Baza, the most extensive district of the Granada province, is located in the head of its county, to the north of the province. At the moment, it is the main urban centre of the Granada’s northeast and it shares Episcopal titular of the Bishopric of Guadix-Baza. Due to its long history, it has numerous archaeological sites and monuments of great historical and cultural value like the Iberian-Roman city of Basti or its two cemeteries, in one of which the Lady of Baza was discovered, statue that dates from the IV century b.C.

Its environmental surroundings offer as different landscapes as the semi desert Baza Mountain range that was declared Natural Park in 1989, with peaks higher than 2,000 meters, semi-deserted land – as the badlands of the Plateau - or the green oasis of its Fertile plain. This spectacular natural frame offers to the visitor the possibility of practicing all type of sports, as trekking, strolls in bicycle or even the free-fall for the bravest. In addition, Baza offers as well the possibility of staying in a house-cave and enjoying the life as in the olden days.

History

The city of Baza was founded in the IV century b.C. with the Iberian town of the bastetanos with the name of Basti. It lived its years of greater splendour at the Iberian period, being capital of the Bastetania, a wide territory that included Eastern Andalusia and the South-eastern Murcia-manchego. The Roman Empire turned it into a great commercial centre and in 713 it was occupied by the Arabs, who gave it the name of Medinata Bastha and they built a fortified enclosure to protect their medina. Of that period, the present neighbourhood of Santiago or old Jewish quarter, where the best preserved public baths (XIII century) of Arab period are, stand out. Since the XII century, the city was house of the Almohads until in 1234 it was taken by Ibn to al-Ahmar, who would be the first Nasrid king of Granada. It reached its maximum splendour during the reign of Muhammad V, in the middle of the XIV century. Later it lost its prominence due to the warlike instability until it fell into the hands of the Catholic Kings, after two consecutive campaigns and more than seven months of siege, the 4th of December of 1489, day of Santa Barbara, patron of the bastetanos. Years later the Moorish were expelled and it was repopulated by new settlers. Since the XVII century, the city entered a period of lethargy of which it recovered step by step.

Gastronomy

The typical gachas cakes, of which an old nutritional decree marked the type of flour that had to be use, stand out. The gurupina (cod with potatoes), the testuz (stew with beans) or the gurullos with partridge or hare. In addition, it has a wide pastry making tradition, the French toasts, chocolate croquettes, the “bienmesabe” or the Christmas sweets standing out among them.

Museums and monuments

- Alcazaba: It was an unconquerable fortress in its time. Today some linen cloths of wall and rests of several towers are the only remains conserved. The walls present three constructive phases: the first one, of the XI-XII centuries, another Nasrid one and a last one of Christian time (XVI century). It is located in the Baza town centre.
- Arab baths of Marzuela: They date from the XIII century (almohad period). They are structured in three main rooms and they are a good example of urban baths related to the old mosque, present Church of Santiago. They were located in the old neighbourhood of Marzuela, present neighbourhood of Santiago, and its state of conservation is remarkable. The archaeological excavations have helped to recover the rests of rooms like the main access door or “maslaí”, among others.

- Church and Convent of the Merced: It was built at the beginning of the XVI century over a Mozarab hermitage of the XII century destroyed by the almohads. It has a plant of three sections with a main chapel covered by crucería vault and high choir at the bottom. The temple is dedicated to the invocation of Santa Maria of the Merced, and it houses a baroque dressing room that keeps a small sculpture of the Virgin, carved in limestone, that still conserves rests of its original colour in its clothes. The convent is inhabited by a Franciscan order.

- Main Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación: The first headquarters of the ex-collegiate was the old aljama Muslim mosque, until the construction in Gothic style began in 1529. An earthquake demolished it in 1531 and that same year it was in charge its reconstruction, in Renaissance style, to Alonso de Covarrubias and Rodrigo de Gibaia. It has three sections covered with crucería vaults and girola. The tower, which suffered damages years later because of another earthquake, was reconstructed again in the XVIII century.

- Palace of the Enríquez: Its construction was ordered by Enrique Enríquez and his wife, uncles of the Catholic Kings in 1506. It has numerous Mudejar caissons richly decorated and it constitutes a magnificent example of Renaissance palace conceived as villa in an Italian style. Throughout its history it has suffered numerous modifications until arriving at its present state.