Moorish Castle Tickets

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.