|
The
Phoenicians were probably the first visitors
to this region, which is said to have been
around 1000 years before Christ, who established
trading posts along the coast. The Carthaginians
then followed, who founded Portus Hanibalis
- known today as Portimão - in c.550BC. The Romans came
next, in the second century BC and spread through
the Iberian Peninsula during the following century.
Evidence of their presence can still clearly be
seen today. There are many sites to see - particularly
worth visiting are the ruins of Abicada near Portimão,
and Vilamoura. The remains of the Milreu villa
at Estoi are very impressive and should not
be missed.
There are many towns that still bear witness to
their ancient origins and the successive civilisations
that occupied them. Faro, the capital of the Algarve,
is one such town, whose name is derived from the
lighthouse situated a few kilometres from the
ancient settlement of Ossonoba.
Lagos was known in about 2000BC as Lacobriga,
meaning "lake settlement". Silves was built on
the banks of the river Arade by the Phoenicians
in c.900BC and was already an important town by
the time the Romans arrived. Tavira, which is
known as "the town of churches" (there are
no less than 27 in this township) was founded
in 1890BC and was known then as Talabriga.
In the district of Lagoa, there are archaeological
vestiges of the Bronze Age, as well as those
from the presence of the Romans, the Goths
and the Arabs.
At the end of the 5th century, the Berberians
invaded Europe and the Goths settled in the
South. Virtually Christians by then, they inhabited
the Algarve until the beginning of the Arab
invasion in 711. The following year saw Muce-Ben-Noçair
take various settlements, adopting Silves as
his capital and thus making it an important
cultural and administrative centre. Due to this
Muslim presence, the place names changed once
more. Tavira, an important business centre,
became Tabir. When the Arabs conquered Lagos
in 716 it was called Zawaia. Faro, which the
Christians called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon,
which means "the settlement
of the Knights".
A vast gallery of notable Islamic figures,
in particular Persian, Syrian, Egyptian and
of Berberian origin, lived and died in the
Algarve. Due to the Arab occupation, the region
was called "Al-Gharb"
which means " the country of the West". It is
from this period that marvellous legends on the
fringes of history have been kept alive in popular
memory, and have been passed down from generation
to generation. The famous "Legend of the Almond
Trees" is a fine example.
"A Nordic princess, recently married to an
Arab king and tormented by a desire to see
her own snow-covered lands once more, became seriously homesick, which brought
great sadness and pain to the King. His ingenious remedy was to order
thousands of almond trees to be planted. When
they were in blossom, he ordered all the windows of the palace to be opened.
The princess was amazed at encountering field after field of white blossom.
It reminded her of the snow-covered land of
her own country and she was instantly cured."
Dispite being driven out in the 12th century,
the arabs are remembered today in the region´s
name: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the
Algarve.
One decisive factor in the end of Arab rule was
the first conquest of Silves in 1189 by the forces
of King Sancho I, aided by the Crusaders from
the North of Europe. Silves is the pearl of the
South, with its fabulous treasures and beautiful
buildings, including palaces crowned by marble
terraces. Its 30,000 inhabitants wandered through
the streets of bazaars full of eastern splendour
and surrounded by orchards and luxurious gardens.
Many Mauritians used to rest and relax in this
strong fortress town.
Having being besieged and deprived of water for
several weeks, the town had to finally surrender
to King Sancho and the Crusaders. According to
an agreement previously signed in Lisbon, the
Portuguese King was to keep the land. Following
the town's surrender, the King reminded his allies
that he wanted a city and not a ruin. He offered
them the value of their plunder in gold, but his
proposal was refused and the city was attacked
without mercy.
The ravaging of Silves was to be avenged in
around 1191, when the Arabs once again conquered
their former pearl. Storming through the south,
they reached the fortresses on the southern
banks of the Tagus and threatened Lisbon itself.
Nevertheless, the Christian future of the Algarve
was inevitable and in 1249 Loulé was taken by the forces of Peres
Correia. It was during the 13th century that the
Portuguese strengthened their hold on the region.
The Algarve played an important role during the
Portuguese discoveries, and from the time that
Henry the Navigator based himself in Sagres, his
role was fundamental. Many Algarvian men, mainly
from the Sagres area, took part in the great maritime
expeditions of the 15th century that brought wealth
and fame to Portugal. In 1807, when Junot was
leading the first Napoleon invasion in the north
of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by the Spanish
troops of Manuel Godoy. This control did not last
long and the Algarve became the first part of
Portugal to free itself from its invaders, thanks
to the rebellion of Olhão in 1808. |
