Haji Loja, the native leader, was supported by a body of Albanians and mutinous Turkish troops, while the whole Moslem population bitterly resented the proposed change.
In the 15th century Alhama, and the neighbouring fortress of Loja, were generally regarded as the keys of the kingdom of Granada, and their capture went far to insure the overthrow of the Moorish power.
South of the latter is the irregular and deeply broken Loja basin, which can hardly be considered a part of the great Ecuador plateau.
The Santiago, which enters the Maranon near the Pongo de Manseriche, is formed by the confluence of the Paute, which rises in the province of Azuay, and the Zamora, which has its source among the mountains of Loja.
In the intra-andine depression, between the East and West Cordilleras, recent deposits with plant remains occur near Loja, and to the north-east of Cuenca is a sandstone containing mercury ores, somewhat similar to that of Peru.