Museu Municipal de Arqueologia de Silves

Silves was the capital of the Islamic Algarve, and its archaeology museum is built around one of the town’s most striking survivals: a large Islamic cistern, discovered in the 1980s and now the heart of the collection. Around it, the museum gathers finds that trace the town’s long history.

A cistern at the centre

The cistern, with its vaulted brick roof, once supplied water to the Islamic city. The museum was created to protect it and to display the objects found in and around Silves, from prehistoric times to the Islamic and Christian periods, making it one of the best places to understand the Algarve’s Islamic past.

What to see

• The Islamic cistern, the museum’s architectural centrepiece.
• Islamic ceramics and objects of daily life.
• Archaeology from the town and its castle.
• The historic centre of Silves, with its castle and cathedral.

Visiting the museum

The museum is in the historic centre of Silves, close to the castle. Opening hours are published by the municipality, so check the official website before your visit.

Visitor information: cm-silves.pt.

Image credit: Museu Municipal de Arqueologia de Silves, by Vitor Oliveira, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.