Muslim Heritage
Pousada do Convento da Graca Almohad Quarter
The hotel of Pousada do Convento da Graça is situated in the old quarter of Tavira. While converting the 16th-century Convento da Graça into a luxury hotel, developers found old Muslim quarter and the defensive walls of the ancient coastal city of Tabira (Arabic name), lies the medieval quarter. Instead of the pool, there’s now a small museum next to the hotel bar… Continue Reading
Islamic Centre of Tavira
The Islamic Centre of Tavira Museum (locally known as Nucleo Islamico) is located close to the Roman Bridge. This museum was opened on 23 February 2012 at the cost of €2 million. When the former BNU (Banco Nacional Ultramarino) building was first excavated, the archaeologists found that the Moorish wall of the castle formed an integral part of the building… Continue Reading
Castle of Tavira, Portugal
The Castle of Tavira is located at Largo Abu-Otmane (Abu Osman Square), this castle is on the south western side of Tavira. This castle lies in the town’s historic centre and it is well signposted. The castle is small in size but good views of the city and free entry is worth the time spent there… Continue Reading
Islamic Art Museum, Mertola
The Museum of Islamic Art is located in the south side of the old town. It is a modern and tastefully organised museum to show the Islamic past in Mertola. The museum is situated inside former granary of Braganca House. There are walls inside the museum and they were once part of the city’s defensive system… Continue Reading
Turret of the City Gate, Silves
The Turret of the City Gate is located inside the old city of Silves. In Portuguese, this city gate is known as Torreão da Porta da Cidade. It is only one of the four surviving doorways to the old Muslim medina, the stairs which are next to red structure were added at a later date. This gate would provide access to the upper parts of the city, including it’s main mosque and castle in the past… Continue Reading
Castle of the Moors, Sintra
The Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros in Portuguese), sits on top of a hill which towers above the village of Sintra. The earliest castle on this site was built by the Muslims in the 8th or 9th century. The Moorish castle has two defensive walls, one to form the boundary of the castle and other was used to protect the inhabitants living outside the castle... Continue Reading
The Moorish Fountain & the Fountain of the Small Birds, Sintra
The Moorish Fountain is built on the Islamic architecture (Arabic inspiration). Due to the Islamic influence and style, this mountain was named ‘the Moorish Fountain’. It was built in 1922 by the master sculptor of Sintra, José da Fonseca… Continue Reading
Castle of Gibralfaro, Malaga, Spain
The castle was built in 929AD by Abd-al-Rahman III, Caliph of Cordoba, on a former Phoenician enclosure and lighthouse, from which its name was derived – gebel-faro (Arabic and Greek, meaning rock of the lighthouse). Yusef 1, Sultan of Granada, enlarged it at the beginning of the 14th century, also adding the double wall down to the Alcazaba… Continue Reading
Torre del Oro, Seville, Spain
Torre del Oro or Gold Tower in English is a military watchtower in Seville. It was built by the Muslim ruler of Almohads to control the waterways of the river. he name of Torre del Oro comes from the gleam of lime mortar and straw that the building displayed. It is one of two towers which were used to hold a large chain that would have been able to block the river access… Continue Reading
al-Moutamid Ibn Abbad Park, Silves, Portugal
This park site between Rua da Cruz de Portugal and N124 in Silves, the park is named after famous Abbadid ruler of Seville. Ibn Abbad ruled between 1069-1091 and then he was overthrown by the Almoravids. He was exiled to Aghmat in Morocco, where he died four years later in 1095. Ibn Abbad is considered one of the greatest of the Andalusian poets… Continue Reading
Old Muslim Shipyard of Malaga, Spain
The name Atarazanas comes from Moorish times and it roughly translates from the Arabic which means a ‘place where ships are repaired’. The building was built during the reign of Mohammed V (1354-1391). The Fourteenth Century shipyard was one of the largest, most impressive buildings of its time… Continue Reading
Muslim Neighbourhood of Mertola, Portugal
Mertola is known for preserving one of the best sites from the Muslim era in whole of Portugal. Alcacova is part of the Mertola Museum and it is situated at Rua Elias Garcia. A replica showing how people lived in Mertola is built next to the ruins of the Almohad Neighbourhood … Continue Reading