Castillos de Cambil y Alhabar

23120, Cambil How to get

Cambil, located in a large valley south of Sierra Mágina, is surrounded by high peaks and rugged mountains. Cambil has as a watchtower two large rocks, almost vertical walls of Marquesian limestone separated by a gash carved by the Villanueva River, where the Muslim castles of Cambil and Alhabar were located, whose origin is related to the border of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, in the year 1246. The castle of Alhabar is located in the rocky cliff of the same name located to the east of the river, while the castle of Cambil occupies the entire approximately rectangular plateau of the rock of the same name, to the west of the river.

The Castle of Alhabar occupies the entire upper plateau of the cliff on the east bank of the river. It was of small proportions although of a higher bearing than the castle of Cambil, rectangular in shape and adapted to the steep rock on two of its slopes (north and south), in front of which it raised its wall, on the east and south facades west, of which remains of very deteriorated structures remain.

In the interior space, it is worth highlighting the existence of two levels that were enhanced by human work: a central one that acts as an alcazarejo and a peripheral one. The visible work inside the castle is of small masonry and abundant plaster mortar.

Access to the castle was from the west through a narrow entrance preceded by a very long staircase, very narrow, partially carved into the rock, so it was not accessible for mounts. At this point the space was closed with a masonry wall.

The other walled enclosure, the eastern one, has been heavily restored to prevent collapses. Near this, on the flat cusp where the hill seems to be leveling out, there are signs of a rectangular construction, probably the only habitable space in Alhabar.

At the moment a viewpoint has been enabled from the castle of Alhabar, from where the field of vision that was had at that time from the castle can be observed.

Castillo Cambil, occupied the entire upper plateau, approximately rectangular, of the rocky cliff on the west bank of the river. It had natural defenses on three of its fronts, protected only by a slight parapet, due to the steep nature of the rock on which it was based, only the west side has a slight unevenness, of about 4 or 5 meters, so which is on this side where it had some kind of fortification and where the castle had to be accessed.

The interior of the castle is quite rough, with small masonry and a lot of plaster mortar. It was structured in two levels: one central as a alcazarejo, and the other peripheral.

The alcazarejo is formed by a raised plateau that was surrounded by parapets and perhaps leveled with earth. In the eastern sector there is a tied structure that supports and enhances it, two masonry walls at right angles to the corner formed by a chain of very narrow and well cut ashlars.

The interior space of what we could call the parade ground, was divided into two longitudinal sectors by means of a partition of dry masonry, today completely demolished although its stones are in situ.

The remains of the hollow of the bar, carved out of the living rock, reveal the entrance of the castle. In some sectors of the castle there are stone balls, which, due to their dispersion, could be remains of the bombardment carried out in 1485 by the Catholic Monarchs.

Today, remains of the wall can still be seen.