History of Dílar
HISTORY
Dílar’s history begins long before the arrival of the Arabs in the Iberian Peninsula. In 1850, a hunter discovered an important prehistoric dolmen (a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb), surrounded by a cromlech (a stone circle) of tall stones, close to the Casa Rural.
Around 1125, King Alfonso I of Aragon, known as El Batallador (The Battler/Warrior), settled in Dílar to confront the Almoravid Governor of Granada, Tamim Bin Yusuf. Alfonso I failed in his attempt to conquer, and he withdrew in June 1126. Centuries later, around 1484, another battle took place on Dílar soil between Moors and Christians, with the Christian king settling above the town of Gabia to conquer villages on the slopes of Sierra Nevada. He later conquered the castle and town of Dílar. The castle was taken on 24th October 1491 by The Honorable Don Pablo Díaz y Ximenez.
During the Arab period, Dílar was divided into three hamlets. The first, Iglesia Baja (Lower Church), was located on the right side of the river and was home to the first church following the town’s conquest by the Catholic Monarchs. The other two were the Barrio del Hondón and Barrio Alto, referred to in the Apeo de Loaisa of 1572.
After the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs and the expulsion of the Moors, the Apeo de Loaisa took place. The document reveals the Arab roots of the majority of the settlers, with names such as Alonso el Muel, Alonso el Faquí, Miguel Alcarib, and Gaspar Alhustat.