CASTILLO FORTALEZA ÁRABE
Declared of cultural, historical and cultural interest, this 15 meters high Nazari Tower is locally known as "The Castle", and is the symbol of Huercal-Overa. Built in the second half of the fourteenth century, traditionally, the tower was thought to be a defensive structure or watchtower to warn of the presence of the enemy. However, after excavations carried out, it was discovered, that in fact it was a fortification along with the tower; it would have had outer walls with detached towers, and internal spaces probably for housing a garrison.
The building reflects a particular moment in history, in which King Muhammad V planned a reorganization of the whole defence system of the Nazari kingdom, building military conflict between the crowns of Castile and Aragon.
THE TREE OF LIFE
One of the most important finds during restoration of the castle was the discovery in one of the walls of a decorative element called “The Tree Of Life ".
The Tree of Life is an important symbol in nearly every culture. With its branches reaching into the sky, and roots deep in the earth, it dwells in three worlds- a link between heaven, the earth, and the underworld, uniting above and below. It is a feminine symbol, bearing sustenance, and a masculine, visibly phallic symbol- another union.
The tree of life discovered in Huercal-Overa is one of the few decorative examples documented in a fortress in the Iberian Peninsula, along with that found in the castle of Gibralfaro in Malaga.