Last May we were visited by American journalist Jack Zahora and photographer Tara Todras-Whitehill, who were interested in learning about Mértola’s Islamic past. This visit is recounted in the article published in the July issue of AramcoWorld Magazine, entitled ‘Pieces of the Past: Mértola, Portugal rediscovers its Islamic roots‘. The article, which takes up several pages, describes the visit as follows: ‘The southeastern Portuguese town of Mértola, along the Guadiana River, showcases its Islamic heritage through well-preserved archaeological sites and museums. The town served as a significant cultural and commercial centre from the eighth to the 13th century CE, a period of Islamic influence in the region’.
This is an interesting way to showcase the research, appreciation and dissemination work that has been going on in Mértola for over 40 years, and which is best expressed in the 14 sections of the Cláudio Torres Museum of Mértola. It should be noted that the cover of the July 2024 issue of AramcoWorld Magazine also features archaeological artefacts from the Mértola Museum’s collection, which are kept in the reservation area.
To find out more, please refer to:
Full version of AramcoWorld Magazine, July 2024 at https://www.aramcoworld.com/CMSPages/GetAzureFile.aspx?path=~\aramcoworldsite\files\3a\3a4711ee-7682-491f-8e3f-f8725c20f3a3.pdf&hash=ed90c9280f9f9052a7ff20b1180e02771eefcd5574bada528cee9005b4e1ebd
Article about Mértola at https://www.aramcoworld.com/Articles/July-2024/Pieces-of-the-Past
About journalist Jack Zahora at https://www.instagram.com/jackzahora/)
About photographer Tara Todras-Whitehill at https://www.instagram.com/taratwphoto/