Castelo dos Mouros
| Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros) | |
| castle (Castelo) | |
 The north-facing wall of the Castle of the Moors, perched on top of the Sintra Mountains, showing the rectangular towers, including the Royal Tower (top left)
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| Official name: Castelo dos Mouros | |
| Named for: the Moors that built and defended the castle during the Reconquista | |
| Country |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Lisbon |
| Subregion | Greater Lisbon |
| District | Lisbon |
| Municipality | Sintra |
| Location | Santa Maria e São Miguel |
| - elevation | 420 m (1,378 ft) |
| - coordinates | 38°47′32.64″N 9°23′21.75″W / 38.7924000°N 9.3893750°WCoordinates: 38°47′32.64″N 9°23′21.75″W / 38.7924000°N 9.3893750°W |
| Length | 155.83 m (511 ft), Southwest-Northeast |
| Width | 152.98 m (502 ft), Northwest-Southeast |
| Architects | unknown, Ferdinand II of Portugal, Baron von Eschewege |
| Style | Medieval |
| Materials | Granite, Limestone with "mixtum vittatum" |
| Initiated | 8th century |
| - Constructed | 8th century |
| - Completed | 9th century |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Public |
| Visitation | Closed (On 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December) |
| Easiest access | Rampa da Pena, São Pedro de Sintra or Abelheira, in the Sintra Mountains |
| Management | Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico |
| Operator | Parques de Sintra Monte da Lua S.A. |
| Hours | 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. |
| Status | National Monument |
| Listing | Decree 16 June 1910; DG 136, 23 June 1910 |
| Website: http://www.parquesdesintra.pt/index.aspx?p=parksIndex&MenuId=13&Menu0Id=13 | |
The Castle of the Moors (Portuguese: Castelo dos Mouros) is a hilltop medieval castle located in the central Portuguese civil parish of Santa Maria e São Miguel, in the municipality of Sintra, about 25km northwest of Lisbon. Built by the Moors in the 8th and 9th centuries, it was an important strategic point during the Reconquista, and was taken by Christian forces after the fall of Lisbon in 1147. It is classified as a National Monument, part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The castle was constructed during the 8th and 9th centuries, during the period of Muslim Iberia, as the central place in a territory that was primarily agricultural, and which was necessary to protect its population
In 1031, after the loss of Córdoba to the Almoravid dynasty, the king of Badajoz opted to transfer to Alfonso VI of León and Castile a few territories on the Iberian peninsula (among them Sintra) in order to gain an alliance with the Christian king. This transfer did not result in any security, and the castle was lost to the invading Almoravid.
After the conquest of Lisbon (1147) by forces loyal to Afonso Henriques, the castle surrendered voluntarily to Christian forces. Afonso Henriques entrusted the castle's security to 30 inhabitants, granting them privileges in the foral (charter) signed by the monarch in 1154. The charter suggested that settlers should occupy and inhabit the castle, as a mechanism for guaranteeing the region's security and development.
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