Benamaurel
Situated in a valley, North of Baza and the province of Granada, the area has a large number of troglodyte dwellings, which may have been inhabited in the Arab Andalusian period.
With over 2,500 inhabitants, the village patron saint, the Virgen de la Cabeza, is a cause of "conflict" on the Moors and Christians Day.
The church is dedicated to the Assumption and there is a place called the casa del tío Tinajas (Uncle Tinajas' house), which is a troglodyte dwelling apparently containing an old Arab dungeon inside.
History
The name of this village may well come from the Arab Ben Mawra'l, meaning "Maurel's house or family", even though there are other theories about its origin. It was an important agricultural enclave under Muslim rule.
After the general revolt of the Granada Moors against King Phillip ll in 1568, the repression against the revolters was especially cruel in this area.
After the Moors were expelled in 1609 these lands were left almost uninhabited.
The Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939) left a deep scar amongst its inhabitants and put an end to some of the most rooted traditions of this village.
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