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Silves history inaccessible
Updated: 06-Jul-2012
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The museum well constructed during Almohad times (1147–1242)
Photo: SUPPLIED
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Opened in 1990, the Archaeological Museum of Silves still possesses something of an air of novelty.
It is light and airy and uses as one of its exhibits the former town wall and an albarran tower. On three floors, with an exterior to the top of the albarran tower, the museum is well designed and it makes the most of its interesting location.
Although it covers the history of Silves from palaeolithic times to the 17th century, by far the majority of its collection dates from the time of the Muslim occupation.
We are by now used to the fact that labels for items within many Algarve museums are in Portuguese only. It must be that these museums expect only Portuguese visitors and it may be true that the millions of tourists who arrive in the Algarve every summer are indeed interested solely in sun, sea and sand.
Although we were lent an English language booklet as a guide to the museum, we were unable to take it away, and so could not study it and reflect at leisure on the exhibits we had seen. A brief analysis of this borrowed guidebook showed that it identified closely with the excavation work of the Muslim city.
The pride of the museum is the well, constructed during Almohad times (1147–1242). Although there was also a model of the well, and it was possible to descend to its first level, we were left uncertain of the use to which this well had been put and by whom, and why there is a staircase spiralling round it.
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Entrance to Silves Archaeological Museum and its Albarran tower
Photo: SUPPLIED
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As someone who is passionately interested in history, even I found it difficult to trace the current state of knowledge of the history of Islamic Silves.
A spokesman for Silves Câmara told the Algarve Resident that “financial difficulties faced by the municipalities” combined with the need to adopt environmentally friendly practices had led to the lack of multilingual information guides for visitors to take away with them. However, it said it was looking at other printable formats, which would be available soon and would meet the needs of all visitors of the museum.
Regarding the lack of information describing the history of the well, Silves Câmara said a brochure in Portuguese and English exists but is currently unavailable while “further prints are being made”. A date for restocking of the brochure at the museum was not forthcoming.
Silves Câmara has, however, provided the Algarve Resident with an electronic version of this brochure in English, which is available for download by clicking on the link below:
http://www.the-resident.com/portugalresident/pdf/CISTERN_WELL_SILVES.pdf
Lynne Booker, along with her husband Peter, founded the Algarve History Association. Visit www.algarvehistoryassociation.com
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