La Magdalena is the oldest of the city's churches, raised in the 13th century on the site of the principal mosque of Moorish Jaén — and incorporating the mosque's minaret as its bell tower. The tower has the unmistakable proportions of an Almohad-period minaret, complete with the brick decoration and the small arched windows.
The church itself is Gothic-Mudéjar with Renaissance additions. The cloister behind preserves the ablutions pool of the original mosque, fed by the underground stream that locals call the Lagarto de Jaén — the legendary dragon-lizard of Jaén. Free entry; opens mornings and early evenings.