Chuva e Museus

Before We Jump In

Before we jump into centuries of history, let’s skim over a few definitions to help make sense of this region’s rich history.

• The name Algarve comes from the Arabic word al-Gharb, meaning west.
• Islam is a religion. Islamic relates to Islam, its followers, its history, its traditions, and sometimes its politics.
• Muslims are followers of Islam. Arab is not a synonym for Muslim. Arabs are ethno-linguistic group of people, many but not all are Muslim.
• Al-Andalus refers to the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula during the 8th to 11th centuries.
• Moor / Moorish is an exonym used in the Middle Ages by Christian Europeans to refer to Muslim populations in Al-Andalus, Maghreb (Northwest Africa), Sicily and Malta.
• Phoenicians are an ancient group of people from the early Bronze Age who lived in city-states along a coastal strip, primarily modern day Lebanon. They extended their cultural influence through trade and colonization in the Iberian peninsula (and other places).

And, circa this out. Did you know that BCE and CE are the new BC and AD? CE stands for Common Era and BCE stands for Before Common Era. The Bronze Age is a period circa 3300 – 1200 BCE. The Middle Ages or the Medieval Era was from 5th to the late 15th centuries.

Núcleo Islâmico

The first museum we visited, Núcleo Islâmico, literally translates to Islamic Nucleus. The Islamic museological center in Tavira opened in 2012 on the site where the Vaso de Tavira and a section of wall were found. The exhibition here displays materials from the 11th to 13th centuries — all from archaeological excavations in the historic center of Tavira.

Muralhas

Near the entrance is a display showing the walled city of Tavira at three points in time.

The Vase of Tavira

This is a remarkable piece thought to be depicting a wedding abduction that traditionally took place before a wedding ceremony. It has 11 figures standing around its edge – a bride on horseback, a groom on horseback, a crossbowman, a knight with a spear, a couple musicians (a drummer and a tambourine), a turtle and many doves, and a dowry of a cow, a goat, a camel, and a sheep.

Tinteiro

The rectangular-shaped object in the picture is a 13th century tinteiro, or ink well.

Torre de Roca

Here is a picture of the Torre de Roca, the top end of a distaff (a stick used for spinning wool). It dates to the 2nd half of the 12th century / 1st half of the 13th century.

Palácio da Galeria

Museum #2 is the Palácio da Galeria, a monument of public interest dating back to the mid 16th century. It is a noble building situated within the city walls of Tavira.

Originally it was the home to the Aragão de Sousa family, but with no descendants to take it on, Hospital do Espírito Santo took possession near the end of the 17th century. It needed significant and costly renovation and in 1746, João Leal da Gama Ataíde lead a major Baroque remodeling effort. It became the property of a Câmara de Tavira (Tavira Town Council) in 1863 and served different purposes over the years — a judicial court, public treasury, a primary school and a technical school. In 2001, after restoration work, the museum of Tavira was set up here.

When we visited, it was the final days of an exhibit called Balsa.

Portuguese Lesson

Here is your Portuguese lesson for today.