Our first stop was Faro - capital city of the regional municipality of the Algarve. It was very quiet on Saturday morning and apparently this is typical.
The earthquake of 1755, centred near Lisboa, caused lots of damage even this far south, so many of the pre earthquake buildings are now mixes of part old and part newer 18th century restorations and in some instances the totally new buildings incorporate mixtures of architecture of earlier eras.
The National Bank of Portugal (right) is an example of the latter; the arch over the main door and in the high windows is the Moor or Arabic horseshoe arch and window arches on either side of the main door are Manueline or Portuguese late Gothic (early 16th century). Colorful ceramic tiles in the Moorish style decorate the partial dome like ceiling of the main doorway and the facade around the arch of both the door and the upper windows.
Click on this photo to get a better look at the decorative ceramic tiles.
Faro was a walled city with fortress style entry portals through the walls, characteristically narrow winding streets and, often, a Christian church built on a site previously occupied by a mosque.
At the end of this street is one of the entries to the old city. On the left is an 18th century building with arches consistent with that period.
The Moors' (Arabs) walled cities often had double entry arches, one behind the other so that if and when the enemy breached the first, thinking they would be inside the town, they found a second barrier - they were now susceptible to attack from defenders in place above the barred second entry. Photo down to right.
The Moors and other Arab groups from north Africa occupied the Iberian Peninsula, including what is now Portugal, for nearly 500 years before they were driven out by the Christians in the 13th century. During the Arab conquest in the 9th century the Christians were driven to the far north of what is now Portugal and Spain. Over the years of Arab control the Christians gradually organized themselves and began the long process of trying to regain control over the territories they had lost - it took centuries of constant warfare before the last of the Moors were finally driven out and the Christians again took control over Portugal and Spain.
In the light of todays' perceptions of Arab and Islamic culture, it is of interest that the Arab culture during their occupation of this area was one of tolerance in which Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in harmony and were allowed to follow their own religious practices. All this changed when the Christians returned.
This church inside the walled part of the old city, built on the site once occupied by a mosque, is an example of the mixed architecture; the front is likely a 12th or 13th century structure while the rest of the church is likely 18th century post earthquake.
The photo to the right is taken on one of the narrow streets in the walled area of the city. I liked this brownish building and wondered what was inside - a view through a small hole in the wall revealed that there was nothing inside - in fact there was no roof so it was just a stone frame of a building.
We also visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel church which houses in the rear the chapel of bones. The inside walls of this small chapel are covered throughout, as in this window arch, with skulls and femurs of priests of the order that served the church. The theory is that bones were used in this way for two reasons - one was to make space in the cemetery for new tenants (the bones used in the chapel were from priest who were disinterred) and the second reason was to remind those who view these walls that our time is short and such bones are all that will be left of us, so be sure to live in a way that will get you to heaven. Not quite sure how that message derives from these bones.
Next, the town of Olhão.
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