St Peter’s Church

Sayalonga Town Council is promoting the dissemination of its historical heritage with the creation of a museum, an important step in the appreciation of its cultural wealth. The building which houses the museum, owned by the Town Hall, has had various functions throughout history, such as school, Town Hall and craft workshop. After remodelling, it has been restored maintaining its original structure, combining modern advances with a rustic style that gives it great beauty. The museum is notable for its horseshoe arches, hand-carved doors and Moorish-inspired walls, and offers a rich visual experience. With technological advances and a wide variety of functions, it is a cultural centre providing information on local history and culture.

A few kilometres from Sayalonga lies Corumbela, a village perched high on a hill, looking out over the surrounding landscape. In its only square stands the church dedicated to Saint Peter. It is built on the site of the former mosque, of which only the minaret remains, having been converted into a Christian bell tower. Its 12th-century Mudejar architecture, This is evident in a small-scale structure, which is not without simplicity and beauty. It is built of masonry comprising large flat stones interspersed with courses of bricks.

The minaret of Corumbela, whose church is dedicated to Saint Peter and which is situated on the outskirts of the village, on the road towards Árchez.

On the outside, on the right-hand side of the mosque, stands the minaret, built of thick stone blocks alternating with courses of brick, with a rectangular prismatic structure.

In in perfect condition following the restoration work carried out a few years ago.

In the central section, on either side of the minaret, there is a recessed rectangle which must have housed the sebka panels with their mixtilinear rhombuses; none of these have survived. The next section is separated by an impost line; modified to accommodate the bell tower, it features a short horizontal band characterised by a series of pointed arches, which were bricked up during the Christian period and can also be seen on the inner side. Inside the tower, the staircase winds around a central buttress with stepped barrel vaults; the bricks are laid radially and horizontally, although some sections are very poorly preserved; one can even find beams and plaster-coated wooden rods.

This minaret was built in the 14th century along the lines of the minarets of Archez or Salares.

This fountain was the main source of drinking water for the town in Arab times and was therefore built at this time.

Legend has it that the Cid Campeador drank water from this spring on one of his visits to the area.

The oil that comes from the olive trees above this fountain is used to burn the candles of Our Lady of the Rosary on her Holy Day on October 7th.

Built in 2002, this viewpoint on the outskirts of the village in the direction of Competa offers visitors splendid panoramic views of all the villages and mountains of the area in general.

It is situated above the Redondo Cemetery of Sayalonga and offers open views towards the Sierra Almijara, Corumbela, Mount Bentomiz, views to the villages of Archez and Canillas at the foot of the Sierra, ... and views, of course, to the Redondo Cemetery, to Sayalonga, and to the Santa Catalina Church.

This alley is one of the narrowest in the Axarquía. It is only 55cm at its narrowest part, and its funnel shape gives it its name, ALCUZA, in Arabic.

It is located in one of the many narrow streets that criss-cross the Plaza de la Cosntitución, next to the Tourist Office or the entrance to the church door.

The road surface has been recently refurbished with exposed stones to give it an even more characteristic appearance.

Every visitor who passes by will be able to feel the atmosphere of olden times.

It is probably one of the only Round Cemeteries in Spain and stands out for its popular architecture, being one of the most visited monuments in the Axarquía with more than 3.000 visitors per year.

Just at the entrance to the cemetery is the CEMENTERIO REDONDO DE SAYALONGA INTERPRETATION CENTRE.

This Interpretation Centre will explain to visitors what can be found there and the origin of its construction.

To get to the Redondo Cemetery follow the signs that you will find throughout the village. To visit the Interpretation Centre you can ask for the key at the Tourist Office as it is closed for security reasons.