Calatañazor Castle

Calatañazor Castle, locally known as Castillo de Calatañazor, lies in the very small, walled village with the same name in the province of Soria in Spain.

The name Calatañazor is derived from the Moorish name of the castle; Calat-al-Nusur.

Calatañazor Castle has a famous reputation in the history of Spain because it's the place where a legendary Moorish leader called Almanzor, called "The Victor" by the Moors, died in 1002. Almanzor was on his way back from his summer raids in the lands of the Medinaceli and very ill when he died here. The Christians at the time used his death to invent a myth in which he was killed in a victorious battle by the Christians to raise Christian moral.

The castle is part of the walled village of Calatañazor but separated from it by a dry moat that was cut out of the rock. On the castle's irregular enclosure there are ruins of several towers and the keep, which is situated next to the entrance over the moat.

There are nice views of the surrounding countryside from the castle and the very small village is also worth a walk. The castle is freely accessible. The village very much has a medieval feel about it, has a few remaining fragments of its medieval walls and is inhabited by just over 10 people.

Gallery