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Home > Travel Europe > Europe Destinations > Silves
Silves
Europe is one of the five inhabited traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the southeast by the waterways adjoining the Mediterranean to and including the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains. On the east, Europe is divided from Asia by the water divide of the Ural Mountains and by the Caspian Sea. Europe is the world's second smallest continent in terms of area and third largest continent after Asia and Africa in population.
Silves is a town on the Portuguese Algarve, in the district of Faro. It is located near a Roman bridge over the Ribeira de Arade and thus controls the river valley down to the coast. It is also the name of the region of the Algarve of which it is the capital, also called Silves. The population of Silves town was 33 830 in the year 2001 with an area 678,75 square kilometers.
The town is situated on a hill above the river Arade. The Castelo de Mouros is located on the top of the hill. It occupies ca. 12,000 square meter. Archaeological excavations have shown that the oldest buildings go back to the 8th century, the stratigraphy is almost 6 m deep and contains Iron Age remains as well. The walls are built of red sandstone with a pise core and have been heavily restored in the 1940s. Protruding towers of albarra type protect the Northern slope. After the Christian conquest, the castle served as the seat of the alcaide mor till the middle of the 16th century, afterwards the towers were used as a prison.
Silves is built on top of one of the largest underground aquifers in the south of Portugal, The Querença Silves Aquifer and is an important area for orange groves in the region, a fruit introduced by the Moors. The town was occupied by the Moors in 713 and became part of the Ummayad kingdom of Cordoba under the Arabic name of Shilb. In the 10th century, it was one of the most important towns of western Al Andalus. Silves became an independent taifa in 1027 under the rule of Ibn Mozaine and his son, who was dethroned in 1051 by al Mutadid, the governor of Seville. Al Mutamid ibn Abbad, the son of al Mutadid and a famous poet, ruled the taifa of Silves until 1091. After the Almoravid conquest the town became Almohad in 1156.
Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and gain enthusiasm in its natural beauty and populace. Silves enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers.
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