HIDDEN HISTORIES

KAVITA PURI on a little-known but pivotal moment in Spanish history

“Though Moors no longer rule these parts, their presence is felt every day” AS I WRITE THIS COLUMN, I AM SITTING NOT far from the fortified town of Moclín in southern Spain, with a view of an old Moorish watchtower on top of a hill swathed in olive groves. It's a vista that's remained essentially unchanged for many centuries. I live part of my life here, and spend a lot of time writing with this view as my companion. The Torre atalaya de Mingoandrés is one of a handful of similar medieval watchtowers dotted around the area north-west of Granada. This is a hugely historic place in the story of modern Spain – yet, for some reason, it is little known outside the region. The name Moclín derives from the Arabic Hisn al-Muklin,…

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Bbc History (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2024

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