Mértola
The Mosque
37º38'18.30"N / 7º39'49.06"O
Tuesday to Sunday
Winter (September 14 to June 14): 9.10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. / 2 p.m. to 5.20 p.m.;
Summer (June 15 to September 15) – 9.40 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. / 2.30 to 6.20 p.m.
Closed on Monday and National Holidays: January 1, May 1, Easter Sunday,
December 25, and December 24 (Christmas Eve).
About
The Mosque
Mértola’s Parish Church was originally a Mārtulah mosque and was designated a National Monument in 1910. Dated from that initial moment (Almohad period – second half of the 12th century), its external contours, a miḥrāb (niche pointing at Mecca, indicating the direction for praying) with traces of its stucco decoration, and four doors with horseshoe arches are still preserved.
After the Christian conquest of Mértola in 1238 by the Knights of the Order of Saint James, this building was consecrated to Saint Mary and converted into a church. Improvement works of this religious space were conducted in 1532, changing the roof and redistributing the aisles.
Plan provided by the Mértola Archaeological Site
Access
Prepare your visit
Free entrance.
Children should always be accompanied by a responsible adult.
IMAGES GALLERY
Mértola Archaeological Site Photographic archive
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RESEARCH
Bibliography & useful links
BOIÇA, Joaquim Manuel Ferreira; MATEUS, Rui (2014). Mértola: Roteiro de história urbana e património. Associação de Defesa do Património de Mértola, Mértola, pp. 60-65.
BOIÇA, Joaquim Manuel Ferreira; BARROS, Maria de Fátima Rombouts de (1999). A Mesquita-Igreja de Mértola. In Ordens Militares. Guerra, Religião, Poder e Cultura – Actas do III Encontro sobre Ordens Militares, vol. 2, Edições Colibri / Câmara Municipal de Palmela, pp. 341-365.
EWERT, Christian (1973). La Mezquita de Mértola (Portugal). Cuadernos de la Alhambra, 12, Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife, pp. 307-338.
GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana (2008). Intervenção arqueológica na Mesquita / Igreja Matriz de Mértola. In Mértola Arqueológica 2003-2008. Cadernos de Mértola / Mértola Vila Museu, Câmara Municipal de Mértola, Mértola, pp. 6-17.
GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana (2010). La Mezquita de Mértola, Portugal. Transformaciones de un espacio sagrado. In Mezquitas de Toledo, a la luz de los nuevos descubrimientos, Consorcio de la ciudad de Toledo, Toledo, pp. 319-333.
GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana, coord. (2014). Museu de Mértola. Catálogo Geral, Campo Arqueológico de Mértola, Mértola, pp. 130-147.
GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana (2022). Poblamiento Emiral en el Garb Al-Andalus. In Arqueologia & História, A Península Ibérica entre os séculos V e X – Continuidades, Transição e Mudança, 73, Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses, Lisboa, pp. 187-206. Disponível em: https://www.museuarqueologicodocarmo.pt/publicacoes/arqueologia_historia/serie_13/Vol_73/P1_art15_AH_Vol73_web.pdf [Consultado a 27 de março de 2023].
MACIAS, Santiago; TORRES, Cláudio; BOIÇA, Joaquim Manuel Ferreira; BARROS, Maria de Fátima Rombouts de; GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana (2011). Mesquita Igreja de Mértola, Campo Arqueológico de Mértola, Mértola.
MACIAS, Santiago; BARROS, Maria de Fátima Rombouts de; GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana (2018). A Mesquita / Igreja Matriz de Mértola, Monumentos, 36, Direcção Geral do Património Cultural, Lisboa, pp. 34 – 41. Disponível em: http://www.monumentos.gov.pt/site/DATA_SYS/MEDIA/Agenda/M36_72dpi.pdf [Consultado a 28/04/2023].
https://arqueologia.patrimoniocultural.pt/index.php?sid=sitios&subsid=58398
https://www.museudemertola.pt/nucleos-exposicao/igreja-matriz-mertola/
https://arqueologiainprogress.camertola.pt/#/rota/mesquita
https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;10;pt
https://www.visitportugal.com/pt-pt/NR/exeres/BAA56AC8-45EC-4FCB-BAD5-04ABB6288A2F