Loja

Loja is a town in southern Spain, situated at the western limit of the province of Granada. It is surrounded by the so-called Sierras de Loja, of which the highest peak, Sierra Gorda, stands 1,671 metres above sea-level. Formerly the Moorish town of Medina Lawsa, Loja was captured by the Christians in 1486, during the reconquista. Isabella of Castile called it the "flower among thorns". The town's Islamic heritage is still evident in the quarter of the alcazaba.