GLOSSARY

Albacar: Open space inside the castle, protected by walls, where people lived or took refuge in case of danger.
Alcaide: Person in charge of caring for and governing a castle on behalf of the king or a noble.
Alcazaba: The most important part of the castle, where the rulers lived and decisions were made. It was better protected. It is the construction that remains today: walls and two towers.
Almohads: Muslim community from North Africa that ruled part of the Iberian Peninsula during the last third of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th century. They were the builders of the castle.
“Cut-down” Tower: Popular name for the Islamic tower because its upper part or section is missing.
Cistern: Underground reservoir where rainwater was stored for drinking or use inside the castle.
Square turrets: Solid projecting structures (in the form of towers) attached to the wall and used to reinforce and defend the fortress.
Graffiti: Writing or drawing made on a wall. In the castle, one of the most notable examples is on the north wall of the Islamic tower, with an Arabic religious text.
Infante Don Alfonso of Castile: Son of King Ferdinand III of Castile. He recovered the castle in the mid-13th century (1244).
Polygonal-shaped: Shape of the castle when viewed from above, with several sides or corners, not round or square.
Rammed earth: Ancient technique of Islamic origin used for building walls with “mortar,” a mixture of sand, water, and small stones pressed into wooden molds.
Rubble masonry: Construction technique using stones joined with mud mortar to build walls (Christian technique).
Treaty of Torrellas-Elche: Agreements signed between 1304–1305 by which the castle and its territory became definitively part of the Crown of Aragon, more specifically the Kingdom of Valencia.
Wall-walk (or Rampart walk): Narrow passageway located at the top of the walls where soldiers walked to watch over and defend the fortress.