HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zerriouh
The occupied city of Melilla is preparing, on the evening of Thursday, October 1, 2026, to host a historic lecture by historian Fernando Sarwell Hernández at the lecture hall of the University of Granada, on the occasion of the centenary of the operation of the famous metal loading dock.
This cultural event, organized in partnership with "UNESCO-Melilla" and supported by the Department of Education, Youth, and Sports, aims to shed light on a unique engineering landmark extending over 313 meters. It was largely constructed of reinforced concrete and stones from Mount Gurugú between 1920 and 1925, according to the engineering designs of the Spanish Rif Mining Company.
The celebration of this dock, classified among the 25 most important industrial heritage sites in Spain and which saw its last shipment in 1980 via the ship "La Gada Bay," is inseparable from its complex historical context.
This economic edifice was born from the exploitation of mineral resources in the Rif region during the era of Spanish penetration, a path that faced fierce armed resistance led by the historical hero Cherif Mohamed Amzian, coinciding with fierce battles like the Battle of Igzern n Wushen, which marked the memory of that period.
In this context, historian Sarwell will delve into the roots and development of the facility within Melilla's industrial landscape, presenting unpublished written documents and rare photographs for the first time.
The meeting will also address an ambitious project to create a comprehensive catalog of industrial architectural elements in the city, which currently includes this landmark in the "Marina Nouray" area as an essential part of the classified historical and artistic complex of cultural importance.
The event is expected to form a forum for open discussion on ways to protect and enhance this heritage in the future, especially since the facility served for many decades as the vital artery connecting the Rif mines to international trade markets.
This logistical system formed a crucial link that made Melilla the main port for exporting Rif iron, before cargo ships stopped and the primary function of the dock shifted from a bustling production space to a historical monument attracting academic and tourist interest.
Between the celebrations by official bodies highlighting Spanish industrial heritage and the stories of local memory associated with the period of resource depletion and the steadfastness of resistance in the Rif, the metal loading dock remains a living testament to an integrated era. One hundred years after the first shipment in 1926, it reflects the intersections of history, economy, and politics that have shaped the architectural and social identity of Melilla and its regional surroundings alike.
