Silves 577490 212853375 2008-05-16T15:50:03Z 24.20.129.165 /* History */ {{Infobox Municipalities of Portugal| |municipality = Silves |CoA = SLV.png |flag = Pt-slv1.png |top = Silves.JPG |caption = A view of Silves and its [[Silves Castle|castle]] uphill |location = LocalSilves.svg |gentílico = Silvense |region = [[Algarve]] |subregion = [[Algarve]] |district = [[Faro]] |area = 678.75 |population = 33,830 |census = 2001 |density = |freguesias = 8 |founded = [[1266]] |orago = |gentilico = |juntafreg = |postalcode = 8300 SILVES |website = [http://www.cm-silves.pt www.cm-silves.pt] |email = |extra = }} '''Silves''' ([[Pronunciation|pron.]] {{IPA2|'siɫvɨʃ}}) is a town and a [[Municipalities of Portugal|municipality]] in the [[Algarve]], southern [[Portugal]]. The city has a population of 10,800 inhabitants and the municipality reaches 33,830 (2001). The municipality of Silves is part of the [[Faro (district)|district of Faro]]. Silves is the former capital of the Algarve and is of great historical importance. ==Geography== The municipality is crossed by the river Arade, which was navigable in historical times and was key to the prosperity of the city of Silves. The waters of the river form the [[dam]]s of Arade and Funcho. The landscape of the municipality is generally hilly. To the south the municipality borders the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. ==History== The region of Silves has been inhabited since the [[Palaeolithic]], as attested by archaeological vestiges, including several [[menhir]]s. The river Arade, which was navigable in historical times, linked the hinterland to the open ocean and allowed for the transport of produce and commerce. The town of Silves was possibly founded during the times of [[Hispania|Roman domination]], when the region was part of the [[Lusitania]] province. After 713, when [[Umayyad conquest of Hispania|the Moors invaded Iberia]], Silves became part of the Ummayad kingdom of [[Córdoba, Spain|Córdoba]] under the Arabic name of ''Shilb'' (شلب). In the 10th century it was one of the most important towns of western [[Al-Andalus]]. Silves became an independent [[taifa]] in 1027 under the rule of Ibn Mozaine and his son, who was dethroned in 1051 by al-Mu'tadid, the governor of [[Seville]]. [[al-Mu'tamid]] ibn 'Abbad, the son of al-Mu'tadid and a famous poet, ruled the taifa of Silves until 1091. After the [[Almoravid]] conquest the town became [[Almohad]] in 1156. In 1189 King [[Sancho I of Portugal]] conquered the town with the aid of Northern European crusaders,<ref>Charles Wendell David, ed. ''Narratio de Itinere Navali Peregrinorum Hierosolymam Tendentium et Silviam Capientium, A.D. 1189''. In ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' 81 (Dec., 1939): 591-676.</ref> but lost it again to the Almohads in 1191. [[Image:SilvesCathedral-facade1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Silves Cathedral]]]] The town was finally taken from the last Muslim king Ibn Afan by [[Paio Peres Correia]], Grand-Master of the [[order of Santiago]] in 1242, after the [[Alentejo]] and most of the coast had already fallen in 1238. The great [[mosque]] was changed into [[Silves Cathedral]] (''Sé Catedral''). In 1491 the town was given to queen Leonora by King João. Parts of the Almohad town wall, constructed from poured concrete, have been preserved, as well as the Almedina-gate (Porta de [[Loulé]]). Other sights include the Santa Misericórdia Church with a fine door in [[Manueline]] style, the main body of the church was built in 1727/28, a museum for [[Cork (material)|cork]] and the production of bottle corks in a defunct factory which is now also a centre for cultural events called "[http://www.fabrica-do-ingles.pt Fábrica do Inglês] (The Englishman's Factory) and the municipal museum (Museu Municipal de Arqueologia) with findings from the [[palaeolithic]] onwards. The town is situated on a hill above the Arade River. [[Silves Castle]] (''Castelo dos Mouros'', Moorish Castle) is located on the top of the hill. It occupies ca. 12,000 m2. Archaeological [[excavation]]s have shown that the oldest buildings date back to the 8th century, the [[stratigraphy]] is almost 6 m deep and contains [[Iron Age]] remains as well. The walls are made of red [[sandstone]] (grés de Silves) with a [[pisé]]-core and have been heavily restored in the 1940s. Protruding towers of [[albarra]]-type protect the Northern slope. After the Christian conquest, the castle served as the seat of the alcaide-mor (provincial governor) till the middle of the 16th century, afterwards the towers were used as a prison. Silves is built on top of one of the largest underground [[aquifer]]s in the south of Portugal, The Querença-Silves Aquifer [http://environ.chemeng.ntua.gr/wsm/Uploads/Deliverables/ThirdYear/Deliverable_21.6.pdf], and has many orange groves, a fruit introduced by the Moors. ==Population== {| {{prettytable1|center}} ! colspan="9" | Population of Silves municipality (1801 – 2004) |- bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | align="center" | [[1801]] | align="center" | [[1849]] | align="center" | [[1900]] | align="center" | [[1930]] | align="center" | [[1960]] | align="center" | [[1981]] | align="center" | [[1991]] | align="center" | [[2001]] | align="center" | [[2004]] |- | align="center" | 10509 | align="center" | 15509 | align="center" | 29598 | align="center" | 34461 | align="center" | 33368 | align="center" | 31389 | align="center" | 32924 | align="center" | 33830 | align="center" | 34909 |} ==Parishes== The Municipality of Silves is split into 8 "freguesias" or civil parishes as follows: * [[Alcantarilha]] * [[Algoz]] * [[Armação de Pêra]] * [[Pêra]] * [[São Bartolomeu de Messines]] * [[São Marcos da Serra]] * Silves * [[Tunes (Silves)|Tunes]] == External links == {{commons|category:Silves}} {{portal|Portugal}} *[http://aves.com.sapo.pt/Silves/ 55 Photographs of Silves] *[http://www.cm-silves.pt/ City Hall] {{Municipalities of Faro}} {{coor title dms|37|11|13|N|8|26|20|W|region:PT_type:city(33830)}} [[Category:Cities in Portugal]] [[Category:Municipalities of Portugal]] [[ar:شلب]] [[de:Silves]] [[es:Silves]] [[fr:Silves (Portugal)]] [[bpy:সিইভেস]] [[it:Silves (Portogallo)]] [[nl:Silves (Portugal)]] [[ja:シルヴェス]] [[pl:Silves]] [[pt:Silves (Portugal)]] [[ro:Silves]] [[ru:Силвеш]] [[tr:Silves]] [[vo:Silves (Portugän)]]