a Ceuta and in the other locations on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.
Background
Melilla was probably founded in the 7th century BC. by Phoenician merchants and reached its splendor around the 2nd century BC. The city was incorporated into the Roman province of Mauritania Tingitana in 42 AD.
The Arabs arrived in 680 AD. but a war between Fes is Tlemecen caused the ruin of the city which was abandoned until, starting from the 10th century, its territory was incorporated into the Caliphate of Córdoba by Abderramán III.
The expansion of the Castilians in the north of the Kingdom of Fez during the 15th century culminated in 1497 with the entry of Pedro de Estopiñán into the city, who became dependent of the Duchy of Medina Sidonia and, from 1556, of the Spanish crown.
On September 19, 1774, emissaries of Sultan Mohamed ben Abdallah went to Ceuta to condemn the violation of the treaty and express their intention to expel Christians. On 23 October, the Spanish monarch Carlos III declared war, and on 9 December the first troops began the siege of Melilla, which would last until 19 March 1775.
In 1860, with the Treaty of Wad-Ras, signed by Queen Elizabeth II of Spain and Mohámmed IV of Morocco, the boundaries of the city with Morocco were established, traced as far as the shots of the cannon called "El Caminante" could reach. . Three years later the free port was created. Immigration from the Iberian Peninsula was low at first, but began to strengthen after the Margallo War ended in 1893.
Between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Melilla was the scene of intermittent clashes that resulted in war of the Rif (1921-1926), fought by a Franco-Spanish alliance against Berber insurgents led by Abd el-Krim.
At the end of the conflict, the Spanish protectorate was established over the Mediterranean region of Morocco which had beneficial effects on the city economy. The exploitation of the Rif mines led to the development of a derivative industry and an increase in the merchant traffic of the port of Melilla.
It was in Melilla that the first events of the 1936 military revolt against the Second Republic took place, which resulted in the Spanish civil war and the subsequent establishment of the Franco regime. Franco developed good relations with the Arab nations by refraining from recognizing the state of Israel and by advocating the cause of the independence of Morocco proclaimed in 1956. Ceuta, Melilla and Ifni remained in Spain after the proclamation of independence. Ifni was ceded to Morocco in 1969. After the death of Francisco Franco and the establishment of democracy in Spain in 1977, governments alternated in Spain they refused to settle with the Morocco negotiations of any kind on the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla. In 1985, thousands of Moroccans living in the city were granted Spanish nationality. In that same year Melilla was given the administrative status of an autonomous city, perhaps due to electoral interests and changes in majorities in Andalusia.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Melilla has been one of the economic engines of the Rif region, mainly due to its status as a free port.
Melilla has often risen to the fore in the international news as a transit point for migratory flows of African populations directed towards the territories of the European Union.
How to orient yourself
Melilla: full screen map.The circular Plaza de España constitutes the center of Melilla. It flows into it Avenida Juan Carlos, the main city artery.
Neighborhoods
- Melilla la Vieja occupies the small circular peninsula that juts out into the sea, closing the port area to the north. It is entirely surrounded by medieval walls and inside are the main city museums.
- Melilla La Nueva (Ensanche de Melilla), is the modern part centered on the roundabout of Piazza di Spagna, located just west of the fortress within which Melilla la Vieja is enclosed.
How to get
By plane
- 1 Melilla airport (IATA: MLN). Melilla has its own airport where the airlines operate Air Europa with flights from rum raisin is Air Nostrum with flights from Granada, Madrid, rum raisin, plus others, only seasonal, from Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Palma de Mallorca.
L'1 airport of Nador, 42 km south of the center of Melilla, has a greater selection of flights, including international ones.
The port of Melilla is connected by daily ferries with rum raisin, Almería is Motril. The shipping companies that manage connections with rum raisin and Almería are Baleària and Transmediterránea, while the FRS operates ferries to / from Motril.
By bus
2 Beni Enzar is the border crossing with the Morocco. It can be reached by taxi or by bus line 2 which depart from the terminus of Plaza de España. Other buses run to Beni Enzar from the nearby Moroccan town of Nador.
How to get around
By public transport
Public transport consists of six bus lines whose frequency varies from 20 minutes during peak hours to 40 minutes on holidays.
What see
- 1 Palacio de Asamblea, plaza de España. The town hall is the work of the architect Enrique Nieto who drafted the project in 1932. The interior is in art deco style with an imposing main hall and two twin staircases on either side leading to galleries supported by columns and a skylight with a stained glass window on the ceiling, a curious Assembly Hall and a large Golden Hall in neo-Baroque style.
- 2 Gaselec de la Electricidad Museum, Commander Garcia Morato, 3.
Melilla la Vieja
- Museo de Arqueología e Historia.
- 3 Militar Museum.
- Iglesia de la Purísima Conceptión.
Events and parties
What to do
- 1 Playa de San Lorenzo.
- 2 Playa de los Cárabos.
- 3 Playa del Hipódromo.
Shopping
How to have fun
Shows
- 1 Kursaal-Fernando Arrabal Theater, Av. Cándido Lobera, 8, ☎ 34 952 69 92 96.
Where to eat
- Turnips a la Rusadir (plato de Melilla)
- Paella
- Olla gitana (Andalusian cuisine)
- Chicken a la moruna (cuisine of the Rif)
- Harira (North African cuisine)
- Cazuela de pescados (Spanish cuisine)
- Frituras de pescados (Andalusian and Rif cuisine)
- Pinchitos de carne especiada (cuisine of the Rif)
- Msemen (pañuelitos; cuisine of the Rif)
- Pastela (North African cuisine)
- Cuscús (Maghrebian Cocina)
- Green tea with hierbabuena (cuisine of the Rif)
- Tajín de pescado, chicken, ternera, cordero or kefta (carne picada) (Maghrebian cuisine)
- Marisco, especially las coquinas, las gambas y los langostinos, al ajillo or a la plancha.
Moderate prices
- 1 Emporium, Calle Gran Capitán, 9, ☎ 34 951 13 86 21.
13: 15-16: 00 and 20: 00-00: 00. Unpretentious place serving traditional Spanish cuisine in large portions and at surprisingly low prices (Paella x 2 people € 18 in 2021).
13: 15-16: 00 and 20: 00-00: 00. Unpretentious place serving traditional Spanish cuisine in large portions and at surprisingly low prices (Paella x 2 people € 18 in 2021).Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
- North
3 Tibouda (Approx. 24km / 40 min) - Fishing village amidst rocky landscapes in an isolated but authentic position along the road to the Cape des Trois Fourches.
