In the district of MoclÃn, this Castle was built in the mid-13th century to defend the Nasrid kingdom of Granada. Also called Hins Al-Muqlin (fortress of the two wards), it began as a frontier castle between the kingdoms of Granada and Castile and it was constantly besieged during the Hispanic-Muslim era, falling into the hands of the Catholic Monarchs in 1486.It has an irregular floor plan, adapted to the terrain, and it stands on the highest peak in the surrounding area, at over a thousand metres above sea level. There are two clearly distinguishable areas. The first consists of the outer walls which are at their slenderest to the west and south, decreasing as you advance towards the Tajos de la Hoz. An some points the rock itself performs the defensive function.The second area of the castle, the "alcazaba" or citadel, is reached via the Camino Real which still exists today. The prominent feature of the entrance is the Torre del Homenaje, the highest of all the towers. It is located at the north-eastern corner of the castle, with views over Alcalá la Real. Inside the citadel, in the upper part of the castle, the most important feature is the very large cistern which was extremely important when they were under siege.
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