24

The origin of the word Jábega might come from the Arabic term shab-

bak, which means ship and, at the same time, it is related to the word

shabaka, which means net.

The Jábega boat has been used

as a patriotic and culture sym-

bol. A Jábega stands out in the

coat of arms of the village of

Rincón de la Victoria as well as

in the coat of arms of El Palo.

Pablo Portillo Strempel

1

ÍNDICE

Saludo ............................................................................................... 1

Catedral de Málaga ........................................................................... 2

Castillo de Gibralfaro (Vanessa) ....................................................... 9

Cueva del tesoro (Luke Guilfoyle) ..................................................... 10

Castillo de Bezmiliana (Carmen Rocío Fernández) .......................... 11

Cuevas de Nerja (José Francisco Fernández) .................................. 13

Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Rosario, La Cala del Moral

(Ana Belén Martínez) ......................................................................... 16

La Jábega .......................................................................................... 23

2

GREETING

This year we have a very special visit to our country, by the Holy Fa-

ther. This is also special because it is the World Youth Meeting. It´s an

opportunity to hear the Pope with other young people from all over the

world.

Our parish will receive the visit of the “Bagdad hope group”. We are

happy to meet young catholic people from Iraq.

I would like to thank Ana Belen Martínez and Luke Guilfoyle for hav-

ing checked the translated texts.

Young people from La Cala del Moral have prepared this cultural local

guide to help you. God bless you all.

Rafael Rodríguez Sainz de Rozas, Parish Priest

23

JÁBEGA FROM MÁLAGA

The Jábega (a shallow-draft

fishing boat) has very impor-

tant ethnographic values

closely related to an already

disappeared way of life

Benigno Rodríguez Santamaría in his Diccionario de Artes de Pesca de

España y sus Posesiones (1923) [Dictionary of Fishing Arts of Spain

and its Possessions] defines Jábega as an art of fishing with trawls or

seines.

Nowadayes, in the coast of Málaga we can found 15 Jábegas

with different lengths and ages. From the Calahonda Beach in Nerja,

next to the Balcón de Europa (Balcony of Europe), to the beach of

Huelin bordering the mouth of the River Gualmedina, passing through

the beaches of Rincón de la Victoria, La Cala del Moral, El Palo and

Pedregalejo we can find aground these boats in a relatively good state

of repair.

As far as sports is concerned, the regatas [boat races] are the rea-

son why these Jábegas are best known nowadays and are continuously

present in the bay during these summer evenings, either training or

competing.

It a very old art, that is why it is quite difficult to determined its

origins. Nobody dares to fix a place or a date. Most important authors

speak of a Phoenician origin given that these magnificent sailors used

similar boats or with similar features to the current Jábega boats.

22

25. Eucharist

26. Confirmation

27. Holy Orders (Ordination)

28. Marriage

29. Anointing of the Sick

30. Saint Pasqual Baylon

31. Saint Josepth

Rafael Rodríguez Sainz de Rozas, Parish Priest

La Cala del Moral, October, 30th 2009

3

CATEDRAL DE MÁLAGA

Bienvenido a la Catedral Basílica de Málaga

Titulada de la Encarnación

por expreso deseo de los Re-

yes Católicos. Es el monumen-

to más importante de la ciu-

dad, así como el centro espiri-

tual de la diócesis, allí donde

el obispo de la misma tiene su

sede o cátedra. El edificio que

va a contemplar comenzó a

construirse hacia 1528, rein-

ando en España el emperador Carlos I. El proyecto gótico que en un

principio pensó realizarse, pronto derivaría en modelo renacentista

que a su vez recibiría importantes añadidos barrocos. Nombres como,

Diego de Si loé, Diego de Vergara, Pedro Díaz de Palacios y Antonio

Ramos, entre otros, fueron los maestros responsables de este templo

de tres naves, con girola, y una altura de sus bóvedas de algo más de

41 metros.

Las ceremonias de consagración se celebraron el 3 de agosto de 1588

por el prelado Luis García de Haro, si bien el espacio se quedaba li-

mitado a la cabecera, cerrándose con un muro de mampostería la na-

ve del crucero para facilitar el culto y la continuación de las obras

hasta la fachada principal, que no fue una realidad hasta mediado el

siglo XVIII. En el verano de 1782 se interrumpieron los trabajos, que-

dando por tanto sin finalizar el exterior del conjunto, y a falta de una

de las torres, lo que ha propiciado que los malagueños denominen ca-

riñosamente a su Catedral como "la manquita".

A través de los siglos sus naves han sido testigos de la religiosidad de

un pueblo que aquí ha vivido su fe, invocando el favor divino en tiem-

pos de calamidades y ha festejado hitos históricos. El patrimonio que

a continuación va a poder admirar en el recorrido de las distintas ca-

pillas es testimonio de estos sentimientos que trascienden sus evidentes

valores artísticos.

4

Welcome to Malaga Cathedral

Called the Cathedral of the Incarnation on the

wishes of the Catholic Monarchs. It is the city's

most important monument and the spiritual centre

of the diocese, where the bishop has his See or

cathedra. Work on the building you are about to

see began around 1528, when the Emperor

Charles I was on the throne. Although originally

designed as a Gothic cathedral, it was built in the

Renaissance style and major Baroque additions

were made to it later. Among the master craftsmen

responsible for the cathedral with its nave and two

aisles, ambulatory, and vaults over 41 metres high

were Diego de Siloé, Diego de Vergara, Pedro Díaz de Palacios and

Antonio Ramos.

The cathedral was consecrated on 3rd August, 1588, by the prelate

Luis García de Haro, despite the fact that space was then limited to the

sanctuary and the transept was enclosed by a masonry wall, built to

facilitate worship and the continuation of the work up to the main fa-

cade, which was completed in the mid-18th century. When work was

interrupted in the summer of 1782, the exterior was left unfinished and

lacking one of its towers, which led the local folk to affectionately call

their cathedral "the one-armed".

Over the centuries the cathedral has borne witness to the religious de-

votion of the people, who have shown their faith here, petitioning

God's favour in times of catastrophe and celebrating great moments in

history. The heritage you will now be able to admire during your tour

of the various chapels is testimony to these sentiments, which tran-

scend the cathedral's obvious artistic

21

18. Saint Thomas

His characteristic attributes are the Virgin’s girdle, an architect

square and a spear which was the instrument of this martyrdom. In the

17th Century, the square virtually disappears.

19. Saint Philip, apostle.

He is usually shown carrying a T-shaped cross, with which, ac-

cording to the legend, he made a lot of miracles. His crucifixion is usu-

ally represented.

20. Saint Bartholomew, apostle.

He is said to have been martyred in Armenia: he was flayed alive

and crucified, head downward by order of the King Astyages. Because

of this legend, Bartholomew is often represented as flayed and holding

his own skin with his hands (a typical example is the “Final Judgment”

in the Sistine Chapel). He is also represented carrying a knife, which is

the instrument of his martyrdom.

21. Saint Mathew, apostle and evangelist.

He was killed with a sword, according to tradition, when he was pray-

ing on the foot of the altar after the mass. This is one of his attributes

which sometimes turns into a halberd or ax.

22. James the Minor, apostle.

He is often shown with a book, since he is the author of the Canonical

Epistles, and also with episcopal ornaments, because of being con-

sidered as the first Bishop of Jesusalem. His fall in front of the

Temple of Jerusalem is another preferred subject of inconography.

23. Baptism

24. Reconciliation (Penance).

20

Sometimes, he is depicted with an image of Jesus Christ on his

chest, due to his relationship with Our Lord (according to the legend,

he looked like him). One of the most classical features is the drop ham-

mer, the supposed instrument of this martyrdom (until the 14th Century

his was represented with a sword, a halberd and an axe.

15. James the Greater, apostle

James is usually depicted with the typical cloths of a pilgrim: leaned

on a walking stick or a cane, carrying a backpack or pouch and wear-

ing a broad brimmed hat with a scallop shell which has always been

the symbol of the pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

16. Saint John, apostle and Evangelist.

A very common representation although its origin is not biblical.

It shows Saint John with a glass in his hands, from which it sometimes

a snake appears. The origin of this attribute is an apocriphal gospel

from the 6th Century which states that John, from Ephesus, was of-

fered to drink a chalice with poison by a pagan priest of the temple of

Diana. He blessed it and the, drank it harmlessly. The image shows

how the poison escapes from the calice in the shape of a snake. This

attribute became popular in the 14th Century.

17. Saint Matthias, apostle.

Matthias was chosen by the Eleven Apostles, led by Peter, “to

hold the ministry of preaching” and to replace Judas (Hech. 1, 25; cf.

1, 15-26). But after this episode, Matthias is not mentioned again and

we know nothing about his life. According to Eusebius, he was one of

the seventy two disciples (cf. Lc 10, 1. 17). The apocryphal literature

(for example the “Facts of Andrew and Matthias2) is very rich in de-

tails about his martyrdom: he was imprisoned by cannibals, blinded,

healed and released by Andrew and, finally, beheaded. These legends

have offered him several attributes: sword, halberd, stones, cross, ax.

The latter has stood out. Saint Matthias does not play an important role

in the popular devotion.

5

7) Chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary

One of the greatest artistic master-

pieces of the cathedral is the canvas

after which this chapel is named. A

mature work by Alonso Cano of

around 1665-1666, the upper part

represents the Virgin and Child sur-

rounded by clouds and angels while

the lower part depicts Saínt Dominíc

de Guzmán receiving the rosary from

one of the angels, accompanied by

Saint Francis of Assisi and other

saints. On each side of the painting are

two or nate display cases with sculp-

tures of Saint Bias by Fernando Ortiz,

and Saint Lawrence by an anonymous

eighteenth-century artist.

On the left wall, the altar of the Virgin

of the Nativity has a copy of a lost

sculpture of that Virgin by Pedro de Mena, while on the right is an in-

teresting sculpture of Saint Louis the French bishop saint. This is an

eighteenth-century work by Jerónimo Gómez carved for the tabernacle

of the high altar which was later replaced by the present one.

9) Chapel of the Virgin of the Kings

Following the conquest of Malaga, Isabel the Catholic gave the cathe-

dral a sculpture of the Virgin which she had in her chapel: a poly-

chrome, wooden, Gothic image dating from the late fifteenth-century.

This chapel was founded under the protection of the Virgin in the

mid­-seventeenth century in thanks for the end of an outbreak of

plague which had decimated the city. Juan Niño de Guevara and Pedro

de Mena were entrusted with the construction of an altarpiece to house

the sculpture. What we see today is actually a copy of the original, de-

stroyed in the Civil War, although the praying images of the Catholic

Kings by Pedro de Mena, located on either side of the Virgin, are origi-

nal.

6

19

11. Stained glass window of the Our Lady of the Rosary. Heaven at

Our Lady’s feet and the rosary is used to recognize this advocation

of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

12. Saint Peter, apostle. (The keys) Symbol of the authority granted to

him by Our Lord to rule the Church and forgive on his behalf.

13. Saint Paul, apostle. (The sword) The sword in his hand reflects the

loyal soldier and ambassador of Christ.

14. Saint Andrew, apostle

He was Saint Peter’s eldest brother and, like him, a fisherman in

Galilee. His name, which is Greek not Hebrew, means manly, brave.

He was the first one to follow Jesus, which is the reason why the

Greeks called him Protokletos or Protoclite (the first to be called). He

is mentioned twice in the Gospels: one regarding the vocations of the

two first apostles, and the other regarding the feeding of the five thou-

sand.

His legend comes from the Aprocyphal Acts according to which,

after Jesus’ death, he would have been appointed to evangelize

Scythia, the current Russia. When he was preaching in Scythia, an an-

gel appeared to him and told him: “Go towards Matthew”. Miracu-

lously, he was guided to Ethiopia, where Saint Matthew had been

blinded and imprisoned. The door of the prison opened before him, he

kneeled before Mathew, and began to pray. Then, Mathew’s eyes saw

again. Once his mission had been fulfilled, he arrived in Greece and

then to Minor Asia, where he performed some miracles. He was im-

prisoned by the Roman Consul Quirinius, Legate Governor of Mace-

donia, who accused him of having promoted the destruction of the

temples and led the people away from the cult of gods. He was thrown

to the beasts, but they respected him. When he visited the Peloponnese,

in Patras, he cured Consul Egeas’ wife. But this Consul, who re-

proached him for preaching to disobey the Emperor, ordered to whip

him with sticks and then to crucify him with ropes on an X-shaped

cross (crux decussata) where he died on the third day.

18

him to spread this devotion. Her festivity is celebrated in October 7th. .

6. Image of Our Lady of the Mount Carmel. The first Christian monks,

who lived as hermit, were in the Cave of Mount Carmel. When

Christians were expelled from the Holy Land, these monks went to

Europe and began a life in community. In the 13th Century, Saint

Simon Stock received the Brown Scapular by the Blessed Virgin

Mary. This Scapular is carried by the Virgin Mary on her right

hand. Her festivity is celebrated in July, 16th.

7. Image of the Our Lady of Pain. This image reminds us the pain of

the Blessed Virgin Mary before the passion and death of her Son.

Saint Mary suffered but she also knew that her Son, the true God

and true man has come to the world to reconcile us to God Father.

Her image is displayed on a religious parade on Good Friday.

8. Candle which is next to the Tabernacle. When

it is lit, it means that Our Lord is in the Taberna-

cle, which remains empty after the Mass on

Good Friday until Easter Vigil.

9. Stained glass window of Jesus Christ. Jesus is

on the world because He is the King of the Uni-

verse. The letter A (alpha) and the letter Ω

(omega) remind us that Jesus Christ is the begin-

ning and the end, He is eternal.

10. Stained glass window of the Our Lady of the

Mount Carmel. The brown habit, the boat and

the scapular in her hand is used to recognize this

advocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

7

8

Above the altar, an urn houses a head of Christ brought

from Oran in 1708, the only surviving element of a late

sixteenth-­century sculpture destroyed during the capture

of the city by the Algerians.

The decoration of the chapel is completed by various can-

vases, among them the monumental Beheadinq of Saint

Paul, painted by Enrique Simonet in 1887.

12) Chapel of the Incarnation

In the centre of the apse-aisle we find this chapel, dedicated to the

titular Virgin of the Cathedral. For this reason great care has always

been devoted to its decoration since Bishop Friar Bernardo Manrique,

the main promotor of works on the cathedral in the sixteenth century,

reserved it for his own funerary

chapel.

Later, Bishop José Molina

Lario also decided to be buried

here, and the original decora-

tion was thus considerably al-

tered, adapting it to eighteenth-

century classicising taste, as is

evident today. Molina Lario

had the altarpiece in veined

Mijas marble installed, with its

Corinthian columns and broken

pediment. On it are marble sculptural groups of the Annunciation, and

Saints Cyriac and Paula, the patron saints of Malaga. Above the en-

tablature, four figures of angels surround a burst of glory.

The design of the altarpiece has been attributed to both Ventura

Rodríguez and Juan de Villanueva, while the sculptures are by Juan

de Salazar y Palomino.

17

16

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHURCH OF

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, LA CALA DEL MORAL

The first foundation stone of

this Church was laid in August,

the 8th, 1988, when Mr Ramón

Buxarais was the bishop of this

diocese, and Mr Antonio

Estrada González the parish

priest and driving force of this

building.

1. Side Chapel (Tabernacle, Word coming from a Latin word which

means sacred receptacle). At the Last Supper, Our Lourd said farewell

to his disciples and gave them the great present of his presence in the

Sacred Host. Mistery of love. We greet Our Lord when we enter the

Chapel making a genuflection.

"The presence of the true Body and Blood of Christ in this sacrament

“is not known by our senses, as Saint Thomas put in, but only by our

faith, which is based in the authority of God.” That is why, when we

discuss the text by Saint Luke 22,19: “This is my body, which will be

given up for you”, Saint Cyril states: “Do not ask if this is true, but re-

ceive with faith Our Lord’s words, because He, who is the truth, does

not lie.”

2. Altar on Our Lord’s tale, on which the Holy Mass is celebrated.

3. Ambon of the Word

4. Confessional Booth

5. Image of Our Lady of Rosary. In the 13th Century, Our Lady taught

Saint Dominic of Guzman how to pray the rosary and encouraged

9

On the side walls are the tombs of the two bishops, on the left the

Plateresque one of Friar Bernardo Manrique who died in 1564, show-

ing him in prayer, and on the right the classical one of Bishop Molina

Lario, also with a praying figure above the funerary urn.

CASTILLO DE GIBRALFARO

The name of this castle is Arab origin

(Yabal) what means mount and Greek origin

(Faruh) what means lighthouse.

It uses like a watchtower on the coast.

It built in s.XIV but the castle needed to

build this stronghold.

The castle is famous because it was the final

scenery of the conquest of Malaga by Catho-

lic Kings in 1487.

After three months of siege the Spanish army

achieves to take the town of 15000 African

warriors and Spanish that only gave up be-

cause they are hungry.

All that remains of this monument it is these fantastic towers.

El nombre de este Castillo es de origen árabe (Yabal) que significa

monte y derivado del griego (Faruh) que significa faro.

Este castillo tiene como uso una atalaya costera.

Se construyó en el s.XIV.

Se vio la necesidad de edificar esta fortaleza para proteger la alcaza-

ba.

El castillo es famoso por haber sido el escenario final de la conquista

de Málaga por parte de los Reyes Católicos en 1487. Después de tres

meses de asedio, el ejército español logró tomar la ciudad por 15,000

guerreros africanos y españoles que sólo se rindieron cuando fueron

vencidos por el hambre.

Todo lo que queda de este monumento son estas fantásticas torres.

10

TREASURE CAVE

The Treasure Cave is located in Rincon de la Victoria, just over the hill

from La Cala del Moral. 1500 metres in length, it is one of only three

visitable caves of marine origin in the world and the only one in

Europe. It is of great scientific, historic and cultural interest as cave

paintings of animals, fragments of neolithic pottery and stone age ob-

jects have all been discovered there.

There is a spoken and written tradition that speaks of the existence of a

treasure hidden by emperor Tasufin Ibn Alí in the XIIth century and

from the XVIIIth century treasure hunts started and were continued in

the XXth century by Manuel Laza Palacios.

Chamber of Our Lady. This

name was given by Manuel Laza

who discovered the space on the

12th of Octuber 1951, the feast of

Our Lady of Pilar. Objects from

two different eras were discovered

in the chamber; pottery from the

neolitic period and pieces of stone

and ceramics from the Arabian

period.

The eagle chamber. Here you

can see a rock formation in the

shape of an eagle. Cave paint-

ings of a horse and fish have

been discovered as well as ma-

rine sediments.

15

Ballet (Sala de la Cascada o del Ballet). It is here that concerts and fes-

tivals of dance are staged and there are about 100 seats set permanently

in the cave. This large cavern has little to separate it from the Hall of

the Phantoms (Sala de los Fantasmas) apart from some columns. The

Hall of the Phantoms is named after an unusual speleothem. At the end

of this cavern is a large rockfall which separates it from the Hall of the

Cataclysm (Sala del Cataclismo) which is over 100 m long and domi-

nated by the huge central column which is the biggest in the world,

measuring 13 m by 7 m at the base and standing 32 m high. Further

down into the hall is the Organ Corner (Rincón del Órgano) where

fluted columns can be struck to produce different notes. Some of the

columns seem to have been intentionally altered to produce different

notes by the prehistoric inhabitants of the cave. High up in the far cor-

ner of this cave is the opening which allows access to the Upper and

New Galleries.

Upper and New Galleries

The Upper and New Galleries are each divided into two halls. In the

Upper Hall are the Columns of Hercules (Columnas de Hércules) and

the Hall of Immensity (Sala de la Inmensidad), while in the New Gal-

lery there are the Hall of the Lance (Sala de la Lanza) and the Hall of

the Mountain (Sala de la Montaña). These two areas contain many of

the cave paintings, but tourist access is restricted to specialised caving

"speleothem tourism".

Technical Data

Length of the cavity: 7 219,28 m. of polygonals.

Levels spread: 67,95 metres 32,99 + 34,96

Total Surface: 35 484 m2

Total Volume: 264 379,33 m3

14

By 21,000 BC the human population had taken up year round resi-

dence in the caves and had increased in number. A culture based on

hunting in the local area had evolved, illustrated by first cave paintings

found in the cave which date to around the time. Pine nuts and snails

were also important elements of the diet. Up until around 10,800 BC

the hunting culture continued to develop with more prey species being

taken, including goats, rabbits, fish and marine mammals. A wide vari-

ety of animal bones, shells and fish bones from this time have been

found in the cave, including the remains of a number of offshore spe-

cies, along with stone and bone tools. By 4500 BC domesticated ani-

mals were being kept and the area around the cave was being used for

farming and the production of pottery. By 3800 BC textiles and more

advanced styles of pottery were being produced and parts of the cave

were being used as a burial chamber.

Galleries

Show Gallery

Each of the galleries has a number of

halls, areas where the walls, floors or

ceilings close in to subdivide the

main caverns. The Show Gallery is

accessed by a 8 m flight of stairs

leading to the Entrance Hall (Sala de

Vestibulo) where archaeological ex-

cavations took place and where some

of the finds are now displayed. Off

to one side a passage leads the Mine

Hall (Sala de la Mina), and Hall of

the Sink (Sala de la Torca) where

further archaeological excavations take place. This area is not normally

open to the public. Back through the Entrance Hall is the Hall of the

Nativity (Sala de Belén) which is filled with columns of calcite. A

skeleton recovered from the cave is on display in a glass case in this

subsection. From the Entrance Hall a passage called the Hall of the

Tusk (Sala del Colmillo) leads down to the Hall of the Waterfall or

11

BEZMILLANA'S FORT-HOUSE

Emplacement

The Fort-House of Bezmil-

iana is located in Rincón de

la Victoria, which is a well

situated village in the east

of the Axarquia region in

the heart of the Costa del

Sol. It is only 12 km from

Málaga city center. Rincón

de la Victoria is a wondeful

place by the Mediterranean Sea and has four main areas: La Cala del

Moral, Rincón de la Victoria, Torre de Benagalbón (coast) and Bena-

galbón (interior).

History of the town

The first inhabitants of the city were from the Palaeolithic Age. Later,

Phoenician, Roman and Andalusi civilizations colonized this area. The

town received the category of 'Medina' in the 11th century and with

King Carlos III, the city became more important. Finally, The Minimo's

arder gave Rincón de la Victoria its name.

Origin

The Fort-House of Bezmiliana was built around 1766 A.D. as a mili-

tary defense post. According to the type of building, it is clear

that it has a the military use because everything is covered and

defended. It has a capacity to shelter 33 soldiers and 13 horses.

The purpose to build this military fort was a royal policy of protection

and defense of the Spanish coasts against England. Malaga's coasts

were easy targets for the English army, after the occupation of Gibral-

tar in 1704.

12

Therefore, a wide network of military fort buildings was created

along the coast of Malaga, Granada and Almería (the main cities of

the south of Spain and in Andalusia). AII these buildings owned to

the 'Organization of Military Defense', which existed since 16th Cen-

tury.

This is one of the best examples of the 18 Century military architecture

in the South of Spain.

Structure

It is surrounded by a heavy exterior

wall (built with big stones and

bricks) with two towers for the de-

fenses which are placed in the

Northeast and Southwest corners

(from where they could always con-

trol the sea), and two gates: a main

one in the north wall (with a neo-

classical structure and with an heral-

dic shield in the center which be-

longed to the royal family of Carlos III-1759-1788) and a smaller one

in the south wall. It once had a trench around it.

Nowadays

The building hasn´t been used for its original purpose, and it has been

used as a yard and storage room of the “Casa Cuartel de la Guardia

Civil” [Headquarters of the Spanish Military Police], a building situ-

ated between the Fort-House and the main road (N-340).

The house is now used as an important exhibition place for contempo-

rary art.

The Fort-House was restored in April 1992, being one of the best ex-

amples of the historical-cultural heritage of our beautiful coastal town,

Rincón de la Victoria.

13

CAVES OF NERJA

The Caves of Nerja are a series of caverns

close to the village of Nerja in Andalusia.

Stretching for almost 5 km the caverns are

one of the main tourist attractions in Spain.

Concerts are regularly held in one of the

chambers which make up a natu-

ral amphitheatre.

The caves were re-discovered in modern times on 12th January 1959

by five friends, who entered through a narrow sink hole, known as "La

Mina" which constitutes one of the two natural entrances of the cave.

A third entrance was created in 1960 to allow an easy access for tour-

ists. The cave is divided into two main parts known as Nerja I and

Nerja II. Nerja I includes the Show Galleries which are open to the

public, with a relatively easy access via a flight of stairs and concreted

pathways to allow tourists to move about in the cavern without diffi-

culty. Nerja II, which is not open to the public, includes the Upper Gal-

lery discovered in 1960 and the New Gallery discovered in 1969.

History

Approximately 5 million years ago, during the Upper Miocene, water

penetrated the fissures of the marble rock and dissolved it, forming a

huge subterranean cavern. Seismic movement and landslides during

the Holocene forced the water to find new pathways through the cave

system and began the formation of the gi-

ant stalactites and stalagmites that can be seen in the cave.

Skeletal remains found in the caverns indicate that they were inhabited

from about 25,000 BC up until the Bronze Age. Cave paintings from

the Paleolithic and post-Paleolithic eras have been discovered on the

walls of the cave. For about 4,000 years from 25,000 BC the caves

were used seasonally by a small group of humans, and were occupied

by cave hyena during the periods that the humans were absent.