Núcleo de Arte Islâmica do Museu de Mértola

Mértola, on a bend of the River Guadiana, was one of the most important Islamic towns in what is now Portugal. Its museum preserves that heritage, and the Núcleo de Arte Islâmica brings together ceramics, epigraphy and objects that illuminate daily life in the town during the Islamic period.

An Islamic town on the Guadiana

The museum of Mértola was created in the 1980s around the archaeological work carried out in the town, and is organised in several nuclei across the historic centre. The Islamic art collection is one of its most important holdings, reflecting the town’s role as a river port and trading centre in the Islamic period.

What to see

• Islamic ceramics and household objects.
• Epigraphy and architectural fragments from the town’s Islamic past.
• The wider museum circuit, including the old mosque that became the parish church.
• The historic centre of Mértola, with its castle and riverside setting.

Visiting the museum

The museum nuclei are in the historic centre of Mértola. Opening hours are published on the official website, so check before your visit.

Visitor information: museudemertola.pt.

Image credit: Islamic art collection, Museu de Mértola, by Miguel Vieira, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.