Castelo dos Mouros

The Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle or Castle of the Moors) is a spectacular ancient fortress dramatically situated atop the Sintra mountain range, its crenellated walls snaking across rocky granite outcrops like a miniature Great Wall. Built by North African Moors during the 8th-9th centuries following the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the castle served as a strategic military fortification controlling the region between Sintra, Mafra, Cascais, and the Tagus estuary. The fortress was constructed to complement the region's natural defenses, with walls following the mountain's natural contours and taking advantage of massive granite boulders. Following the Christian Reconquista in 1147, when King Afonso Henriques captured Lisbon and Sintra from Moorish control, the castle gradually lost military importance and fell into ruin over the centuries. The devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake caused significant damage, leaving the castle in the romantic ruined state visible today. In the 19th century, King Ferdinand II, the same monarch who built Pena Palace, became fascinated by the romantic ruins and initiated restoration efforts, preserving the walls, adding romantic Gothic elements, and integrating the castle into his park. Today, visitors can walk along 450 meters of restored battlements, climb ancient towers, explore medieval cisterns, and discover the remains of a 12th-century Romanesque chapel. The castle offers some of Sintra's most spectacular views - on clear days, visitors can see from the Atlantic Ocean to Lisbon, with Pena Palace's colorful towers rising majestically nearby. Archaeological excavations have uncovered artifacts from Neolithic settlements through the Islamic period, displayed in the castle's interpretation center. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of Sintra's Cultural Landscape, the Castelo dos Mouros represents an extraordinary fusion of natural landscape, medieval military architecture, and romantic preservation.