The old quarter of Frigiliana, of Moorísh-Mudejar origin, is without doubt one of the best preserved in the province. A walk through the village at any time of day although especially at night, will transport us back to times gone by leaving the noise of heavy traffic and any other city life annoyance behind us.
The Locally known Barribarto will shine during the day from the reflection of the sun on its crisp, clean whitewashed facades in contrast, the evenings are immersed in a silent ambience, occasionally broken by neighbours chatting or tourists taking advantage of the historic quarter.
Today, the old quarter of Frigiliana has been declared as historical and is a true symbol that represents the village always receiving compliments from the hundreds of people that visit.
The properties located within the Barribarto area are a clear example of vernacular architecture which is the essence of the current village, mainly of a juxtaposition style with simple exteriors and solid structures etc.. There is no premeditated urban layout, it´s more like blocks of interconnecting small streets.
One of the areas that best exemplifies this principle is the street called Hernando el Darra which is linked to Travesia and Calle Amargura then on to Calle Alta and finally to Zacatin which in turn leads you down to the San Antonio church and its square.
The ramparts are testimony to the Andalus urban layout, they give access to houses that have no direct access from the street or need a second door. The vast majority are like arches that lead into passages that in turn give access to the actual property although over the years, due to the demolition of some properties, many have been turned into passages that simply connect two different streets
Frigiliana has conserved some of these examples like the ones on C/ Zacatin, the tunnel of El Señor, C/ Amargura, Del Peñon, Batanero, Torreón, Cura Soto, Corralón and Inquistador.
From all the remains in Frigiliana the only thing remaining is its urban layout, gone are the old comunal and public buildings that once offered public baths, mosques and zaouias etc.. all of which should really still exist.