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Castle of the Moors

Introduction

The Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros in Portuguese), sits on top of a hill which towers above the village of Sintra. The castle can be reached in two ways, one by bus or taxi and second on a path which rises above the village and then goes deeper into the forest of Serra De Sintra.

One of the reasons to build this castle by the Muslims was to protect the area around Sintra which was very fertile for cultivation. 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.

These defensive walls of the castle created between the 12th and the 20th century. The second circle of the walls was created to protect the inhabitants residing outside the castle. 

Castle of the Moors sits on a hill known as Monte da Lua (Mountain of the Moon)
A path goes up the village which then goes deeper into the forest of Serra De Sintra
Looking back at the street, while climbing up to the Moorish Castle (Muslim Castle)
A sign beside a door shows the opening hours of this historical monument (ticket price €8)
Looking at the village of Sintra through the lush trees of the forest of the Serra De Sintra
As the path was going up, it was becoming harder but it was well worth the effort for it's beautiful views
This gate is built in the second defensive wall of the castle

Necropolis

There was a small watch tower with a tomb beside it, the tomb was created in the 19th century by King Ferdinand II to house the remains of the necropolis beside the castle. Inside this tombs are the bones which may belong to Muslims or Christians, that’s why cross and crescent were created above the skull and bones sign.

A spider has woven its' web at the wooden door of the second wall
Walking beside the second walls of the Moorish Castle
A small watch tower with a tomb beside it
Inside this tombs are the bones which may belong to Muslims or Christians
Main defensive wall of the castle with an extended tower

Houses and Silos

These houses were built on the south-eastern slopes of the hill, here artifacts from the 10th-12th century of Islamic culture were discovered.

Remains of the Silos beside the walls of the castle – initially they were used as stables but later domestic animals were housed in here. These structures date back to Arab era of Sintra. 

Remains of the Muslim houses
An arch is formed by the wall going above the walkway on the slopes of the castle
The second circle of the walls was built to protect the civilian population
When I arrived at the gate of the castle, it was still closed so I decided to make my way to the Pena National Palace nearby
Map of the Moorish Castle
A banner hangs on the first defensive wall of the Moorish Castle
Now door was open to let the visitors in and ticket check was done at the gate
The area where toilets were built, could have been an old reservoir (cistern)
Remains of the silos beside the castle walls
Another view of the silos of the Moorish Castle - these structures date back to Arab era of Sinta

Water Cistern

Steps leading to the water cistern of the castle. A wooden platform is built inside the cistern to reach the far end. This cistern could hold 600 cubic meters of water. Legend has it a Moorish king is buried under this cistern. 

A staff member bringing few supplies to the shop and toilet area of the castle
The Moorish Castle shop has many products on offer and many of them resemble to that of the Islamic culture
This is part of the archaeological remains of the castle
At one point in the history of this castle, this was the gate used by the padestrians because main gate was only used on few occasions
This is the upper part of the water cistern at the Moorish Castle of Sintra
Chimney like structure provides light to the water cistern below
Steps at the start of the water cistern
A wooden platform is built inside the cistern
Walls of the water cistern
Looking back at the entrance and stairs of the water cistern

History

King Alfonso VI of Castile captured this castle from the Muslims in 1093 but lost it, a year later. Afonso Henriques and the Christian Crusades managed to capture the castle soon after the Fall of Lisbon (1147). At the beginning of the 15th century, almost all inhabitants of the castle left and some of them settled in Sintra village.

A small door in defensive walls is known as the Door of Betrayal and it was used to access the outer area during the time of danger.
Strange looking stones next to the water cistern, they look like grave stones but there is no record of burial at this site
The Moorish Castle of Sintra has used local material for its' defensive purposes
External wall of the castle
On a clear day, this would have been a picture perfect place to visit but it wasn't the case on a rainy day in Sintra
Defensive towers are built in the wall
Some of the rocks next to castle walls
Then path passes beside the large boulders on the outer wall
A cloudy day in Sintra
Walking on the out walls of the castle covered by clouds

At the end of the 15th century only small Jewish community was living at the site of the castle. Manuel I of Portugal expelled Jews from the castle and this site was abandoned. Later, Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 destroyed much of the walls and battlements.

King Ferdinand II of Portugal ordered the reconstruction of the castle and this castle sprung into life once again. The Royal Tower was built by King Ferdinand II to enjoy the beautiful views of the Sintra village and the Pena Palace. 

 

On a calm sunny day, flags are hoisted above these poles
It was meant to be a wonderful view of the forest
King Ferdinand II of Portugal ordered the reconstruction of the castle
The Royal Tower
Sintra National Palace seen from the slope of the Monte da Luna
This photo was taken from the Quinta da Regaleira and Moorish Castle sits at the top of the hill
Walls and towers of the Moorish Castle
The Royal Towers sits on one of the highest points of the castle and large boulders are scattered next to it