Torre de las Ahumadas, also known as La Atalaya del Infante Don Enrique or Torre Castellón de Fique, is strategically located at the Puerto de Tíscar. Built by Infante Don Enrique between 1299 and 1302, the tower is cylindrical in shape and was used to watch the movement of troops on the road to the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.
The tower's two escudos above the entrance are still preserved. One shows two towers and two Calatrava crosses, possibly the escudos of Infante Don Enrique. The other seems to be the royal seal of Fernando IV or the seal of Toledo. Remains of the old path leading to the tower offer evidence of its former strategic importance.
Situated at 1,189 meters above sea level, the tower's design features a solid lower body and a main door located 3.5 meters above the ground. From this high point, the lookout could oversee the castle of Tíscar, the castle of Quesada, and various valleys stretching toward Ubeda and Baeza.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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