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Roman circus of Mérida

1st-century BC establishments in the Roman Republic20 BC establishmentsAll accuracy disputesAncient Roman buildings and structures in SpainAncient Roman circuses
Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century BCBuildings and structures in Mérida, SpainHistory of ExtremaduraTourist attractions in Extremadura
Circo romano de Mérida
Circo romano de Mérida

The Roman circus of Mérida (Spanish: Circo romano) is a ruined Roman circus in Mérida, Spain. Used for chariot racing, it was modelled on the Circus Maximus in Rome and other circus buildings throughout the Empire. Measuring more than 400 m in length and 30 m of width, it is one of the best preserved examples of Roman circus. It could house up to 30,000 spectators.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Roman circus of Mérida (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Roman circus of Mérida
Calle José Ramón Mélida, Merida San Antonio

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Latitude Longitude
N 38.916111111111 ° E -6.3377777777778 °
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Address

Conjunto Arqueológico de Mérida

Calle José Ramón Mélida
06800 Merida, San Antonio
Extremadura, Spain
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Circo romano de Mérida
Circo romano de Mérida
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Alcazaba of Mérida
Alcazaba of Mérida

The Alcazaba of Mérida is a ninth-century Muslim fortification in Mérida, Spain. Like other historical edifices in the city, it is part of the UNESCO Heritage List.Located near the Roman bridge over the Guadiana river, the Puente Romano, it was built by emir Abd ar-Rahman II of Córdoba in 835 to command the city, which had rebelled in 805. It was the first Muslim alcazaba (a type of fortification in the Iberian peninsula), and includes a big squared line of walls, every side measuring 130 metres in length, 10 m of height and 2.7 m thickness, built re-using Roman walls and Roman-Visigothic edifices in granite. The walls include 25 towers with quadrangular base, which also served as counterforts. Inside is an aljibe, a rainwater tank including a cistern to collect and filter water from the river.The Alcazaba is accessed from the Puente Romano through a small enclosure, traditionally known Alcarazejo. This was used to check the traffic of pedestrians and goods to the city. Annexed is the military area, whose gate is flanked by two towers; over the horseshoe-shaped arc is an inscription celebrating Abd ar-Rahman's patronage of the work.Also annexed to the Alcazaba was a convent of the Order of Santiago, currently home to the council of the Extremadura community. The fortress has yielded other excavated areas containing remnants predating its construction. These include a well-preserved segment of a Roman road, which also extends to the Morerías Archaeological Area, and an urban Roman dwelling that has undergone multiple renovations and faces the same street. Additionally, a portion of the Roman wall is visible, adjacent to a powerful buttress constructed using recycled granite fragments. Similar to the Morerías Archaeological Area, this buttress is believed to date back to the fifth century AD.