The Moorish Castle is a fortification on a peak of the Sintra hills, founded in the 10th century during Muslim rule of the Iberian Peninsula. Its granite walls run along the ridge above the town of Sintra and form part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra.
The castle guarded the surrounding land and the sea routes to Lisbon. The parapet walk looks over the town, Pena Palace and the Atlantic coast.
What to see at the Moorish Castle
- Walls and parapet walk: two rings of walls join granite blocks to the boulders and cliffs of the ridge. Visitors can walk along the top of the walls.
- Royal Tower and castle keep: the highest points of the walls, with views over the town and the coast.
- Silos: storage pits cut into the rock, inside and outside the walls, used to keep cereals.
- Islamic quarter: the remains of the houses where people lived between the walls before 1147.
- Church of São Pedro de Canaferrim: a medieval church built between the two rings of walls. It now holds the Historical Interpretation Centre, with archaeological finds from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages.
- Christian medieval necropolis and tomb: a burial ground next to the church, and a tomb built in the 19th century for the bones found during restoration works.
- Cistern and Door of Betrayal: a water store inside the walls, and a small side gate in the wall.
History of the Moorish Castle
- 10th century: the castle is founded under Muslim rule.
- 1147: after the conquest of Lisbon and Santarém, Sintra is handed over to Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal.
- 1154: the town of Sintra receives its charter, and Gualdim Pais, a master of the Knights Templar, is given the running of the town and its land.
- 12th to 15th centuries: a Christian medieval town replaces the Islamic quarter inside the walls. It is abandoned in the 15th century, when the population no longer needs the protection of the walls.
- 19th century: King Ferdinand II restores the castle. The works disturb the burial ground, and a tomb is built for the remains found there.
- 1976: archaeological excavations begin and continue to the present.
- 1995: UNESCO inscribes the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, with the castle as one of its components, on the World Heritage List.
- 2000: Parques de Sintra takes over the management of the castle, and opens an archaeological research field in 2009.
Visiting the Moorish Castle
- Management: Parques de Sintra manages the castle. Its website publishes current opening times and prices.
- Access on foot: the Santa Maria Trail starts in São Pedro de Sintra, and the Seteais Trail starts at the Palace of Seteais. Both are marked walking routes to the castle.
- Access by road: the road to the castle is closed to private cars. A bus runs from Sintra train station and the historic centre.