Al-Andalusian palatial complex and neighborhood of San Esteban

It is allowing archaeologists to document the evolution of this urban space from Islamic times to the present, although the excavation process is still unfinished and, as yet, missing archaeological data for its final evaluation.

The site is the remains of large country residences, palaces, extensive gardens, and a religious sector with a necropolis and an oratory or small mosque.

There was a gradual spread from the walls of the medina (located in the street Santa Teresa) and from its main exit routes, and thus rose certain political or residential centers.

This urban structure, as is usual in the Islamic medina, presents a clear infrastructure and management of drains connected to a public sewer system.

The City Hall of Murcia promoted the development of an underground car park in the area occupied by the Garden of San Esteban.

This Special Plan, by order of the Directorate General of Fine Arts and Bienes Culturales of the Regional Government, sets out the requirements prior to licensing for the works of the car park.

The Directorate General proceeded to initiate the declaration of the archaeological remains found in the "Garden of San Esteban", a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC),[2] process which is currently pending on the required reports of the consultative institutions.

A committee of experts, in the words of the Minister of Culture and Tourism, has been chosen for "their professionalism, prestige and for the specific Islamic period dating the remains."

Carlos Rodríguez Ibáñez[4] (Socialist councilor in the City Hall of Cehegín and spokesman of the Grupo Municipal Socialista) created a Facebook group in defense of the site under the title "Yacimiento de San Esteban",[5] which in a few days had more than 20,000 members.

At that time, the teacher Javier García del Toro[6] (Professor of prehistory of the University of Murcia) convened meetings every Sunday in the vicinity of the site to sensitize the public to the importance of the archaeological discovery.

The movement of citizens led to a public platform called "Plataforma Ciudadana" in defense of the site[7] with the slogan "Abraza San Esteban".

View of the archaeological site, December 2009. Days before the holder of the court number One of Murcia ordered the precautionary cessation of the works of clearing the archaeological site located in the Garden of San Esteban.
Partial view of the Al-Andalusian palatial complex and neighborhood of San Esteban archaeological site in December 2009.
View of the archaeological site, September 2010. Conservation process carried out by a private company [ 1 ] contracted of the conservation works archaeological site of San Esteban.
View of the archaeological site, September 2010. First it proceed to the cleaning and maintenance of all surfaces and structures of the site, where herbicides are applied to prevent the proliferation of plants after temporary preservation treatment. The works also include the consolidation of structures with lime mortar and the consolidation of lime pavements with reference of mortar of restoration, which preserves the pavement edges. In addition, it preserves the remains with a layer of geo-textile to separate the archaeological layers of the gravel that protect the site. Are also signaled the most important structures and the major roads.
Abrazo (Embrace) to the site of San Esteban.
Manifestation of December 19, 2009.