Melilla - Spain
Melilla was founded by the Phoenicians in the VI century B.C. Although it is hundred per cent Spanish territory, is a world apart from Spain, with a strong personality based on a pleasant combination of Christian and Muslim atmosphere, with small Jew (basically Sephardi) and Hindu communities. The official language is Spanish, but many people can also speak Berber, Arab and Hindi.
After suffering almost eight centuries of invasion by the Muslims through North Africa, who destroyed most of our churches and cathedrals and made the Christians pay abusive taxes (including thousands of virgin girls as a yearly tribute, who were sent to Damascus, on foot, through the desert, to be distributed in the harems), we could finally get rid of their cruel yoke in 1492, and in order to prevent our country from further invasions, in 1497 our Catholic Kings sent Don Pedro de Estopiñán to conquer Melilla, in northern Africa (Morocco did not exist by that time) as a defensive port. The monument devote
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Uploaded: Feb, 28 2009 | Taken: Dec, 01 2008| Viewed: 31 times
Camera: NIKON | Model: E5600 | Exposure 10/810s, ISO 50 | FLength: 5mm | SW: E5600v1.0
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- Mar, 01 2009 05:03pm
Jorge, it looks like it was pouring with rain in Africa... My first reaction from, what seems like an unfinished commentary, that you might have taken us on a journey rather far with your politically flavoured reflection... 'a 100% Spanish?', 'cruel yoke'... ;)
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