The fortress' warehouses are now home to two fascinating museums; one dedicated to the history of the Amazigh (Berber), Sephardic (Jewish) and Gitana (Roma) cultures in Melilla (lower floor), the other tracing the history of prehistoric Melilla to today (top level). The Amazigh exhibit is particularly interesting and is the most thorough anywhere in the region. The Gitana exhibit is the first of its kind in Spain. All signage is in Spanish.
Museo de Historia, Arqueología y Etnográfico
Melilla
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Casa Ibáñez Museum De Arte Contemporáneo
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Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos
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Africa's only active bullfighting ring is operational just once a year for Melilla's Virgen de la Victoria festival. Otherwise, the 8,000-person stadium…
Nearby Melilla attractions
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The main entrance to the Melilla la Vieja fortress is Puerta de la Marina, a gate which once had a drawbridge system with chains and a moat.
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Two of the four tiny doors across the courtyard lead into the cavelike, other-worldly cisterns, which once stored as much as 1000 cubic metres of water…
3. Casa Ibáñez Museum De Arte Contemporáneo
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Melilla's best gallery can be found inside Torre de la Vela, an 18th-century building within the fortress walls. It's worth wandering the six showrooms…
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Perched over the Mediterranean, Melilla la Vieja is a prime example of the fortress strongholds that the Spaniards built along the Moroccan littoral…
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6. Iglesia de la Purísima Concepción
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This 17th-century church above Las Cuevas del Conventico is the oldest in the city. Unfortunately, it's only possible to behold from outside as…
7. Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos
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Nestled below cliffs and the towering fortress walls is the secluded beach of Playa de la Ensanada de los Galápagos, open from June to September (with…
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