Mertola Town in Portugal
Introduction
Mertola town is situated in the middle of the Guadiana Valley Natural Park in Portugal. It is a protected nature reserve situated in southeastern parts of Portugal in Alentejo region. Ribeira de Oeiras River is a tributary of the Guadiana River. A bridge over Ribeira de Oeiras River connects the road to the western side of the town.
The River Guadiana flows on the eastern side of Mertola. The river is 818 km long, of which 140 km lies within the borders of Portugal. The source of River Guadiana lies in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) then it flows into Portugal and then back to Spain. On the western side of the river, the old town of Mertola sits on a hill.
History
The town was inhabited by Phoenicians, Carthaginians and the Romans. Mertola fell into the Muslim hands after the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the early 8th century. After the weakness of the central government in Cordoba (Spain), Mertola became a taifa state. One of the taifa rulers was Ibn Qasi, who ruled Mertola between 1144 and 1150. The Almoravid controlled this town after their conquests in al-Andalus in the 12th century. Later, Almohads took control from the Almoravids. FInally, Mertola fell into the Christians hands in 1238 when Portuguese king Sancho II conquered it.
Even to this day, the old town of Mertola is surrounded by the city walls. Romans built the wall but later Muslim rulers enhanced and strengthened the wall. The Muslim rulers not only built the walls but also a castle at the highest point of the town. In the past, a Muslim neighbourhood existed next to the Castle of Mertola. After the conquest of the town, this part was turned into a cemetery.
Blacksmith's Forge
The Blacksmith’s Forge Centre is part of the Mertola Museum and it is located at Rua Elias Garcia. This old forge is no longer in use but it shows how blacksmiths had worked in the past. There was a glass door at the entrance and entry to this small forge wasn’t permitted. The small museum preserves an old age profession of blacksmithing.
Religious Art Museum
The Islamic centre is run under the banner of Centre for Archaeological Studies from the Universities of Coimbra and Porto and Mertola’s Archaeological Site. The Religious Art Museum is located inside the old Igreja da Misericórdia de Mertola Church. Over the last twenty years, the collection of statues, paintings and religious vessels was brought in from churches in the district. It was mainly from the churches which had been abandoned and offered little security. In one of the paintgs inside the museum, Santiago of the Castle is seen fighting against the Muslim army.
Remains of the ancient port on the River Guardiana, stand the remains of imposing piers of a bridge lined up in the late Roman period. The Romans had established a trading post in Mertola (called Myrtilis, during Roman times). The River Guadiana was navigable and it brought wealth to the town during the Muslim rule in this part of Portugal. Mercado Municipal (the Municipal Market) sits at Praça Vasco da Gama and it sells fresh fruits, vegetables, olives and cheeses.
