Villages in Almeria

Terque

Terque – Valle Medio del Andarax Region

Terque has 16,8 km2 and belongs to the region of the Valle Medio del Andarax, the town is located on the left bank of the river Andarax, facing south.

It borders on the terms of Alsodux, Santa Cruz de Marchena, Alhabia, Alhama, Alicún, Huécija and Bentarique. Geologically it is included in the Valley of the River Andarax, which is a Neogene basin.

Terque was in the past Marchena. In the hill of the same name was located the village of Marcius, from the Roman period, probably at the time of Augustus, hence the name Marchena.

The municipal area of Terque is full of caves; it is possibly that the first settlements were from prehistoric times. During the period of Al-Andalus, it was called Marshana, it would be one of the places that the Yemenis founded and formed part of the territory called Urs al-Yaman, this was composed of 20 castles to defend the region of Pechina in the IX century. Marchena would be one of the most important fortresses of the time. In the Moorish period, it gave the name to the taha of Marchena made up ten places. Terque would be a little farm next to Marchena.

With the Christian conquest at the end of the XV century, with the surrender of Baza and the Capitulaciones of Almería in 1489, the taha of Marchena was given by the Catholic Monarchs to Don Gutierre de Cárdenas y Chacón in 1494. The earthquake of 1522 destroyed the fortress of Marchena and its inhabitants are divided between Terque and Huécija, this fact and the consequences of the Christian conquest will increase the population in Terque to the detriment of Marchena obtaining the category of villa like Huécija.

The War of the Alpujarras (1568-1570) will result in the depopulation of Terque by the expulsion of the Moorish from the Kingdom of Granada. The repopulation is carried out in 1573 by Old Christians from Castilla-La Mancha, Andalucía and Levante. This demographic empty will not recover until XVIII century.

With the abolition of the feudal system in 1835 we entered in the XIX century. This fact will bring about the independence as a municipality. The second half of the XIX and at the beginning of the XX century will be characterized by the enrichment of the town due to the monoculture of the grapes called Ohanes. With the Civil War and its postwar period starts a period of economic and population decline. Nowadays it is producing a positive change to improve agricultural conditions with the start of the vineyard and the beginning of an alternative crop of oranges, and social improvements.

Sierra Nevada National Park

Terque Monuments

Parish Church of Santiago Apostol, XVI century. Mudejar style.

Town Planning

Cuevas vivienda.

La Plaza del pueblo. With centenary trees.

Placeta de las Adelfas.

Terque Gastronomy

In the cold winter days, when the rain appears, it is customary to cook flour or crumbs of bread, accompanied by pepper soup, fried peppers and dried tomatoes, fish and chops, all with a good local wine.

The stews are also eaten, cooked in its different forms: corn, squash and fennel, which prepare the body for a hard day’s work. In the hot days of summer are refreshing the gazpachos (cold soups) and seasonal salads. They are also characteristics the rabbit fries with chicken and porridges with fish stock, making the most of the splendid season vegetables.

All the year round the sausages like sausage, chorizo, sausage, blanquillo … and pork products that are made before Christmas are tasted, in the famous slaughters that often gather around the ritual, family and friends travelling to holidays and work in a tradition hard to lose.

At Christmas the bakery typical of the dates is made, the roasted pork and lard cakes, bread, oil, suspiros (meringues) and buns.

With the arrival of spring and coinciding with Easter, the seasonings fit to the ban on meat and vegetables that outcrop in the valley.

How to get there

You have to exit Almería towards Huércal de Almería, cross this and continue on Highway 340. Follow towards: Almería – E-15 – N-340 – Nijar – Murcia. At the roundabout, take the salida 1 and continue along: A-92A towards: A-92 – Benahadux – Guadix. Continue along: A-92A, follow the signs to Benahadux. Exit Benahadux towards Alhabia. In the area round Alhabia, turn left: ALP-608 and follow the signs until you get Terque.

Distances from Terque

Illar 5 km
Alicún 11 km
Gádor 12 km
Almería 28 km
Galachar 4,5 km
Albolodúy 9 km
Canjáyar 17 km
Tabernas 29 km
Alhama de Almería 9,5 km

Terque - Almería