Ventas de Zafarraya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ventas de Zafarraya
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Village
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| Nickname(s):
Venteños
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 Ventas de Zafarraya
Location in Spain
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| Country | Spain | ||
| Autonomous community | Andalusia | ||
| Province | Granada | ||
| Municipality | Alhama de Granada | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 19.23 km2 (7.42 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 920 m (3,020 ft) | ||
| Population
(2019)
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| • Total | 1,181 | ||
| • Density | 61.41/km2 (159.06/sq mi) | ||
| Postal code |
18125
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Ventas de Zafarraya is a small village in Spain, located in the area of Alhama de Granada in Granada. It sits near a mountain pass, surrounded by the Sierra de Alhama and Sierra de Tejeda mountains. This village is on an important road that connects Vélez-Málaga to Alhama de Granada. A big earthquake destroyed the village in 1884, but it was bravely rebuilt.
Contents
Where is Ventas de Zafarraya?
Ventas de Zafarraya is part of the Alhama de Granada area in Granada, Spain. It covers an area of about 19 square kilometers (7.4 square miles). The village is located high up, at an elevation of 920 meters (3,018 feet) above sea level.
Population and Postal Code
As of 2019, about 1,181 people lived in Ventas de Zafarraya. The postal code for the village is 18125.
Important Location
The village is on a key road that links Alhama de Granada in the west of Granada to Vélez-Málaga in Malaga. Because it's on this important route, the number of people living there grew quickly in the second half of the 20th century.
A Look Back: History of Ventas de Zafarraya
The area around Ventas de Zafarraya has a very long history! Scientists found 40,000-year-old bones of a Neanderthal man in a nearby cave called Boquete de Zafarraya. This shows that people lived here a very long time ago.
Early Settlements
The first known village in this spot was built around the 6th century A.D. by the Visigoths. We know this from old sites found right in the middle of the village. The name "Zafarraya" comes from an Arabic phrase, Manzil Fahs Rayya. During the time when the Moors ruled, the flat lands here were managed from a town called Zalia, which no longer exists.
Disputes and Growth
After Christians took over Zalia, the grazing lands of Zafarraya were argued over for many centuries. The towns of Alhama de Granada and Vélez-Málaga both wanted control. Ventas del Llano de Zafarraya started as a market. It was located in the Boquete, right next to the main road from Granada to Málaga. In 1833, the village moved from the province of Málaga to Granada. Then, in 1842, Ventas de Zafarraya became its own official municipality (a self-governing area).
The Great Earthquake of 1884
On December 25, 1884, a huge earthquake hit the area. It was very powerful, with an estimated strength of 6.5. This earthquake caused 745 deaths in total. Villages like Arenas del Rey, Ventas de Zafarraya, and Alhama de Granada were almost completely destroyed.
The earthquake's center was near Ventas de Zafarraya. Seventy-four people died in Ventas de Zafarraya alone. The village was rebuilt almost entirely with money sent from Cuba, which was a Spanish colony at the time. Because of this help, the village became known as "New Havana."
The Railway Era
A railway line reached the village in August 1922, coming from Vélez-Málaga. The plan was for it to continue to Alhama de Granada, but it stopped at Ventas de Zafarraya. This was a special type of railway called a rack railway. It was designed to climb the steep slopes up to the Boquete, which is 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) above sea level.
A hotel for tourists was built near the station. This helped the local economy a lot. However, as roads and cars became better, the train line stopped making money. It was closed on May 12, 1960. In 1975, Ventas de Zafarraya joined the municipality of Alhama de Granada again.
See also
In Spanish: Ventas de Zafarraya para niños
