Cartagena: A Roman Theatre Under a Cathedral
Murcia, Spain
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Qart Hadasht
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275
XP
+100 Spain
= 375 total
1 day
Cartagena: A Roman Theatre Under a Cathedral
275 + 100 XP
The Carthaginians founded Cartagena around 227 BC as Qart Hadasht — new city, the same name as Carthage — and it was from here that Hannibal set out for Italy. Rome took it in 209 BC. Then in 1988 work on a new building turned up a complex of superimposed structures that nobody had known was there — a Roman theatre, buried under the old cathedral of Santa María la Vieja and centuries of housing. Excavation and the museum took until 2008. The town above is also one of the best Art Nouveau townscapes in Spain, built with 19th-century mining money.
Required Activities
1
of 6
Go into the Roman theatre, turned up by building work in 1988 under the old cathedral of Santa María la Vieja and not opened until 2008
2
of 6
Work out the sequence of the site: Roman theatre, then a market, then a cathedral, then houses, then a car park
3
of 6
Find out what Qart Hadasht was — the Carthaginian city Hannibal set out from, taken by Rome in 209 BC
4
of 6
Walk the Calle Mayor and find the Modernista buildings the 19th-century mining money paid for
5
of 6
Go down into the Civil War air raid shelters cut into the hill under the town
6
of 6
Look at the naval harbour, which has been a military port continuously for over two thousand years
Go into the Roman theatre, turned up by building work in 1988 under the old cathedral of Santa María la Vieja and not opened until 2008
Work out the sequence of the site: Roman theatre, then a market, then a cathedral, then houses, then a car park
Find out what Qart Hadasht was — the Carthaginian city Hannibal set out from, taken by Rome in 209 BC
Walk the Calle Mayor and find the Modernista buildings the 19th-century mining money paid for
Go down into the Civil War air raid shelters cut into the hill under the town
Look at the naval harbour, which has been a military port continuously for over two thousand years
Finding nearby campsites...
About Murcia
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
275 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
375 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
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