Moorish Castle of Sintra

The Moorish Castle of Sintra is an early Medieval castle. This place has a special history that still attracts attention from society. The landmark is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the Portuguese are proud of this fact. Every year, not only locals come here, but also tourists from different countries.

The history of the Moorish Castle of Sintra

The period of construction of the castle dates back to the VIII-IX centuries, at that time there was Muslim Iberia. At that time, in 1031, the current king Alfonso VI managed to arrange for the ruler of Leon to transfer part of the lands of the Iberian Peninsula. The main goal was to form a Christian alliance. One of the important lands that were transferred was the Sintra territory.

However, the alliance that was formed did not lead to anything. The Arabs occupied the town along with the castle. But, in 1147, the palace passed into the possession of Alfonso Henrique, without any fight. And since that year, the reconstruction of the Moorish Castle of Sintra was carried out exclusively by the Portuguese. Then nature made its own adjustments to the plans: in 1755, an earthquake struck, and the castle was completely abandoned.

Features of the Moorish Castle of Sintra

In 1840, by the decision of King Ferdinand II, the castle began to be restored. 240 reais were allocated annually for these purposes. Some of the walls of the Moorish Castle of Sintra turned out to be re-united. The territory was planted with various trees, and a chapel was built at the castle.

For several more centuries, many projects were launched to maintain the general condition of the building. At the moment, the Moorish Castle of Sintra is considered uninhabited, but this does not prevent it from being one of the most amazing and visited tourist attractions of Sintra.

The Moorish Castle of Sintra today

A cozy cafe and a tourist center have been set up on the territory of the castle. The footpaths were leveled so that you could safely go up and down them. One of the main reasons for visiting the castle is the view that opens up to visitors after climbing a high hill. This is an area where the mountains are steep, and all the planted greenery is dense and difficult to traverse.

The building itself is surrounded by one wall, which has 450 m in perimeter and another, internal. Within these walls, visitors can see towers, loopholes, observation decks, bastions. The tallest tower is considered to be the Royal Tower. It is located in a corner in the south-east side.

Approaching the south wall, an arch with columns will appear in front of you. Their capitals are decorated with animals, such as griffins and basilisks. As for the interior, there are frescoes in this place, which depict the patron saint of the chapel.