Iznajar Historic Walk

Jeff Parkes

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The town is built around the ruins of the 1,200-year-old Moorish castle which tops a rocky outcrop. The castle has been completely restored and offers fantastic views of the surrounding area. Parts of the fortified town walls can also still be seen. The Iglesia Parroquil de Santiago Apostol Church dates from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and is notable for its Baroque altar-piece. Also of interest is the shrine of the Ermita de la Antigua, which was built in the seventeenth century and features a curious domed vault, which leads on to an even more unusual eighteenth century dressing-room. Iznajar also has a small municipal museum, dedicated to its agricultural heritage and local customs. The Barrio del Coso area is a lovely place to wander around; its maze of narrow lanes meander around attractive, whitewashed houses. From the Plaza Nueva, wonderful views of the surrounding countryside can be seen.

The town of Iznajar was transformed after 1969 by the creation of a reservoir across the River Genil Valley. Today Iznajar has a waterfront, overlooking an inland sea some thirty kilometres long, with a shoreline of one hundred kilometres and containing an estimated 900 million cubic metres of water. The reservoir provides an excellent place for fishing, birdwatching and sailing. Iznajar is the only town or village on its shoreline. The village was originally a prehistoric Iberian settlement, but flourished in the eighth century when is was settled by Arabs. In 711AD Tariq bin Zayid built a castle and called it 'Hins Ashar', which has given the town its modern name. In 1431, in the reign of Catholic monarch Juan II, it was taken back by the Christian rulers, some sixty years before Granada was to fall in 1492.

Festivities in Iznájar include Semana Santa (Easter), when the locals play out a religious epic in a theatrical production featuring scenes from the Bible. On April 25th, San Marcos is honoured by the inhabitants by a communal picnic that is held in the countryside near the town. Iznajar's annual September feria usually takes place from September 7-10.

Spain - Southern Spain - Cordoba - Countryside

Features

Ancient Monument, Cafe, Castle, Church, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Lake/Loch, Museum, Pub, Restaurant, Toilets

3/22/2016 - Jim Arymar

This is a well written and fascinating tour of one of the most beautiful and interesting hill-top towns in Southern Spain. The citizens take enormous pride in their town which is immaculately clean. Of particular interest is the town’s knitting! There is a square where knitted umbrellas are suspended, plant pot covers, traffic signs and even the local phone box have knitted decorations!! There are 121 steps to climb as part of the tour. Taking the A333 south across the bridge and driving a kilometre or so gives an equally impressive vista over Iznájar.