The Muslim fortress lost and found in Spain

Nestled in the heart of Zaragosa, Spain, the Castle of Terrer stands as a testament to a bygone era. Built in the C9 as a Muslim fortress, it played a significant role in the ebb and flow of power on the Iberian Peninsula. Although renamed after the Christian Reconquista, its Muslim roots lingered, shaping its history for centuries. It played a crucial role in the long struggle to take back lands from Muslim rule. Although it was captured by Alfonso I the Battler in 1122, it was not just a stronghold of the Christian south.

In 1232, during the reign of Jaime I the Conquistador, the castle hosted important meetings regarding the succession in the condado de Urgel. And a century later, it was one of the many territories contested between Pedro I of Castilla and Pedro IV of Aragón during the war of the Two Peters. Everything changed, however, in 1361, when the Paz de Deza-Terrer was signed between the two rulers. Although Terrer always belonged to the community of villages of Calatayud, sesma del río Jalon, the castle and the Muslim district were sometimes in the hands of the Martines de Luna as feudal lords.

Only a few remains of this ancient castle are left, consisting of remains of walls built in tapial reaching certain height in some points, possibly forming part of the double fortification around the castle. The castle occupied the entire top of the mountain where it is located, measuring about 40 by 20 meters in size, with the mission to watch over the valley of Jalon as an advanced defense of the nearby city of Calatayud. A tower in the castle was demolished recently due to the danger of ruin.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata