Ilipa

O: grain ear R: crescent above fish, ILIPENSE This coin was struck in Ilipa circa 150-100 BC.

37°31′06″N 5°58′42″W / 37.51833°N 5.97833°W / 37.51833; -5.97833

Ilipa (Ancient Greek: Ἴλιπα) or Ilipa Magna was an ancient Iberian city located on the right bank of the River Betis (now known as the Guadalquivir) within one of its meanders. It later became part of the province of Hispania Ulterior and the legal district of Hispalis. Today, its remains can be found in the municipality of Alcalá del Río, in the province of Seville, Spain.

Located in the territory of the Turdetani, the city, due to its strategic position and fortified by large walls, controlled the land and river routes that connected with the silver mines of Sierra Morena. Due to its fertile agriculture, it held a significant position in the region.[1] The city was supplied with potable water by an aqueduct that spanned approximately 17 km from the Sierra Norte of Seville. No remains of this aqueduct exist today.[2] Its significance and magnitude earned it the name "Magna," which means "the Great."[3]

  1. ^ Strabo, CIL, p. 142
  2. ^ Velasco 2007, p.43
  3. ^ Ptolemy. 2, 4, 10.