It stretches along a narrow hill next to the river Iberos. Nothing remains of its ancient fortress or tower, which was demolished at the end of the 15th century. Its toponym is of Arabic-Amazigh origin (with the prefix Ben ابن (son in Arabic) referring to a tribal or clan group. In the Repartimientos de Málaga there is mention of some 55 houses in the farmstead with 220 inhabitants, and of the existence of the Fuente del Granado. There is documentation linking the church to the existence on the same site of the primitive mosque, of which the walls of the building and its old minaret (13th century) are preserved.