Portugal: Mertola – Church of Mertola

What makes Mertola truly unique is its deep Islamic heritage – between the 8-13th centuries it was a major Moorish trading hub and even briefly operated as an independent Islamic emirate (a taifa). And as a classic heritage of that time stands the stunning Church of Mertola aka Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Anunciacao. While it is a Catholic Church today, it was built in the 12th century as an Islamic mosque, and is the only surviving medieval mosque in Portugal today. When Christians conquered the town in 1238, they converted it into a church, but left the original structure largely intact. Inside, you can see the distinct Moorish horseshoe arches and the original mihrab sitting right behind the Christian altar. And even outside it looks more like traditional mosques from Algeria or Tunisia!