Watchtower or watchtower belonging to the alfoz (or territorial jurisdiction) of the Andalusian Vélez-Málaga (Balish), from the Nasrid period (14th-15th centuries). It is a typical circular tower, crowning a prominent hill (458 metres above sea level) from which a large part of eastern Málaga is visually controlled. Set on irregular ashlars, it is made of masonry with lime mortar. It maintains optical links with all the major heads of the husun (castles) of the eastern region of Málaga: hisn Munt Mas/Bentomiz, hisn Saliha/Zalía, hisn Qumaris/Comares and madinat Balish/Vélez-Málaga, which allows us to classify this enclave as a strategic point and the articulating axis of the different castral districts (fortresses) of the region. It is also possible to see the coastline in the Torre del Mar sector and the whole of the lower valley of the river Vélez. Today this tower serves to mark the boundaries of the municipalities of Vélez-Málaga and La Viñuela. The towered structure remains more than 10 m. high, which gives it the category of a beacon tower. This construction is considered to be the best preserved tower in the province of Malaga from the Nasrid period; at that time it was an important construction within the internal frontier of the emirate of Granada at the end of the 15th century. Its function is evident from its location: to control access to the city of Balish (Vélez) from the main northern entrance route, the road to Alhama and Granada that passed through the port of Zafarraya; it was also a priority communication link between Malaga and the capital of the Alhambra, as various Andalusian authors have recorded. One of these authors, Ahmad al-Wansarisi in his work Mi'yar al-Mu'rib, at the end of the 15th century mentions this place name and states that the peasants of al-Tali'a (La Atalaya) took esparto grass and other products to Balish (Vélez-Málaga) and used to camp in the square of its Great Mosque (al-Masyid al-A'zam). Once there, they would exchange their goods for fruit and spread out the figs in the courtyard of the mosque so that they could dry and pack them. They even eat and converse while the Muslim faithful pray silently in the mosque. In view of this situation, the response of the anonymous mufti consulted is conclusive: they should be expelled from the religious compound for their inappropriate behaviour.