Islamic Watchtower: Sentinel of the Reino Nazarí de Granada

Torre del Obispo, locally known as Torre Mora, has stood in a field near the minor road between Puerto Lumbreras and El Esparragal for six centuries. Part of a system of Islamic towers, it was built during the Reino Nazarí de Granada period. Located in a strategic communication corridor, it guarded a crucial intersection during this era. The Camino Real de Vea was protected with new buildings like Torre de Sancho Manuel and Torre del Obispo during the time of the Reino de Murcia under the Castilian crown.

The three channels that run through Torre del Obispo’s perimeter walls suggest the possibility that this building was related to water control in the field of Lorca. The tower measures 10.31 m x 10.19 m, and its walls are made of mampostería, with square-cut stones reinforcing the corners. The reused elements from previous buildings can be seen in the walls, and the doorway is 1 m wide, 2.40 m high, and slightly off-centered on the east side. Torre del Obispo has been declared a cultural heritage site according to the Disposición Adicional Segunda de la Ley 16/1985 de 25 de junio. Today, it stands as a silent sentinel, a relic of a forgotten time.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons