The Alquife Mines And Railway Company Limited - ( 1904 - 1996 )
12:24 MinutosAlquife produced until the end of the XX century 40% of the iron that was extracted in Spain. Its mines, among the biggest of Europe opened to the sky, continue being today an enormous artificial mountain, drilled in its interior, which marks and distinguishes with its reddish colour the landscape of the Marquesado del Zenete. The iron exploitation in this area began in the days of the Roman Empire and concluded with the crisis of the iron and steel industry of the north of Spain, which caused the loss of profits of the mines and its consequent closing. The history of this town is definitively bound to the exploitation of its mineral deposits, which possibly go back to the Iron Age and the later Argaric Culture. Of this period, indeed, six burials, whose phitoi (great burial vessels characteristic of the Argaric settlements) containing numerous belongings, pieces of ceramics, copper and silver, which are exposed in the Archaeological Museum of Granada, were found in 1965 in the same mining enclosure. The Roman was the first civilization based in territories of Alquife and the one that gave it its name, coming from the word ciphus ("the hill"). The excellent iron deposits attracted the Empire up to here. During the Arab period they continued setting off its mine. In 1489 it was taken by the Catholic Kings. After the Moorish revolt and its later expulsion, it was repopulated with new villagers. Alquife seen many film projects for the Western US: "La Muerte Tenía Un Precio ...
