Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;28;ar
Library Location
Nodar (Barrancos); Beja, Portugal
Notes
Nodar Fort, which is located between two water courses, seems to be the most isolated in the Beja region, because it is far from the main roads and the most fertile agricultural areas, and within areas where mining activity led to a dense and continuous human presence. The city of Nodar was built on a flat terrace of nectarine stone located at the confluence of the Ardila and Mortega rivers. This abandoned city has walls surrounding an area of 12,800 square metres. The fenced diameter, which is 500 meters long, is located on a rocky peak 275 meters above sea level. This wall was built during the period of work carried out by King Denis at the beginning of the fourteenth century AD. It is likely that the site was limited to a simple tower or watchtower to guard and protect a small town, and that its function was to monitor the entrance to the Chora. It is believed that the part of the wall located in the south of Alcachova (the Kasbah), which is covered with building materials made of nectarine stone and is 50 meters long, was built during the period of Islamic rule, but this hypothesis needs support through archaeological excavation. However, even if linking the history of this part of the wall to the Islamic period has not yet been confirmed, this does not prevent it from being confirmed - at least through the difference in size between the inside and outside of Alcachova - that the line on which this structure was built coincides with the southern border of the tower. The habitation on this site during the Islamic period was in connection with the military structure existing at that time. We can also confirm, through the topography of the area, that the tower was erected at the highest point of the site that later became Christian Alcachova. The ongoing archaeological excavations carried out by Miguel Rigo have revealed another residential area located far to the north of the current fort, physically separate from the tower. It also proved that the area between them (between the tower and the residential area) never knew of settlement during the Islamic period. It is also possible that there is a group of houses outside the walls whose area does not exceed 1,500 square metres. In total, the area of the inhabited area was approximately 10,000 square metres.
Sample Text
Santiago Macias “Nodar Fortress” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;28;ar
