The classification of the Ibn Ammar Caves, in Lagoa, and the Algarão do Remexido, in Silves, is open for public consultation until October 29th.
The opening of the two procedures was carried out by Cultural Heritage, on October 8, following a proposal from the regional culture services of the former Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve, currently the Culture Unit of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR), made in 2022.
The Ibn Ammar Caves are located between Tapadinha and Vale Crevo, Mexilhoeira da Carregação, in the Union of Parishes of Estômbar and Parchal, municipality of Lagoa.
“This is a series of conspicuous karst openings, located along the left bank of the Arade River, which are part of a complex system of natural underground galleries used by prehistoric and historical humans,” says CCDR Algarve, in a press release.
The classification process of the Ibn Ammar Caves is also based on the associated historical, archaeological, scientific, paleontological and ethnographic values, as well as the factors of antiquity, memory, authenticity, uniqueness and exemplarity.
These caves, also known as Mexilhoeirinha Caves, are the largest south of the Tagus. This was the first name on record, in reference to the nearest town.
But since the 70s, the overwhelming majority of authors have referred to these caves as the Ibn Ammar Caves, a name that seems to have emerged in the 60s, when the first attempts were made to turn them into a tourist attraction. Abû Bacr Muhammad Ibn Ammâr (1031-1084) was an Arab poet and politician who became governor of Silves.
Although these caves first attracted the attention of archaeologists, with studies dating back to the 60s (XNUMXth century), some of the first concrete research that was carried out was carried out by biologists.
This is one of the main cavities in the Algarve's underground system, which was classified in 2016 as Hotspot world of cave biodiversity in “Science”, one of the most important scientific journals.
Of great interest to the scientific field, these underground ecosystems are extremely important in terms of public health, particularly with regard to water available for human consumption: in Portugal, around 50% of the water available for human consumption comes from deep aquifers.
These caves are not open to the public as they are home to an important and fragile colony of bats of legally protected species and for security reasons.
The Algarão do Remexido, located in the parish of São Bartolomeu de Messines, municipality of Silves, is also a natural karst cave, of archaeological interest and to which is associated the popular memory that it was the place of prolonged refuge of the famous Miguelist guerrilla.
This is a karst cavern that has been used by humans at different times. The presence of lithic remains attributed to the Neolithic-Chalcolithic period near the cave entrance, and especially the presence of large pottery containers inside, probably from the Bronze Age, are evidence of the prehistoric use of the cavity.
Another more recent use involved significant alteration of the space in the first room, through the massive remobilization of stones and large blocks.
This evident human intervention harmonizes with the popular memory that the place served as a long-term refuge for the famous Miguelist guerrilla José Joaquim de Sousa Reis, known as Remexido.
These caves are not open to the public for reasons of safety and to safeguard the sensitive cave biodiversity.
Comments