History
In the distant past, around 2,500 BC, Cájar, along with the rest of the neighbouring municipalities in the region, participated in the so-called ‘Argaric Culture’ in the Bronze Age. Evidence of this can be found in a cista (tomb), located in the place known as Pago de Yajar. During the Roman period there was a wealthy and refined settlement known as Vesci, whose population eventually spread into the town of Cájar.
Over the centuries, Cájar has boasted fertile soil and a climate favourable to the development of agriculture. As one of the greatest historians of the 14th century, Ibn-Al-Jatib, tells us, a farmhouse called Qüiyar was built in the town. This large Nasrid country house was built for the enjoyment of an Arab nobleman who was in love with the land and its surroundings. Together with the arrival of new inhabitants and the proliferation of new houses, it formed the first nucleus of the primitive, Caxar. This Arabic name of Cájar refers to a place where a lot of silk was grown; at that time there were around 400 mulberry trees.
After the reconquest of the Kingdom of Granada (1492) by the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile), some estates in Cájar were sold to ‘Old Christians’, living alongside the Moriscos (Muslims forced to convert to Christianity) who continued to cultivate these lands.
On 12th February 1572, (the date of the Land Survey Act) the town was founded and the boundaries of its municipal area were marked. By 1600, the area was considered to have very valuable lands, due to harvests of silk, wine, and bread. Later, flax, hemp, and potatoes were introduced. As confirmation of this wealth, San Juan de Dios (Saint John of God, a 16th century Portuguese soldier who became a healthcare worker and founded a religious order) travelled to Cájar every week to collect wheat, chickpeas, fruit and chickens for his hospital inGranada.
Cájar has successfully combined the traditional architecture of its oldest neighbourhood with the residential villas from the beginning of the last century and the modern constructions of new urbanisations. Curiously, this town has the smallest municipal area in Andalucía, with only two square kilometres. While this was once an eminently agricultural area, the service sector and family-run businesses currently predominate. With its proximity to Granada, Cájar has always been valued as a residential area, leading to a considerable boom in the construction sector. For all these reasons, Cájar is considered one of the most peaceful and attractive municipalities surrounding the city of the Alhambra.