Peña de los Enamorados facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peña de los Enamorados
Peña de los Enamorados seen from the railway line between Seville and Granada
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name: Antequera Dolmens Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, iv
Designated	2016 (40th session)
Reference no.	1501-002
Region	Europe and North America

Peña de los Enamorados
"Sleeping giant"
Highest point
Elevation	880 m (2,890 ft)
Geography
Peña de los Enamorados Location in Spain
Location	Málaga Province, Andalusia
Parent range	Penibaetic System
Geology
Mountain type	Limestone
Climbing
Easiest route	From Antequera

Peña de los Enamorados ("The Lovers' Rock") is a famous mountain in Spain. It is located near the city of Antequera in the Málaga Province of Andalusia. This mountain stands tall at 880 metres (about 2,887 feet) above sea level. It is known for its unique shape and the interesting stories connected to it.

What's in a Name? The Lovers' Rock Legend

The mountain gets its name from a sad but romantic local story. This legend has been passed down through generations.

The Legend of the Lovers

The most popular version of the legend tells of two young lovers. One was a young man from Antequera, and the other was a girl from nearby Archidona. They belonged to different families or groups that were rivals. Because their love was forbidden, they ran away together.

However, the girl's father and his men chased after them. To avoid being captured and separated, the young couple decided to jump from the top of the rock. They chose to be together forever, even in death. This tragic love story gave the mountain its name, "The Lovers' Rock."

Later, a writer named Robert Southey adapted this legend. In his story Laila and Manuel, the lovers were a Muslim girl and a Christian slave.

Columbus and the Mountain's Name

Even the famous explorer Christopher Columbus knew about this mountain's name. His chronicler, Bartolome de Casas, wrote down something Columbus said on October 29, 1492. Columbus was describing what he saw in Cuba. He said the mountains there were "lofty and beautiful, like the peña de las enamoradas." This shows how well-known the mountain was, even centuries ago.

The "Sleeping Giant" or "Indian's Head"

The mountain has another popular nickname: "Montaña del Indio." This means "Indian Mountain." If you look at the mountain from certain angles, it looks like the head of an American Indian lying down. Many people also call it the "Sleeping Giant" because of this unique shape. You can see why it's also called "Sleeping giant" in the infobox image.

Ancient History at Abrigo de Matacabras

At the base of Peña de los Enamorados, on its northwest side, there's a special place called the Abrigo de Matacabras. An "abrigo" is like a rock shelter or a small cave.

Link to the Dolmen of Menga

This shelter is very important because it's directly connected to the famous Dolmen of Menga. A dolmen is a type of ancient tomb made of large stones. The main entrance of the Menga dolmen points straight towards the Abrigo de Matacabras. This is quite unusual for ancient tombs in Europe. Most tombs are aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice, but this one is different. It points north of that sunrise.

Ancient Cave Paintings and Discoveries

Inside the Abrigo de Matacabras, there are ancient cave paintings. These paintings are in a "schematic style," meaning they are simple drawings. A group of researchers called ATLAS from the University of Seville has studied these paintings in great detail.

Their research showed that these paintings are very old, probably from the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. That's over 6,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age)! This discovery proves how important the Abrigo de Matacabras was. It was likely a significant place for the people living in the region during the Stone Age. It shows a unique connection between the landscape, the cave, and the nearby dolmen.

See also

In Spanish: Peña de los Enamorados para niños