BUENOS AIRES AREA BY AREA - Argentina - page 110

center located in the heart
of Buenos Aires.
La Rural is a two-week-
long agricultural fair that takes
place annually in August. It
attracts thousands of spectators
who come to see a large
number of animals, most
of which are cattle. Breeders
travel from all over Argentina
to showcase their livestock.
The showground itself was
built by the Sociedad Rural
Argentina in the 1870s, and
it now also has a modern
exhibition hall, which is used
for other events and shows.

r Escuela de
Mecánica de la
Armada (ESMA)
Ave del Libertador 8209. £ Estación
Rivadavia. @ 29, 60, 130, 160.
∑ institutomemoria.org.ar

For most Argentinians the
acronym “ESMA,” short for
“Escuela de Mecánica de la
Armada” (The Naval Mechanics
School), has a grim resonance.
A facility of the Argentinian
Navy, it was used as an illegal
detention center during the
dictatorial rule of the National
Reorganization Process which
lasted from 1976 to 1983 (see
p58) . It was here that some of the
worst atrocities were committed
during the country's military rule.
Political prisoners, many of
whom were simply teachers or
lawyers with left-wing leanings,
were brought here, commonly in
unmarked Ford Falcons, tortured

The towering minarets of the Centro Cultural Islámico Rey Fahd
w Centro Cultural
Islámico Rey Fahd
Ave Intendente Bullrich 55. City
Map 5 D2. Te l [phone]. @
15, 36, 37, 60. Open 9am-6pm
Mon-Fri. 8 noon Tue, Thu, & Sat. 7
∑ ccislamicoreyfahd.org.ar
Inaugurated in 2000, this
cultural center and imposing,
modern Gulf-style mosque
were designed by Saudi archi-
tect Zuhair Faiz on land dona-
ted by the former Argentinian
president Carlos Menem. The
10-acre (4-ha) site contains the
King Fahd Mosque with a 160-
ft- (50-m-) high blue-and-white
dome and two minarets.
The mosque is the largest
in South America, with a
colossal prayer room that
accommodates more than
1,000 worshipers. It houses
schools that conduct Islam
and Arabic classes, and has a
library and conference and
sports facilities. The center's
pleasant gardens and water
fountains provide a cool retreat
from the busy city.

e La Rural
Ave Santa Fe 4201. City Map 5 E3. Te l
[phone]. @ 15, 36, 37, 60.
Open only for events.

Named after the most
important agricultural event
in the Argentinian calendar
since the late 19th century, this
showground and exhibition
space is used as an exporting
platform and is a cultural,
entrepreneurial, and social

A busy day at the La Rural agricultural fair

For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99