Escúzar

With the Sierra Tejeda to the south, the Sierra de La Pera to the north and Granada just 24 kilometres away, Escúzar is an ideal place to enjoy nature. It is surrounded by fields and olive trees and a Mediterranean forest.

It used to be one of the main farmsteads that made up the former region of Quempe and that, according to the chronicles of Pérez del Pulgar, ‘was completely destroyed’ during the Spanish conquest. Escúzar was called Askudar in Nasrid times and the remains of its farmstead can be seen on the hill to the south the town, at the foothills of the Sierra de La Pera.

According to the archaeological findings, the first inhabitants of the area of Escúzar arrived during Roman times. The first written records of the town date back to Arab times and mention it as a farmstead located amidst the workers’ houses along the route leading from Granada to Alhama de Granada. During the Reconquista by the Catholic Kings, the town suffered the effects of the war.

In 1568 the revolt of the Moors took place. The rebellion was repressed and the consequent expulsion of the Moors from all municipalities left Escúzar, according to the Royal Census of 1594, with only 5 inhabitants.

It was re-built as a large farmstead and given the name of Santa María de Escúzar by the Castilian settlers who came here in the 17^th century. In those years the most important economic activity was dryland farming. Its population grew and its original church restored and extended.

In 1990 a factory was built that treated celestine, a special mineral used in the manufacture of cathode tubes of televisions and computer monitors, optical fibres and other special glasses.

Olives and cereals are the main crops in the area. Among the dishes they appear in are salads, Migas, chicken and soups. Special local desserts include rice pudding and the Huevos a la nieve, a typical sweet gazpacho and a special local toast.