Telde, Las Palmas
Encyclopedia
Telde is a municipality
in the eastern on the island of Gran Canaria
, Canary Islands
, Spain
. The suburb of Las Palmas
city. It is the second most populated municipality on the island, with a population of 100,015. It is located on the province's main highway, which links with the capital and the superhighway GC1
, other roads includes GC4 with mountain curves in the northeast and GC5 near Telde and another interchange in the east. In recent years, the main industries have become private businesses and tourism, though until the 1980s agriculture was the dominant industry. The Atlantic Ocean
is to the east, farmlands cover the central and eastern area, and the rest of the land is very mountainous. The housing developments of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria were built in the 1960s and were expanded in the 1980s. This expansion resulted in a loss of agricultural land which was replaced by residential, industrial and commercial properties, including hotels and an airport, Gran Canaria International Airport
. The airport is located in the subdivision of Gando, south of Telde. Further south lies the island's tourist zone.
, has its equivalent province in Morocco
in a very fertile region called Tedlah. Early records point to about 14,000 aborigen dwellings here in Telde at the time of conquest, and Telde is the spot where the famous Idolo de Tara figure—currently housed in the Museo Canario in Las Palmas—was discovered.
Createde by papal decree 1351. Today Telde is Gran Canaria's second city with a population well over 80,000. The historic old town area of Telde is particularly popular with visitors.
In the past, Telde was an agricultural community, the main crops being sugar canes, vineyards, bananas and tomatoes. Today, the surrounding area of Telde is quite heavily industrialised becoming the industrial centre on the island.
Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Telde is the true spiritual centre of Telde. Located in the square of the same name and founded in 1483, the old church was erected by the Garcia del Castillo family at the time of the town's foundation. It still has the original gateway, an example of Sevillian-Portuguese Gothic
architecture. The towers, however, are an example of early 20th neo-Gothic construction. The real marvels are inside the building: the statue of Christ on the main altar, made from corn dough by the Tarasco Mexican Indians
, brought here before 1550, the Flemish
Gothic main altar, which dates back to before 1516, and the triptych of the Virgin Mary, brought from Flanders
, also in the 16th century, depicting five religious scenes.
architecture. The towers, however, are an example of early 20th neo-Gothic construction. The real marvels are inside the building: the statue of Christ on the main altar, made from corn dough by the Tarasco Mexican
Indians, brought here before 1550, the Flemish
Gothic main altar, which dates back to before 1516, and the triptych of the Virgin Mary, brought from Flanders
, also in the 16th century, depicting five religious scenes.
Telde has 101 archaeological sites and 709 listed sites of ethnographic interest. The number of sites increases each year, as do new aspects of old fields, but most are in disrepair and many are disappearing. Some of the most prominent are the coastal town of Tufia in good condition and extensively excavated by archaeologists, a large cave with four doors located on top of a mountain overlooking the plain, and a village of caves with collective barn in the back, the caves of Tara and Cendro remains of the ancient center of population, the town of Draguillo on the border with Ingenio, Las Cuevas Chalasia which consist of a labyrinthine series of artificial caves linked by tunnels and the impressive Necropolis
of Jinámar which includes more than 500 tombs of various types.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the eastern on the island of Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
, Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The suburb of Las Palmas
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
city. It is the second most populated municipality on the island, with a population of 100,015. It is located on the province's main highway, which links with the capital and the superhighway GC1
GC1 (Gran Canaria)
The GC1 is a superhighway on the island of Gran Canaria. It links the capital Las Palmas in the north with Puerto Rico in the south. It is the fastest route from the top of the island to the bottom and vice versa with a top speed limit of 120 km/h...
, other roads includes GC4 with mountain curves in the northeast and GC5 near Telde and another interchange in the east. In recent years, the main industries have become private businesses and tourism, though until the 1980s agriculture was the dominant industry. The Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
is to the east, farmlands cover the central and eastern area, and the rest of the land is very mountainous. The housing developments of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria were built in the 1960s and were expanded in the 1980s. This expansion resulted in a loss of agricultural land which was replaced by residential, industrial and commercial properties, including hotels and an airport, Gran Canaria International Airport
Gran Canaria International Airport
Gran Canaria Airport , , , is the fifth busiest airport in Spain. It is an airport located on Gran Canaria Island...
. The airport is located in the subdivision of Gando, south of Telde. Further south lies the island's tourist zone.
History
Pre-Spanish colonialist invasion Telde was the eastern centre to the aborigenes of the island, and the renowned aborigen Doramas is believed to have lived here. Telde, situated in a most fertile area of Gran CanariaGran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
, has its equivalent province in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in a very fertile region called Tedlah. Early records point to about 14,000 aborigen dwellings here in Telde at the time of conquest, and Telde is the spot where the famous Idolo de Tara figure—currently housed in the Museo Canario in Las Palmas—was discovered.
Createde by papal decree 1351. Today Telde is Gran Canaria's second city with a population well over 80,000. The historic old town area of Telde is particularly popular with visitors.
In the past, Telde was an agricultural community, the main crops being sugar canes, vineyards, bananas and tomatoes. Today, the surrounding area of Telde is quite heavily industrialised becoming the industrial centre on the island.
Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Telde is the true spiritual centre of Telde. Located in the square of the same name and founded in 1483, the old church was erected by the Garcia del Castillo family at the time of the town's foundation. It still has the original gateway, an example of Sevillian-Portuguese Gothic
Manueline
The Manueline, or Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century, incorporating maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral...
architecture. The towers, however, are an example of early 20th neo-Gothic construction. The real marvels are inside the building: the statue of Christ on the main altar, made from corn dough by the Tarasco Mexican Indians
P'urhépecha
The P'urhépecha, normally spelled Purépecha in Spanish and in English and traditionally referred to as Tarascans, are an indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of the Mexican state of Michoacán, principally in the area of the cities of Uruapan and Pátzcuaro...
, brought here before 1550, the Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
Gothic main altar, which dates back to before 1516, and the triptych of the Virgin Mary, brought from Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, also in the 16th century, depicting five religious scenes.
Main sights
Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Telde, is the true spiritual centre of Telde. Located in the square of the same name and founded in 1483, the old church was erected by the Garcia del Castillo family at the time of the town's foundation. It still has the original gateway, an example of Sevillian-Portuguese GothicManueline
The Manueline, or Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century, incorporating maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral...
architecture. The towers, however, are an example of early 20th neo-Gothic construction. The real marvels are inside the building: the statue of Christ on the main altar, made from corn dough by the Tarasco Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
Indians, brought here before 1550, the Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
Gothic main altar, which dates back to before 1516, and the triptych of the Virgin Mary, brought from Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, also in the 16th century, depicting five religious scenes.
Telde has 101 archaeological sites and 709 listed sites of ethnographic interest. The number of sites increases each year, as do new aspects of old fields, but most are in disrepair and many are disappearing. Some of the most prominent are the coastal town of Tufia in good condition and extensively excavated by archaeologists, a large cave with four doors located on top of a mountain overlooking the plain, and a village of caves with collective barn in the back, the caves of Tara and Cendro remains of the ancient center of population, the town of Draguillo on the border with Ingenio, Las Cuevas Chalasia which consist of a labyrinthine series of artificial caves linked by tunnels and the impressive Necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
of Jinámar which includes more than 500 tombs of various types.
External links
- Street map from Mapquest, MapPoint, Google or Yahoo! Maps
- Google or Microsoft Virtual Earth - image now available