Castle of Silves in Portugal
Introduction
The Castle of Silves is located in Silves, Algarve region of Portugal. The russet-coloured, Lego-like castle has great views over the town and surrounding countryside. This castle has 11 towers in total and they are remarkably in good shape. Tower number 1 sits on the left with the tower number 11 to right, the entrance gate is situated between these two towers. Main highlights of Silves Castle are its well preserved defensive walls, turrets and gates.
At the time of visit, beside the entrance, there were few displays which referred as “The Enchanted Moorish Maiden”. This name is given to an exhibition of the remaining Islamic art in Portugal. This concept is based on Museum with No Frontiers and one is invited to visit Islamic heritage from Coimbra to Algrave.
History
The Silves Castle is a great remnant of what would have been a powerful Moorish settlement in the past. Shilb (Arabic name for Silves) was one of the most important towns in the western al-Andalus. Built between the 8th and 13th century, the castle is one of the best preserved Muslim castles in Portugal. In 1160, Silves was taken by Ferdinand I of Leon from the Muslim rule but Muslims re-took the castle from the Christian hands. He took castle from the Muslims in 1189 but soon he lost this castle in 1191. The Muslim army kept this castle for another 58 years.
On this site, the excavations began on 13 August 2005 and lasted into 2006, archaeologists Rosa and Mário Varela Gomes brought light onto the vestiges of the Muslim ruins. The walls and towers of the castle are from the 12th and 13th centuries. There are wonderful views over Silves and the surrounding countryside from the walls of the castle. Due to the proximity to the coast this area is very suitable climate for the fruit farming. In the middle of the castle, there is the Palace of Balconies, where Al-Mutamid lived in the 11th century.
Exhibitions inside the Castle Towers
Inside one of the towers of the castle, there are few objects on display. They represent the culture and rich history of the city and castle. One of them is a whitewashed stucco from the 13th century. A marble capital, ceramic bowls, amphoras and few pieces of weapons are displayed from the Muslim era. Inside the towers, there are lookout points to monitor the approaching enemies.
Interior of the tower number 6 displays an exhibitions inside. The theme of the current display was the drawings of Silves town by the children. A wooden walkway is installed outside the walls of the castle.
A large cistern on the north-east parts of the grounds can be accessed by a set of steep stairs. The Cistern of Moura, is a 10 meters (33 ft) high, 820 square meters ( 8,800 sq ft) superficial area, with five naves marked by four orders of columns. Now this cistern displays an exhibition about the conservation of the Iberian Lynx.
Next to the castle, there is a small space with a fountain in the middle, on the western side. Here, Ramparts of the castle are joined here by the Silves City Walls. In the middle of the castle, trees are planted to provide much needed shade and greenery.
This castle sits on a hilltop and it gets plenty of direct sunshine and having trees here is a hard work. The access door of the tower number 1 can be reached from the ramparts of the castle. This tower has two doors and one lookout point. In the Evening, I went for a walk in the town and saw the castle sitting behind a barren hill. The hill has net protection to avoid the rocks coming down at the houses below the castle.
