Fortress: Recinto de Alcazaba - Loja
The fortress was built on a rocky elevation and practically visible from all parts of the city. The inner city walls catches the attention of which the Caseron Alcaides de los Cristianos is an integral part of the border defensive system. It has been used throughout history as a residence, warehouse, prison and barracks. Both the cistern and the walls were declared as Historic-Artistic Monument in June 1931.
Until the beginning of the XXI century there were preserved several interesting remains of the cistern of the eleventh century, the Tower of Homage and a ring of walls. At the inside of the wall were furthermore thirteen square towers four semi-circular and an octagonal tower known as the Ochavada preserved.
The construction of Caseron Alcaides de los Cristianos was ordered in the early seventeenth century by Don Pedro de Tapia, as the seat of his political and administrative power. It is a large building with two floors, mixed rigging and has a simple structure. It is attached in the east to Tower of the Alcazaba, or Torre del Reloj, (ninth century) which is probably the only remain of what must be the residential building of the medina Lawsa. The watch towers had visual connection to a network of watchtowers from the Nazari era, which were constructed along the border of the kingdom of Granada, controlling the possible movements of enemy troops during the War of Granada.
