Iznájar

A hidden patrol walkway comes to light in the Iznájar alcazaba

Work on the Torre del Reloj uncovers a corridor sealed for centuries that may have linked the tower with the Torre del Homenaje.

InfoCórdoba newsroom · Published on October 30, 2026 at 17:34

Galería estrecha excavada en roca y muros de piedra, con un cable y guantes sobre una repisa. — Photo: Ayuntamiento de Iznájar

Restoration work on the Torre del Reloj of the Iznájar alcazaba has uncovered an old patrol walkway that remained filled with sediment and was inaccessible. The controlled removal of these materials allows several metres of the corridor to be walked for the first time in the direction of the castle. Archaeological research starts from the hypothesis that this passage, located next to the Torre del Reloj, may have connected that tower with the Torre del Homenaje following part of the wall line. If confirmed, it would allow a better understanding of how the defenders moved inside the enclosure and how its strategic points communicated. Patrol walkways served the garrison to keep watch alongside the walls and to reach quickly the sectors that needed it. Their study provides new information about the internal organisation of the alcazaba and the relationship between its towers, stretches of wall and accesses.

A route that cannot be excavated in full

The urban evolution of the Barrio de la Villa will determine how far the layout can be followed. Over the centuries, houses and other buildings grew over the enclosure and some courtyards occupied or filled stretches of the space, so the passage is expected to appear interrupted at several points and cannot be excavated in a linear way. The Ayuntamiento wants the find not to remain within the field of research. Within the project to restore and open the Torre del Reloj to the public, a study will be made of how to integrate the recovered stretch into the future visitor route, provided technical and conservation conditions allow it. The aim is for residents and visitors to be able to understand on the ground how this part of the fortification was laid out. The alcazaba was built in the 13th century and was remodelled by the troops of Pedro I between 1362 and 1366. The mayor of Iznájar and municipal official responsible for Culture, Lope Ruiz, has stated that the find allows us «to go into, in the most literal sense of the word, a part of the history of Iznájar that remained hidden».

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A hidden patrol walkway comes to light in the Iznájar alcazaba

A route that cannot be excavated in full

1 foto