Terque

TERQUE

Walking through the streets of Terque, visitors should look out for the bourgeois houses that were the product of mining in the Sierra de Gádor and the exportation of dessert grapes. It has about 370 inhabitants.

HISTORY

The first cultural settlement of Terque is likely to have been prehistoric, evidenced by the millenary cave town found by the occupants of the Millares, heirs of the Neolithic culture. However, Terque was formerly known as Marchena. More>

THINGS TO SEE

Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol
The church is well-hidden among the hypnotic whiteness of the nineteenth-century bourgeois mansions in the historic center. The simplicity of its shape and its straight lines reveal that it was originally a mosque. Inside, we are surprised to find Baroque Christian “accessories”, such as the altarpiece, blending with the Arab straight wooden ceilings. Located on Calle Real.

Lavadero
The nineteenth-century public washing area is of Arab style, and was remodeled in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. To the delight of tourists, it offers those inimitable horseshoe-shaped arches so typical of its exquisite architecture. Located on Avenida Rosalía de Castro.

Casa de los Caballitos
This nineteenth-century bourgeois house stands out from the others, particularly for the animals which crown its cornice – these creatures are not horses (caballitos) as they seem at first glance, but griffins (fantastical animals with the head and wings of an eagle and the body and claws of a lion). Located on Calle Porras.

Museo Histórico Etnográfico
The Historical Ethnographic Museum was founded in 2002 by the Terque City Council and the Asociación de Amigos del Museo. It is located in one of the many nineteenth-century bourgeois houses in the town square. Following its rooms across two floors is a tour of local trades, many of them now disappeared, as well as domestic settings and religious, social and political events in the history of Terque and its region. Its permanent exhibition is complemented by temporary exhibitions that are held annually, such as those dedicated to the History of Children, Military Service or Emigration. Location & Opening hours>

Museo Provincial de la Uva del Barco
This Museum was founded in 2006 by the Terque City Council and the Asociación de Amigos del Museo. The Uva del Barco Provincial Museum was provisionally located in the Manuel Galiana municipal theater hall, in Plaza de los Barrileros, while its current building was in construction. Its objective is to reconstruct the social and economic history of the city and province of Almería which, for two centuries, largely lived off the cultivation and marketing of table grapes, the so-called uva del barco (ship grape). Currently the museum houses a permanent exhibition which tells the story of the entire process from harvest to consumer. Location & Opening hours>

NATURAL AREAS

Jardín Botánico
The Terque Botanical Garden is integrated throughout the entire town, with different species of plants exposed in the squares, streets and gardens, arranged in a logical and aesthetic way and accompanied by information panels. This ambitious project was formulated to promote cultural tourism, as well as local ecological values. The exhibition is divided into three areas, one with fruit trees and aromatic plants (ornamental garden), another with species from arid and semi-arid zones (succulent garden) and the third dedicated to native species.

GASTRONOMY

When visiting Terque, why not try some of their local dishes such as migas (fried breadcrumbs served with pork or sardines), olla de invierno (meat stew), gachas con pimentón, trigo y acelgas (semola pudding with smoked paprika and chard), potaje de bacalao (cod stew) and conejo al ajillo (rabbit cooked in garlic). Sweets include mantecados (lard cakes), spolillos (meringues), roscas de miel (honey pastries), roscos (aniseed doughnuts) and arroz con leche (rice pudding).

FESTIVALS

Popular festivals in Terque are Fiesta del Voto, Candelaria, Fiestas de la Santa Cruz and Romería de San Isidro. More>

TOURIST OFFICE

The tourist office is located in the town hall. More>

NEARBY PLACES

The neighbouring villages to Terque are Bentarique, Alhabia and Huécija.

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