La Taha

La Taha parish
Pitres Church
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Andalusia
Province :	Granada
Comarca :	Granada Alpujarra
Coordinates	36 ° 56 ′  N , 3 ° 20 ′  W Coordinates: 36 ° 56 ′  N , 3 ° 20 ′  W
Height :	1295  msnm
Area :	25.59 km²
Residents :	653 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density :	25.52 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	18414
Municipality number  ( INE ):	18901
administration
Mayor :	Marcelo Avilés Gómez ( PP )
Website :	www.lataha.es
Location of the municipality

Street in Pitres.

La Taha is a municipality that was newly formed in 1975 in the Spanish province of Granada in southern Andalusia . The seven villages of the municipality are located at an altitude of around 950 to 1,400 m in the Alpujarras , one of the mountainous regions off the Sierra Nevada in the south. On January 1st, 2019, La Taha had a total of 653 inhabitants, who live in an area of ​​25.59 km².

La Taha consists of the amalgamation of the previously independent municipalities of Capilerilla, Pitres, Mecina, Mecinilla, Fondales, Ferreirola and Atalbéitar. These seven villages belonged to the earlier Taha de Ferreira from the Moorish period, in addition there were the now independent communities Pórtugos and Busquístar , as well as the no longer existing place Aylacar .

history

From archaeological finds it is known that the Alpujarras were already settled in the Neolithic . After the Romans came the Visigoths, but it was not until the Arabs from 771 onwards that the places became more important due to the terracing of the mountain slopes and the development of a sophisticated irrigation system. In the 13th century, the Nasrids, now ruling from Granada , divided their area into larger parishes called Tahas . Due to the remote location of the Alpujarra, many Muslims withdrew here in 1492 after the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Kings , but as early as 1500 there were revolts against the Spanish oppressors. After the crackdown on the Morisk rebellion , the surviving Muslims were expelled and the depopulated villages were repopulated with Christian farmers from northern provinces, while others fell into disrepair. The Arab irrigation system was not continued among the new residents, the region increasingly lost importance and was forgotten. In recent years, the Alpujarras and thus also La Taha have been increasingly discovered by tourism. From here there are many opportunities for hiking , mountaineering and mountain biking , as well as a starting point for tours in the adjacent Sierra Nevada National Park .

Seven villages

With around 30 inhabitants, Capilerilla is the smallest and at 1,380 m the highest. The village is about 1 km north of Pitres, but has no shops. A few years ago the remains of a Visigothic temple from the 7th century were discovered here. The Fiesta de San Francisco is celebrated on the first weekend in April .

Pitres is the largest of the seven villages with around 400 inhabitants and is located at an altitude of 1,260 m. There is the town hall, a supermarket, a bakery, a weekly market on Fridays, several restaurants and bars and a bank with an ATM. The focus is a large square with the Mudejar-style church . It was built on the foundations of a former mosque and has a striking tower. The big summer festival Fiesta de San Roque takes place here on the second weekend in August .

Mecina is located about 1.5 km south of Pitres at an altitude of 1,030 m, formed a political unit with Mecinilla and Fondales until it was incorporated into La Taha and is the second largest village with a total of 176 inhabitants. The former public washing area was located here, the outlines of which can still be seen today. On the nearby Rio Bermejo are the remains of an old Arab mill, which is considered a testimony to the medieval Arab architecture in this area.

Mecinilla adjoins Mecina in a southerly direction and is located at an altitude of about 1,000 m. The village formed a political unit with Mecina and Fondales until it was incorporated into La Taha. The Fiesta de San Cayetano takes place here on the first weekend in August .

Fondales is a few 100 m southeast of Mecinilla. At around 950 m above sea level, it is the lowest-lying place in the municipality directly on the Rio Trevélez . The village formed a political unit with Mecina and Mecinilla until it was incorporated into La Taha in 1975. The medieval Roman bridge over the Rio Trevélez and the two cisterns of Campuzano and Aljibillo from the 12th to 14th centuries are worth seeing . In the vicinity of the river there are numerous former oil and grain mills with names such as Molino del Sol (sun mill), Molino de los Berros (watercress), Molino del Puente (bridge), Molino de Camino de Pórtugos (road to Pórtugos) or Molino del Rio (river). The Fiesta de la Virgen de Rosario takes place in Fondales on the first weekend in October .

Ferreirola is located about 1.5 km northeast of Fondales at an altitude of about 1,000 m and was built hidden between rocks except for the church tower. The place is the crossroads of several hiking trails through the Alpujarras, including the Rota Medieval (medieval route). The mineral water spring (Fuente Gaseosa) on site is important, the water of which has a slightly bitter taste due to the high iron content. There used to be a public washing area and bathing establishment here as well. The village (dt. Eisenstätte) got its name because of the rich iron ore deposits under the village and in its surroundings. Fiesta la Santa Cruz takes place here in May .

Atalbéitar is located around 1 km northeast of Ferreirola at an altitude of 1,150 m and formed a political unit with Ferreirola until it was incorporated into La Taha in 1975. The place seems to be the last settled of all seven villages because it was unknown before the Moorish period. Traditionally, Christians and Muslims lived together in the village. There is a church here with a small rectangular nave and a roof structure that has been renewed several times. The tower and the sacristy adjoin and are surrounded by a cemetery. The Fiesta la Candeleria takes place here in February and the Fiesta de la Virgen Gracia on the second weekend in August .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
2. ^ La Taha de Pitres , accessed January 7, 2011
3. ^ History of the Alpujarras , accessed January 7, 2011
4. ↑ Capilerilla ( Memento of the original from February 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 7, 2011 
5. ^ La Taha de Pitres , accessed January 7, 2011
6. ↑ Mecina ( Memento of the original from October 31, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 7, 2011 
7. ↑ Mecinilla ( Memento of the original from January 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 8, 2011 
8. ↑ Fondales Mecina ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 8, 2011 
9. ↑ Ferreirola ( Memento of the original from October 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 8, 2011 
10. ↑ Atalbéitar ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 8, 2011 

Web links

Commons : La Taha  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Hiking in the Sierra Nevada - The Alpujarra
• La Taha Information System of Andalusia (Spanish)