Bobastro

Bobastro is the ruin of a medieval fortress city perched in the highlands of Málaga province, near present-day Ardales. It served as the stronghold of Umar ibn Hafsun, a rebel leader of Mozarabic descent who led a decades-long uprising against the Emirate of Córdoba from around 880 until his death in 917 — one of the longest-running revolts in Iberian history. After the fortress finally fell in 928, the Caliph Abd ar-Rahman III ordered it razed. What survives is principally a rock-cut Mozarabic church, a rare physical trace of Christian architecture built under Islamic rule. The site is reached by foot trails through the dramatic gorge landscape of El Chorro; the elevated ruins offer a sweeping view over the surrounding sierra.