Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;8;ar
Library Location
Évora, Portugal
Notes
The integration of the Roman city "Ebora" (Yabora, also called Yabbara in Arabic sources) into the political reality of Andalusia did not lead to major changes in the social fabric of the city, especially in the urban fabric, some of whose remains are still visible to this day. At the beginning of the 2nd century AH / 8th century AD, during the stages of the late Empire and the Visigoths, the city experienced changes that are difficult to estimate. Among the architectural constructions of that period, we find the wall surrounding the city, known as the "Roman Wall." The latter overlooked Roman houses and contained within it an irregular opus quadratum. The annals dating back to the Islamic period did not mention any growth that would justify the replacement of the old walls. But when the city of Evora was attacked in AH 301 / AD 913 by armies commanded by Ordonho III, who would later become Melklion, it was these walls that they saw before them. Ibn Hajjan accurately described how the invading forces found themselves in front of low walls, without an upper rampart, and without defensive battlements, because the walls had recently undergone repairs, so that the attackers took advantage of the piles of repair remains to reach the top. The defeat and killing that the Muslim inhabitants of the city of Yabura, who had been abandoned by its inhabitants, were subjected to, prompted the rebel family, the Banu Jalij, who controlled the region from Badajos, to take the following decisions: The wall was first demolished “to its foundations” so that the Berbers of the region could not settle within the walls. After that, they entrusted the rule to a family of Multitudes with whom they had been allied for a long time, and they began restoring the wall and city buildings the following year, and the Banu Jalik from Badajos provided the workers and materials necessary for this reconstruction. Although the analysis of the walls of the wall has not yet been completed, all indications indicate that the section that was built was located in walls dating back to the late Roman era. At the current stage of excavations, some evidence showed that the method of cutting stones was close to the method used in building the “opus” and similar to what was done in other Andalusian regions during the period of the rule of the Caliphate and the Emirates. The square-cornered towers resting on previous foundations and surrounded by a moat were preserved. This has been proven by archaeological research and by analysis of the place name, “Alcarsova”, given to these towers, which we find in medieval documents. The events of 301 AH / 913 AD led to several results: the clear desire to restore the walls of Évora was accompanied by a program of strengthening the existing fortifications in the central area of Guadiana and building new facilities. The city of Jabura lived a period of prosperity at that time, and the fortified wall, which has a diameter of 1,100 meters and surrounds an area of 8 hectares, played an effective role during the period of Islamic rule. It maintained its defensive function until the 8th century AH / 15th century AD.
Sample Text
Fernando Branco Correia “The Walls of Évora” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pt;Mon01;8;ar
