The corn exchanges were public buildings for hosting merchants and their products were to be sold at an auction. This kind of buildings were very popular on the East, with different names depending on where they were located- in towns or commercial routes.

In Granada, which had two periods of splendour under the Zirí (11th century) and Nasrid (13th to 15th centuries) dynasties, trading was also very important. That´s why there were several corn exchanges. The only one that still exists is Corral del Carbón. It was given this name after the Christian conquest because coal merchants stayed at them.

Its use has changed in the course of time: open-air theatre (16th century), house (17th century). It was built at the beginning of the 14th century, it is the only one of its kind entirely kept in Spain.