About Moorish Castle Tickets

Soothe the history buff in you with Moorish Castle tickets, that provide you access to one of Lisbon’s most renowned mediaeval-era attractions. Located in Sintra in Portugal, the Castelo dos Mouros dates back to the 10th century and was constructed as a defensive fortification for the surrounding areas and maritime routes to Lisbon. The Moorish Castle stands on a hilltop and overlooks the Atlantic, promising magnificent views of the stunning town and nearby areas.

From enchanting pathways to archaeological finds dating back to the Neolithic era, history can be found in the castle’s walls and everything that lies within. The prominent attractions in Castle of the Moors include the Second Belt of Walls, ancient Silos, Islamic Quarter, the nineteenth-century Tomb, Church of San Pedro de Canaferrim that today displays archaeological finds, the damaged Christian Mediaeval Necropolis, Old Stables, Cistern, Plaza de Armas, the Door of Betrayal, the Alcacova, and the Royal Tower. Get ready to be transported to a mediaeval-era military garrison at this UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sintra.

Why Visit Moorish Castle

Moorish Castle
  • Moorish Castle tickets let you explore the mediaeval fortification located on a hilltop of Sintra which dates back to the 10th century and looks straight out of a Disney fairytale.

  • A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Moorish Castle is renowned for its architectural style that reflects the age of the Vikings, the Moors, the Christians, and even the nineteenth-century Romantics.

  • The Castle overlooks the blue waters of the Atlantic, the greenery of the lush forests, and stunning hills. It provides enchanting views of the town of Sintra to visitors. From witnessing the magnificent sights to clicking memorable pictures, the Castle’s location makes it more popular among tourists.

  • The prominent structures that visitors can explore and admire with their Castelo dos Mouros tickets include a Church that now displays archaeological objects, a granite cistern, the Door of Betrayal and the high Alcacova. Witness ancient silos that stored grain and a tomb that houses the displaced remains of the castle necropolis, and several other historical attractions at the Moorish Castle.

Explore Moorish Castle

Second Belt of Walls
Second Belt of Walls

One of the important attractions visitors can witness with their Moorish Castle tickets is the Second Belt of Walls, which was among the Christian additions to the Moorish defence structure. Constructed by the Knights Templar after the fall of the Moors, the walls were built to protect the human, animal and crop populations of the surrounding region.

Silos
Silos

As a defensive castle, the Castelo dos Mouros had storage space for grains and pulses known as silos, which were used to store food for war-like situations. Introduced in the region by Islamic inhabitants who moved here, silos were an Arab food preservation technique where depressions were dug into rocky spaces in semi-spheres of varying dimensions and depths.

Islamic Neighborhood
Islamic Quarter

Explore the Islamic Quarter with your Moorish Castle tickets, where archaeological excavations have shown evidence of homes, silos, and a community oven. Here you can find material culture remains like crockery fragments and ceramic vessels indicating an Islamic settlement from the tenth to twelfth centuries. From pots and pitchers to remains of spinning wheels and related equipment, the Islamic Quarter is a testament to the existence of a well-settled community within the castle.

Tomb in Moorish Castle
Tomb

Among the newest additions you can explore with your Moorish Castle tickets, the Tomb was constructed in the nineteenth century during Castle restoration efforts. The Christian burial ground with the Church of San Pedro de Canaferrim was damaged during restorative work, leading to the construction of a Tomb to house the human remains. As it was unknown whether the remains were Christian or Moorish, a stone epitaph was engraved that read, “What man has joined, only God can separate.”

Church of San Pedro de Canaferrim
Church of San Pedro de Canaferrim

One of the most elaborate surviving structures visitors can witness with their Moorish Castle tickets, the Church of San Pedro de Canaferrim dates back to the twelfth century. Sintra’s first parish church, the structure was constructed from granite and has thick walls, along with traces of 15th-century Gothic paintings on the apse. Transformed into a Romantic ruin in the nineteenth century, the Church now stands as an Interpretation Centre where archaeological objects are displayed.

Christian Mediaeval Necropolis
Christian Mediaeval Necropolis

Witness the Christian Medieval Necropolis of the Moorish Castle that was established over the old Islamic Quarter. When the Christians conquered the castle, they destroyed the Moorish settlement to construct the burial grounds of their Church of San Pedro de Canaferrim. Archaeological excavations have found graves containing remains of more than one individual, and also indications that the necropolis had been in use for three centuries.

Old Stables
Old Stables

A curious attraction one can explore with their Moorish Castle tickets, the Old Stables are two ruined compartments on the eastern wall of the castle whose functions are unknown to scholars. There is evidence to show they would have been covered, and it is believed the structures were stables that were later turned into breeding grounds. Remains of Islamic settlements of the castle like a house and silos are also found here.

Cistern of Moorish Castle
Cistern

Moorish Castle tickets allow visitors to witness the Cisterna do Castelo dos Mouros, which is believed to be a strategic Moorish construction and is among the best-surviving structures of the castle. Constructed of granite, the Cistern has a vaulted roof, two ventilation chimneys, and a capacity of 600 cubic metres, which meant it was planned as a water source for the castle in case of a siege.

Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas, as the name suggests, was where the military garrison of the Moorish Castle was concentrated. The largest space in the castle, it was transformed during the nineteenth century into a space for rest and reflection by the Romantic restorers. A false horseshoe arch door commemorates the Moorish past of the area, which you can explore with your Moorish Castle tickets.

Door of Betrayal
Door of Betrayal

A castle highlight as intriguing as its name, the Porta da Traicao or the Door of Betrayal is located in the walls of the Moorish Castle discreetly. Since conflicts were high, there was a need for a secret passage that allowed access to the outer world and a way to escape. As the enemy could also access the castle in case of a breach, the gateway was known as the Door of Betrayal.

Alcacova
Alcacova

The Alcacova, one of the highest points of the Moorish Castle which functioned as the strategic centre for the fortification, is among the most popular highlights one can witness with Moorish Castle tickets. A portion of the castle’s Keep, the Alcacova overlooks the entire region and the Atlantic, and was the residence of the local authorities during the Moorish era and later during the Christian era.

Royal Tower
Royal Tower

The Royal Tower lies at a stunning position within the Moorish Castle and has the magnificent Pena Palace as its backdrop. Accessible through a long flight of stone stairs, the Tower offers enchanting views of the castle and its surroundings. This was a place of leisure for artists of the Romantic era like D Fernando II, who spearheaded the restoration of the castle during the nineteenth century.

History of Moorish Castle

Moorish Castle

Castelo dos Mouros tickets provide you access to the millennium-old Moorish Castle, which was once a privileged vantage point over the Atlantic coast and today stands as a testament to Sintra’s glorious past. Constructed under the Islamic rule of the Moors, the Castle was the defending mechanism for the surrounding areas and maritime routes to Lisbon. When the Christians took over the city in the twelfth century, the Islamic Quarter began to disappear and a mediaeval Christian settlement began to rise till the fifteenth century. As threats of a Moor-Christian conflict faded, the population no longer felt the need to be protected and gradually abandoned the Moorish Castle.

From the nineteenth century began attempts at restoration, which damaged the burial grounds of the Castle’s Church of Sao Pedro de Canaferrim. A tomb was consequently constructed to house both Moorish and Christian human remains. From archaeological excavations since the 1970s unearthing numerous historical remains to UNESCO declaring the Castle a World Heritage Site, Castelo dos Mouros stands today as one of Sintra’s greatest tourist attractions.

Plan Your Visit

Location & Timings
How to Reach
Rules & Regulations
Visitor Tips
Moorish Castle
  • Location: Moorish Castle is located at 2710-405 Sintra, Portugal.

  • Timings: Moorish Castle is open on all days of the week from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, with the last entry permitted at 6 PM.

FAQ's

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