September 14 Open day at the archaeological site of Cerro del Castillo in Yecla

Visit the site where Yecla castle once stood and see the evidence of the Moorish settlement of Hisn Yakka

The 23rd edition of the Open Days season in Yecla gets under way on 14^th September with a visit to the site of Cerro del Castillo, where visitors can see for themselves the first stage of the “Renacer de Yakka” Project (Yakka being the ancient Moorish name for Yecla).

This project aims to restore, consolidate and protect the structures found at the site, dating from the time of the 11^th-century Islamic or Moorish fortress settlement of Hisn Yakka. All of the areas at the site can be visited during the open day, and although the castle itself (after which the hill was named) is hardly visible nowadays traces of it can still be seen.

Nowadays the mountain is home to the sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo and the Museo Mariano.

It is envisaged that during October further visits will be available at a Price of 2.50 euros on every day of the week other than Mondays.

The timetable of the open day is from 10.00 to 13.30, with groups of 25 people at most being filled on a first come first served basis. Visits begin at 30-minute intervals and further information and registration are available by telephone on 968 700901 (weekdays 9.30 to 13.00).

Further visits to other sites are being held on 21^st and 28^th September.

More visiting information is available from the tourist office of Yecla (email turismo@yecla.es) or, for more local events, news and visiting information in English, go to the home page of Yecla Today.