AL ARABY (13/6/2019)
Last year, Lisbon’s Islamic Community celebrated its 50th anniversary. The community was established by migrants in the 1960s, but Islam has much more ancient roots in Portugal.
“Islam is in Portugal’s soul,” said the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa while standing at the entrance of the Central Mosque of Lisbon for the 50th anniversary commemorations.
Most of what is now Portugal was under Islamic rule for over 500 years. In 711, Muslim armies sailed from North Africa and quickly took control of large parts of Portugal and Spain, which became known in Arabic as al-Andalus.
“We might at times not be fully aware of the profound heritage left by Arabs in Portuguese society and culture,” the president said. “But it was and continues to be very important.”
The Islamic period left important monuments in the south of Spain. The Great Mosque of Cordoba and the complex of palaces of Alhambra in Granada are among the most famous examples of grandiose Islamic architecture.
Although there are few Islamic monuments in Portugal, five centuries of Islamic rule left deep traces in Portuguese language and culture.
Read more: https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2019/6/13/islamic-traces-in-portugals-past