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Istan - Malaga Spain
Istan - Malaga SpainMalaga andalusia spain - cities and towns
Istan
Its urban design bears witness to its Andalusi past: steep, narrow
streets of whitewashed houses with Arabic roof tiling, particularly
in the upper district of the village, where part of a tower from
the walls of the mediaeval castle still stands.
Its municipal area is part of Sierra de Las Nieves Natural Park,
declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco.
History
Istan’s origins are to be found with the inhabitants of the
old Arboto Fortress.
Records tell us that the village was founded in 1448, when, following
an attack on Arboto Fortress by a Christian army led by Saavedra
Urdiales, a battle was fought on the banks of the River Verde, the
defeated Moslems taking refuge in what is now Istan, which means
"higher", where they built another fortress around which
the village developed.
This village was subsequently captured by Christian troops on behalf
of the Catholic Monarchs.
During the rebellion of the moriscos (Moslem converts to Christianity)
in the mid 16th century, its inhabitants played an active part in
the uprising led by the brave Melchi, suffering defeat at the hands
of Don Luis Ponce de Leon, Duke of Arcos. The moriscos were subsequently
expelled and the area, one of the richest in the region thanks to
its silk production and vine cultivation, was left practically uninhabited.
It was later repopulated by settlers from Murcia who spoke a dialect
known as "panocho", from which the term used to refer
to the inhabitants of Istan is derived.