Ogíjares

Ogíjares  is located on the edge of the Vega of Granada in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The Barranco de la Ricla (also known as Barranco Hondo) runs straight through it. It lies in the  fertile surroundings of the Río Dílar.

The town is located in the area known as La Campana Granada, a term that once referred to the jurisdictional territory of a parish. The most romantic version of the origin of the town’s name goes that it encompassed the land form where the sound of the bells of the Torre de la Vela de la Alhambra could be heard. This town is very close to Granada – in fact it is located between Sierra Nevada and Granada, just 6 kilometres from the latter.

There are numerous historical ruins here. Two sites have been excavated in Ogíjares, the Barranco Hondo and the Cerro de San Cristobal. Ogíjar is thought to have originally been two towns – Ogíjar Alto and Ogíjar Bajo, which explains why it has two convents and two churches.

Although the origins of this town date back to the Arab period (in that time the town consisted of two farmsteads that were just one kilometre apart) interesting ruins, such as tools and burial objects have been found from the Neolithic and Bronze Age as well as the Visigoth period.

The town’s name comes from the Latin word Hortum Sacrum, which when translated into Arabic becomes Ortexica (later Oxijar). After the rebellion of the Moors and the Christian Reconquista, the two farmsteads called Ogíjar Alto and Ogíjar Bajo, joined together in what is now known as the municipality of Ogíjares. Since then the expansion and growth of the town has been steady. Like many nearby places, it has expanded rapidly in recent decades, as it has become a commuter town for people working in Granada.

The Sopa granadina is a speciality in Ogíjares, It is often served with fried potatoes and meat such as lamb chops, rabbit and veal. Cuchara is also a typical dish. Other specialities include Guisantes finos a la granadina and the local ham.