Baza

Baza, city, Granada provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Andalusia, southern Spain, at the foot of the Sierra de Baza, northeast of Granada city. The city contains the ruins of a Moorish fort (alcazaba), and the Gothic collegiate church of Santa María is on the site of the old Gothic cathedral. Called Basti by the Romans and Basṭah by the Moors, the city was an episcopal see before the Moorish conquest and later became one of the chief cities of the kingdom of Granada. Its capture by the forces of the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, in 1489, was a famous episode in the history of the Reconquista (reconquest). French Marshal Nicolas-Jean de Dieu Soult won a victory over Spanish forces nearby during the Peninsular War (Aug. 10, 1810). Manufactured products include cement, pottery, and esparto fibre. Agriculture and cattle raising are important activities. There are mineral springs in the vicinity. Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 22,718.