Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;16;ar
Library Location
sylvish; Faro, Portugal
Notes
Well - a circular tank, approximately 20 meters deep (this is the depth reached during excavations, but it is likely that the well was deeper), and its circumference at the edge reaches 3 meters. Since there is 2.3 meters of water permanently visible in it, it could have been built according to the level of the water bed. This well-reservoir is a very special hydraulic work, the material of its construction consists of local stone - red Silves sandstone - which increases its value. From the architectural aspect, it represents a model of technical control and employment: a domed spiral staircase within the crypt accompanies the descent of the well-reservoir to the lower level of 16 metres. The entire staircase with its four courses is covered by a magnificent, perfectly round, lobed dome. Three windows in the dome, with its semicircular side view, provide a connection between the basement, the stairs, and the well, so that they open the way for water according to the different levels of filling, and also open the way for air and natural lighting for the basement. This feature was built at the end of the 12th century or at the beginning of the 13th century AD, along with the interior cladding of the wall that surrounds the city, which was built in the same period. The wall in this site appears thicker, and an adjacent tower leans on it from the outside. It is certain that these three structures (the wall, the adjacent tower, and the well-reservoir) that were built in the same period were prepared to form a formal and functional defensive group. There is no doubt that the function of the well-reservoir was to provide water to the wide, low-lying area of the city, and in particular to the bathhouse, which is about 100 meters away from it. When the Christians arrived at the end of the thirteenth century AD, the well was filled in. With dirt and scum, his job was forgotten. In 1979, it was rediscovered during city rehabilitation and resurfacing of the site. Subsequent archaeological excavations revealed not only its magnificent structure, but also an extraordinary treasure trove of ceramics, including pieces dating back to the 9th-10th century AD and up to the 17th century AD, which were later displayed in the National Museum of Antiquities. The well-reservoir today forms an integral part of the Municipal Museum of Archeology in Silves, where it is considered its main piece, and for this reason a permanent exhibition was erected around it. This only example of a well-reservoir connected to the groundwater bed was classified as a national monument since 2007. 1990.
Sample Text
Maria da Conceição Amaral “Well - Reservoir” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;16;ar
