History of La Tahá
The town's origins date back to Roman times, and numerous archaeological remains demonstrate its importance during the Muslim period.
Pitres (with Capilerilla), Mecina Fondales (with Fondales and Mecinilla, with Mecina as the capital) and Ferreirola (with Atalbéitar) were three independent municipalities until they merged in 1975 to form La Tahá, with Pitres as the municipal capital.
'Tahá' is a Hispano-Arabic word that has no clear translation. It was used to designate jurisdictional and administrative divisions of small regions that were governed by the same authority and had defensive structures to protect dependent populations.
These antecedents date back to the thirteenth century, but it was in the fourteenth century that this structure was established in the Kingdom of Granada. However, only in the region of La Alpujarra did the name survive until the eighteenth century.
When the process of merging the three former municipalities began in 1973, the decision was made to use the name Tahá again to designate this small area comprising seven villages. The current municipality is considered the successor of the old Tahá de Ferreyra, albeit with some differences. La Tahá de Ferreira included the current municipalities of Pórtugos and Busquístar, as well as the now-disappeared town of Aylácar. In contrast, the current municipality incorporates the Mecinilla area, which was not referenced during the Arab occupation.
Mecina Fondales, well known to followers of the writer Gerald Brenan as he spent some summers there, is situated on south-facing slopes overlooking the Trevélez River. Ferreirola is located nearby, nestled between two ravines. Capilerilla is the highest village in La Tahá. It sits above Pitres at an impressive 1,380 metres above sea level. Atalbéitar is the smallest and most westerly of the villages that make up La Tahá.