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Almohad Neighbourhood Bairro Islamico – Mertola, Portugal

 

The town of Mertola is built on small hills which is the hallmark of the area. The Guadiana River gently flows at the bottom of the town. Now, the town is known for preserving one of the best sites from the Muslim era in whole of Portugal. Alcacova (Alcazaba) 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.

 

A typical bedroom inside a Muslim house
Other rooms would be built around a central courtyard
A sign showing opening hours and also logo with Andalusian arches
Alcove was always the main room of the house, one or two rooms would be built next to the Alcove
Some of the pots found on the site are on display

 

Most of the houses during the Muslim period would have a weaving workshop. This is where grandmothers, mothers and daughters would make blankets for the family use.Kitchen was an important part of the family life during the Muslim period. Kitchen was another important element of a Muslim household. Most of the times, it would have two spaces. One space would be used for cooking and second for the storage. In the storage area of the kitchen, large water pots were used to store the water.

Weaving brought not only clothing but also extra income as well
All of these ceramic pots were used in a common household, ranging from preparing food to eating and storage
This is where grandmothers, mothers and daughters would make blankets for the family use
Kitchen was an important part of the family life during the Muslim period
In the storage area of the kitchen, large water pots were used to store the water

 

While Europe was suffering with the hygiene problems, the Muslim houses would have a latrine, linked with the sewer. It just shows that al-Andalus (Spin and Portugal) had better standards of living and they were much more advance in technology and other aspects of life as compared to rest of Europe.

Muslim houses would have a latrine linked with the sewer

This area was the part of the Almohad Neighbourhood, all of the houses would have, a kitchen, a storage room, main hall and one or two rooms next to it.

A signs at the Bairro Islamico with the ruins lying behind it
A section of the ruins is protected by a shed
Under the structure lies few mosaics from the Roman period
The Classical hero Bellerophon, in the figure of Saint Michael or Saint George kills Chimera
Some of the mosaics were faded or in poor shape
This is the entrance of the crypto-portico, an underground gallery on one side of the ruins
It is 32m in length and 6m in height and it was cleared from the obstructions by the Mertola Archaeological Site in 1980
The construction is from the 5th century A.D. - In the past it provided support for the Episcopal Palace and later it was used as storage and a cistern
This photo shows how the crypto-portico had looked like during the Roman times
In one corner of the Islamic neighbourhood lies a cemetery known as Cemitério de Mértola

Mertola was conquered by Sancho II of Portugal in 1238. Then Mertola was given to the Knights of the Order of Santiago after the conquest. Knights of the Order of Santiago established here in this castle till 1316. 

Ruins of the Islamic neighbourhood with the Castle of Mertola in the background
A typical house in the area was connected to the main street through a single door
Inside the house, small domestic workshops, such as weaving, pottery and preserving food were arranged
This land was transformed into a cemetery and forgotten for many centuries
Now, this area is an open archaeological site
Some of the parts and fragments found at this site show how the buildings were built in the past
Only few remains of the site are visible today
Probably these structures once part of a larger complex
It is an impressive site with wonderful views of Mertola and the surrounding areas
A panoramic view of Mertola city, seen from the Islamic ruins
Mertola is located in the Alentejo region of Portugal, next to the Spanish border
The town itself sits in the middle of the Alentejo National Park
Castle and Islamic ruins are seen together in this photo
At the highest point of the town sits the Castle of Mertola