History of Dólar
During the Late Roman Empire, Dólar was a small village organised around a hill, which was later moved to lower, sunnier areas. During the Muslim period, the village attracted the attention of the 12th-century geographer al-Idrisi for its fortress-like character; the hilltop was crowned by a walled castle. The castle's purpose was to defend the population against external attacks.
There were two other small settlements nearby at that time, which remained until the Reconquista of the Catholic Monarchs, although they were almost uninhabited. Both settlements are believed to have Mozarabic origins. Following the Reconquista, the castle was abandoned and Dólar became part of the Marquisate of Cenete — a title granted to Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar y Mendoza in 1491. Following the Morisco rebellion and subsequent expulsion from the former Kingdom of Granada, the town had to be completely repopulated with Christians from Jaén and other areas.
There are different theories as to the origin of the town’s name. The first is that the Arab historian Ibn al-Jatib, when describing the territories near Guadix in the 14th century, referred to a place called Dólar (Dollar). This seems to refer to the coopers who worked with axes known as 'dollars' and who most likely settled here.
Secondly, the name Dólar could be derived from Dolaria, which would allude to a place abundant in wood. This would connect its meaning to a primitive forest with farmhouses, which gave rise to this settlement. Thirdly, the origin of the place name may have evolved from 'Dar', meaning 'house', which suggests that an inn or hostel may have been located there en route to Puerto de la Ragua.