J. Gafarot's photos with the keyword: castle

It is believed that this castle was constructed on the site of a primitive Lusitanian Castro that was later conquered by the Romans during the 1st century B.C.E. It was later remodeled by successive invading forces, including the Alans, Visigoths and Moors, although it is unclear when the actual castle was established. The castle of Almourol is one of the more emblematic and cenographic medieval military monuments of the Reconquista, and best representation of the influence of the Knights Templar in Portugal. When it was conquered in 1129, by forces loyal to the Portuguese nobility and placed in the trust of Gualdim Pais, the master of the Knights Templar in Portugal, who rebuilt the structure.

The last two thousand years: During the Migration Period, Mértola was invaded by Germanic tribes of the Sueves and the Visigoths. In this period (5th-8th centuries) commerce was reduced but still active, as evidenced by Greek tombstones from the 6th-7th centuries found in Mértola which suggest the presence of Byzantine merchants in the town. During Classical Antiquity, Mértola was inhabited by Phoenicians, Carthaginians and finally the Romans, who called it Myrtilis Iulia. The strategic location of Mértola, on a hill by the northernmost navigable part of the Guadiana river, was crucial in its early development. Agricultural products grown in the villae nearby and valuable minerals (silver, gold and tin) obtained from the lower Alentejo region were sent from the fluvial port of Mértola via the Guadiana to Southern Hispania and the Mediterranean. The town was raised to the status of a Municipium in times of Emperor Augustus and was connected to important Roman cities (Beja, Évora) through a road system. Mértola had a wall dating from Roman times, but the Muslims built new fortifications and, eventually, a castle to protect it from rival Muslim and Christian states. After the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba, in 1031, Mértola became an independent taifa state, until it was conquered by the taifa of Seville in 1044-1045. Between 1144 and 1150 the town was again seat of an independent state led by Ibn Qasi, a mystic and skilled military leader who unified Southern Portugal and fought the power of the Almoravides. The independence of the region, however, was soon ended by an invading Almohad army. The most important remnant from the Islamic period of Mértola is its mosque, built in the second half of the 12th century and later turned into a church, but which still preserves many of its original characteristics. In 1238, in the context of the Reconquista, the town was conquered by Portuguese King Sancho II, putting an end on centuries of Islamic domination in the Mértola region. The town was donated to the Knights of the Order of Santiago, a Military Order that played a vital role in the Christian conquest of Southern Portugal.

The name "Óbidos" probably derives from the Latin term oppidum, meaning "citadel", or "fortified city". The municipality had its origin in an early Roman settlement near the foothills of an elevated escarpment. The region of Óbidos, extending from the Atlantic to the interior of Estremadura Province along the rivers and lakes has been inhabited since the late Paleolithic. ]A settlement was constructed by early Celt tribes, that was later a centre of trade for the Phoenicians

The Castle of São Jorge is a Moorish castle occupying a commanding hilltop overlooking the historic centre of the Portuguese city of Lisbon and Tagus River. The strongly fortified citadel dates from medieval period of Portuguese history, and is one of the main tourist sites of Lisbon. Although the first fortification on this hilltop date to the 2nd century BC, archaeological excavations have identified a human presence in the Tagus valley as far back as the 6th century BC. The first fortification was, presumably, erected in 48 BC, when Lisbon was classified as a Roman municipality. The hill was used by indigenous Celtic tribes, then by Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians, as a defensible outpost, that was later expropriated by Roman, Suebic, Visigothic, and Moorish peoples. During the 10th century, the fortifications were rebuilt by Muslim forces, that included the walls or Cerca Moura (Moorish Encirclment).

Marvão is a little Portuguese Village in Portalegre district, Alentejo Region. The name Marvão comes from an arab warrior called "Ibn-Marwan", that died in 889. He was a lider of a movement that decided to fight the Emirs of Córdova and found a sort of independent Kingdom. This was the place he choose to build his fortress. Little is known about the early ocupation of this place. Possibly it was a pré-historic fortification. There are some thesis that state that this place was in a middle of a dispute between Caesar and Pompeus and was conqered by the army of the first one. The interest in the place was due to a Roman road passing nearby connecting Cáceres to Santarem. There´s not much information in the invasions period of the Suevos, Visigotic, Muslims. Between 876 and 877 came Ibn Marwan and in the X Century the place was known has Amaia of Ibn Marwan or the Amaia Fortress.