Comares appears as an eagle's nest dominated by the silhouettes of its parish church (formerly a mosque), and the remains of its hisn (fortress) now used as a cemetery. The houses are huddled together as if they were riding on top of each other, and the streets are broken by bends with no end in sight. Sometimes there are no exits, and the streets are formed by parapets or barriers that were closed at night. Other times they are covered with arches that support adjoining buildings and at the same time mark the entrance to different areas. The 14th-century scholar Ibn al-Khatib says of it: 'Comares is a plentiful storehouse and a stopping place for the traveller... The heart of the rebel feels no fear in it'.