The land Alcala la Real stands on has borne witness to human presence since prehistoric times, though it's current layout has been shaped by Muslim culture.
The fortified city of Alcala had been a settlement for the Yemeni tribe of the Yahsib since the eighth century. When the town became independent from the Almoravids, and acheived autonomy under the Almohads in the twelfth century, it was known as Qal't Banu Said or Alcala Ben Zayde.
La Mota fortress is a curious example of an abandoned walled city which, due to demographic pressure and the disappearance of frontier tension with the Nasrid kingdom, became progressively depopulated, as the town spread out over the hills of la Mota, las Cruces and el Llanillo.
The fortress stands at 1033 metres above sea level. Engineering and nature combine with a single defensive aim. Of the seven gateways into the city, those that are still standing are la puerta de las Lanzas, Imagen and la puerta del Peso de la Harina which stand by the rampart of the Santo Domingo area, where there are remains of a church of the same name in a Gothic and mainly Renaissance style, built on the site of a former mosque.
In modern times Alcala la Real is a buzzing town set around a central park and has an abudance of restaurants, bars and shops. There is also a large busy market every Tuesday morning.