Biar (; ) is a town and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
''comarca'' of
Alt Vinalopó,
province of Alicante
Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: / ) is a province located in eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is the second most populated Valencian province, containing the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Co ...
, Spain. Biar lies at the foot of the
Serra de Mariola and is located 39 km from the city of
Alicante
Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...
.
The economy in Biar is based on manufacture, particularly
doll
A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
s, and
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...
.
On the origin of the name of this town there are two versions, one says that it comes from the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''apiarium'' meaning "place of bees", justifying this giving the importance that Biar had as a producer and exporter of honey,
and the other says it is derived from the
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
word (''biʿar'') "well" o بِئَار (''biʿār'') "wells"
Events
The ''
Moros i Cristians
''Moros y Cristianos'' () or ''Moros i Cristians'' (), literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain, mainly in the southern Valencian Community. According ...
'' festival of Biar is celebrated each year from May 10 to 13.
See also
*
Castle of Biar
*
Route of the Castles of Vinalopó
The Route of the castles of Vinalopó is a historic and cultural route located in the interior mountains of the Province of Alicante in Spain. It connects castles built to protect the populations of the Vinalopó Valley during the Middle Ages. ...
References
External links
Ayuntamiento de Biar Town Hall of Biar, in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
.
Municipalities in the Province of Alicante
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