The analysis of the monuments of the Nasrid period, still preserved in the north frontier of the old Kingdom of Granada, is the central core of the Shamekh Alawna´s work, a Palestinian researcher Bachelor of Archaeology in 1995 by the University of Al Najah of Nablus (Palestine), who has carried out his thesis “Constructive techniques used in the castles of the north border of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada” under the supervision of professor Antonio Malpica Cuello, of the Department of Medieval History of the University of Granada.
In this work he analyses the frontier castles and watchtowers of the divisions of the Montes Orientales and Occidentales (Eastern and Western mountains), starting from their architectural remains, Arab fountains and modern studies too. The Nasrid State had built some castles in the biggest towns and the highest hills between Jaen and Granada as a measure to establish and control the territory and frontier crossings between the two kingdoms.
According to Shamekh Alawna, “some of the fortifications were put up on others of the Iberian or Roman period to make good use of the construction material, but also to benefit from their excellent position to control the territory. A clear example of this case is Montejícar”.
All the castles are associated –according to the Palestinian researcher—with high, rough hills, with pronounced scarps. Only one side of the fortresses is exposed to areas with easy access but, even so, they are very pronounced and make any attack difficult. This way, scarps act as natural walls protecting such sectors. A reflect of this structure are, for example, the eastern and northern areas of Montejícar´s castle. The same happens in Píñar, Colomera, Íllora and Montefrío, but the original topography has been practically removed by urban development.
“Castles –Shamekh Alawna says—are not necessarily built in the highest geographical areas of a region. They are built in the hills with the best regional visibility and communication with other fortifies places. Due to the lack of compelte remains in Iznalloz, Montejícar and Moclín, added to Piñar’s complexity, we can only provide a general approach of the reconstructed floors.
On the other hand, it is difficult to establish accurately the period in which the castles were built. “We only know –Shamekh Alawna says– that Montejícar seems to have been constructed in the first emiral period, as Muladies had used it in the rebellions against the Cordovan State. But between the historical comparison and the types of constructive technique used, we can observe that the castles of Montejícar, Colomera and Íllora had been built in the 10th-11th centuries.
In accordance with the Palestinian researcher, “according to historical accounts and focusing on the constructive analysis carried out in the castles, it seems that Montejícar, Piñar and Moclín were mainly military locations, whereas Iznalloz, Colomera, Íllora and Montefrío were civil. The castles belong to different periods of the Islamic state, but specifically Colomera, Íllora and Montejícar start in the emiral-caliphal period, whereas the castles of Moclín, Montefrío, Píñar and Iznalloz were probably built in the Taifa Kingdoms”.
All the castles analysed in this study fell under Christian control in 1485 and were afterwards abandoned when the repopulation process of Granada started. They wee only active for a short period with Castilians, while the Kingdom of Granada was being completely conquered.
Reference:
Dr Shamekh Alawna
Dpt. Medieval History. University of Granada
Phone number: 619324804.
E-mail: alawna@hotmail.com
