This is a guest post written by Sara Choudhrey
In June 2019 I travelled to a number of cities in Portugal to research the Islamic heritage and the influence this had on local decorative arts. I was very pleased to find many traces of Islamic history and material culture, and where there were traces, it was great to find that local archaeologists, historians and scholars were keen to make their findings accessible to a general public.
If you’re up for a quiet day trip or a short one-night stay away from Lisbon where you can seriously slow the pace down, take in some local history and appreciate the views then Mertola is a great option.
It is one of the least populated municipalities of Portugal, and with the town sitting atop a hill above the Guadiana river, there’s a natural feeling of peace and splendour. Of course, with the town developed around the hill, there is some walking up a steep-ish road to get to the main sites.
View overlooking Guadiana River, Mertola, Portugal. © Sara Choudhrey 2019
I was slightly apprehensive about visiting quieter cities and towns, worried about finding my way there and back via public transport, wondering how well they might be set up for outside visitors, and whether I might draw attention to myself as a visibly Muslim woman (I wear hijab after all).
However, although Portugal is not the most ethnically diverse country and Mertola is even less so, I was welcomed everywhere I went and whenever I smiled or waved at someone who seemed a little curious, they would return the gesture.
I was often asked where I was from, but the questions came across as sincere and would lead to more conversations. I therefore had a lovely time and would be happy to return and wholeheartedly recommend a visit.
Best times to visit Mértola
Although I travelled at peak season, and during the height of the summer heat, seeing Portugal in the basking sunshine was great as the views were clear and the blue skies were almost cloudless.
I would recommend booking travel and accommodation in advance, and looking for discount codes. Hotels.com provide student discount on a number of hotels. At the same time, use comparison sites including Google to source the most competitive rates before booking.
How to get to Mertola from Lisbon?
Mertola is worth a one night stay, is easily connected by bus from Lisbon, and took a few hours to travel from there. As with much of Spain and Portugal, travel by bus is very reliable and regularly used by locals as well as tourists and visitors. The buses tend to always have air conditioning and the tickets can be purchased in advance online.
For travel between most cities I used the www.rede-expressos.pt/tickets website. The ticket from Lisbon to Mertola cost €16.60 and the journey was approx. 3.5 hours. The bus timings are very reliable and depart on time. I would double-check at the station that the platform/stand/gate numbers are as stated on your ticket.
You are asked to show your ticket to the driver at time of boarding. They will scan this and check you’re on the right bus! Tickets will have an allotted seat number. In my experience, these are always respected so stick to your allocated seats to avoid confusion for others.
Things to see in Mértola
The Former Masjid - Now the Parish Church
View of the Mosque with Moorish castle in the background. Mertola, Portugal. © Sara Choudhrey 2019
View from within the former Mosque, in Mertola, Portugal. © Sara Choudhrey 2019
(Free entry) Sitting on the side of the hill overlooking the river can be found the former masjid. This rectangular white building has a vast history, including its Roman foundations. However, the main architectural layout is retained from its time as a mosque built in the mid 12-13th Centuries. It remained as such for approx. 500 years and even when it was converted into a church, the mihrab was covered not destroyed. Due to its remaining Islamic features and the reinforced academic knowledge now shared in local heritage sites, the locals refer to it as a mosque too. When I entered the church, the staff was very friendly and without any prompt told me that I was welcome to pray inside if I wished. This made for a nice change as it can often be awkward to find a place to pray in a non-Muslim environment or space. It is certainly a huge contrast to the way Muslims are treated in a certain famous Cathedral/former Mosque in a neighbouring country :D . Most of the time, as a traveller, you tend to just time your outings and return to a hotel in order to pray. As detailed below, the local hotels in Mertola’s historic town are few, but also only a short walk away as all the historic sites are in a small part of the town.
Whilst inside the mosque have a good nose-around, go up-close to see the remaining decorative details of the mihrab and take note of the horseshoe arched doorways. These are typical of Moorish architecture.
Museum of Islamic Art
Museum of Islamic Art, Mertola, Portugal. © Sara Choudhrey 2019
(approx. €3) Just up the cobbled road (approx. a 10 min walk) from the mosque is a dedicated museum on Islamic art. A custom-renovated building was designed to house locally unearthed artefacts such as pottery, jewellery and a number of funerary stones with Arabic inscriptions. Although I was conducting research on this visit too, my research is focussed on a practice-related approach to understanding the context in which Islamic visual culture has developed.
I was excited to see that geometry, in all its forms, could be seen on many of the objects that were found in nearby ruins from the Islamic period. Many items are also said to have been imported from Seville, as the river was a convenient passage for goods to be traded.
If you follow the road you reach the top of the hill you will find the views get even better. It is a steeper climb, so comfortable footwear with a good grip is essential. I also happened to be visiting at one of the warmest times of the year but a general top tip is to always carry water and take breaks as and when needed.
Moorish Castle
The Moorish Castle, Metola, Portugal. © Sara Choudhrey 2019
(Free entry to external ruins, €2 for exhibition and tower). At the top of the hill is of course the castle – the best position to build. Views from here are amazing, and you are able to explore the ruins for free. Inside the cooler shade of the alls and tower is also a small museum and exhibition space which costs only a couple of Euros to enter. Here you can watch a video about the history and layout of the castle. You will also see that excavations continue nearby.
Is Mertola’s annual Islamic Arts festival worth a visit?
Mertola has in recent years held an annual Islamic Arts festival, but from what I have seen of this, it looks quite tacky (think pop-up stalls of imported mass-produced goods and semi-naked belly-dancers in street processions – this is not reflective of Islamic art. This is exoticising the Orientalist view!). So make the most of the real beauty of the town and avoid this period. Alas, it’s the quiet and peace you’re after, right?
Where to stay in Mertola?
As it is a small town Mertola does not have masses hotels, however the standard is good. I chose to stay at the Beiro Rio hotel as this was very conveniently located near the sites I wanted to visit, had some of the best reviews and was quite competitively priced for high-season (€40 p/n).
View from the hotel room terrace at the Beira Rio, Mertola, Portugal. © Sara Choudhrey 2019
My room was very large (accessible for wheelchair users too).
Be sure to book online, as the in-person rate is slightly higher. Interestingly, this hotel was being run by the same staff as the next door Museum Hotel which is priced slightly higher.
My room lead straight on to a large terrace overlooking the river. Watching the sunset was a dream, and being able to leave my laundry out to dry was also convenient.
I opted for their hotel breakfast which was a buffet and included a good variety of hot and cold options. I wish I had had more time to eat, as they also served fresh home-baked cakes! The only downside is that the corridor leading to my room was very echoey at night so you could hear people passing outside the rooms.
Food in Mertola
There are a handful of restaurants and they all seemed busy and favoured by the locals – always a good sign. Most places serve both vegetarian and fish dishes and they were able to understand English. Therefore, verifying that no alcohol or meat are included in the meal was easy enough.
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All in all, I had an absolutely lovely time in Mertola, and found the locals very friendly, if slightly curious. It was not unusual to find that many cab drivers would strike up conversation and would inevitably ask about my religious beliefs or tell me of a Muslim friend they have. You get the impression they are keen to relate and leave you feeling welcome.
Sara Choudhrey’s Bio
Sara Choudhrey is a London-based artist and researcher, using an investigative process to explore themes of space and place through art and design.
Sara’s interests in the construction and application of patterns includes studies in colour, light and texture, informed by historical sites across the globe. The research and artistic outcomes consider human engagement and impact on spaces of both the natural and material world.
Sara embarked on her journey into creative and hybrid media with a BSc in Multimedia Technology and Design (2006). She then pursued a research-led Masters in Digital Arts from Camberwell College of Arts (2010) and completed a PhD in Digital Arts from the University of Kent in 2018.
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