The Moors in Portugal

After ruling Portugal for five centuries (almost as long as the Romans), the Moors left an indelible mark on the country with many strong vestiges of their presence still visible today.

Countless edifices – from castles and palaces to old churches and humble dwellings – stand on original Moorish foundations where excavations continue to unearth rare Islamic artefacts.

Sworn to spreading the message of the prophet Mohammed, the Moors first arrived from North Africa in the early 8th century AD, after which they soon occupied much of the Iberian Peninsula.

But the Moorish domination of Portugal can be considered very fruitful in many aspects. Orchards sprang up from irrigated land, mineral resources were exploited, handicrafts flourished, towns and cities came to life and prospered and their culture of tolerance began spreading outward to welcome Jews and protect the studious meditations of Christian monks.

Their influence on local architecture, agriculture, art, customs, literature and social traditions can still be witnessed in many parts of Portugal and Spain, particularly in the southernmost regions.

Their occupation continued until the first half of the 12th century when Portugal finally became an independent kingdom, but it took another century to oust them from Faro (then known as Santa Mariya al-Harun), the last Moorish bastion in the country.

Some prime examples of Portugal’s Islamic legacy include the imposing Castelo dos Mouros in Sintra, Castelo de São Jorge and the surrounding Alfama quarter in Lisbon, Alcácer do Sal (in the Alentejo region), Sortelha (where stonework carved with Arabic script and Arabesque patterns can be seen) and Évora (whose citadel preserves the Moorish street-plan within the original Roman walls).

Arguably the best example of Moorish architecture in Portugal can be seen in Mértola, a lovely town close to the Spanish border which is famed for its exquisite church that was originally built as a mosque with five naves (the only one in the country), four horseshoe arches and a mihrab (prayer niche) facing east towards Mecca.

Other prominent traces of their cultural influence can be seen in the heavy metal grilles to the lower windows of many private residences all over Portugal, as well as the habit of building houses with enclosed courtyards in some of the more rural parts of the country.

Silves, likewise, was another the dream settlement of the Moors (who named it Xelb), was the Muslim capital of the Al Gharb (known today as the Algarve), which means ‘the West’. This city of enchantments (as it was lauded by the Arabs) retains many authentic examples of its former Islamic glory and is a treasure trove for visitors in search of Portugal’s Moorish history.

Moorish rule introduced many innovations, such as a bucket-wheel for drawing water from deep wells, as well as waterwheel for milling grain. They also brought about urban planning to Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, with well-defined areas for markets, crafts and general habitation.

Another lasting example can be seen in the chimney-pots of places like Olhão (indicated on the Google map below) and Tavira in the south which consist mostly of high narrow oblongs of mortar with trademark Arabesque piercings to allow the smoke to escape.

Perhaps their greatest contribution to art and architecture in Portugal still being witnessed today was the introduction of glazed tiles for use in both interior and exterior decoration. Known as the azulejo, its name derives from the Arabic words al zulayj, which loosely means a smooth polished surface, and examples (both old and new) can be seen on buildings all over Portugal today.