Castillo De Bujalance

Castillo de Bujalance (originally, Bury al-Hans ("tower of the snake") is a

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

located in the town of Bujalance, in

Andalucia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

southern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, in the province of Córdoba. It was built in the 10th century during the Caliphate of

Abd-ar-Rahman III ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥakam al-Rabdī ibn Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Dākhil () or ʿAbd al-Rahmān III (890 - 961), was the Umayyad Emir of Córdoba from 912 to 9 ...

. It is a clear example of Muslim military architecture in

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the Mus ...

. It subsequently underwent several modernizations, most recently in 1512, which were paid for by Queen

Joanna of Castile Joanna (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad ( es, link=no, Juana la Loca), was the nominal Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was married by arrangement to ...

. It is rectangular in shape, measuring north-south and east-west. The castle's original name, "tower of the snake", and the fact that it had seven towers, led to the current name of the city and its coat of arms. In 1963, the Ministry of Culture declared the site a ''

Bien de Interés Cultural A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" (" goods" in the economic sense) and incl ...

'' monument. Currently, its courtyard is used as a cultural space, which is in the process of being catalogued, restored and reconstructed. Highlights include the Festival of Theatre, Music and Dance (Nights at the Citadel) and Andalusian Dinner during the summer months. {{coord, 37.8973, -4.3834, type:landmark_region:ES, display=title Castles in Andalusia Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Córdoba (Spain) 10th-century establishments in Al-Andalus Towers completed in the 10th century