@museumwnf/explore-data 1.0.2 → 1.0.3

package/translations/collections.en.json

@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"003d08dc-6215-5320-a8d3-88161baeb779":{"title":"Explore Baroque","description":"In the Baroque era, splendour became the dominant principle of European art In the Baroque era, splendour became the dominant principle of European art and as a consequence there was an incredibly rich explosion of the arts. The nobility and the church constantly tried to outdo each other in displaying the reign of earthly or heavenly powers while the rising bourgeoisie wished to demonstrate its new status. Well-known masterpieces and hidden treasures invite you to explore the exuberance of Baroque art and architecture and their cultural environment.","extra":{"country_ids":["cz","hu","hr","at","de","it","pt"],"country_texts":[{"text":"The Counter-Reformation brought forward a veritable boom in Austrian construction. New ‘houses of God’ were erected everywhere as a sign of a re-strengthened Christianity. Numerous new churches and monasteries emerged with magnificent fresco cycles, but Gothic churches were also commonly furnished with Baroque paintings. This animated, expressive style had its origins in Italy, where it blossomed into a luxuriant display of splendour and emotion. Stucco works are essential decorative elements, which were produced mainly by southern German artists (namely from Wessobrunn), from fruit garlands in the early Baroque to graceful rocailles during the late Baroque period. Frescoes range from small colourful pieces to huge pastose designs spanning across vaults as with illusionistic motifs.  \n  \nGardens along with the connected castle now represent so-called *Gesamtkunstwerke* (total works of art), and the newly developed medium of the opera shows refined stage machinery ranging from water arts and horse ballets to fireworks. The largest palace in Tyrol, the imperial Hofburg, was refashioned in the late Baroque style and termed by Maria Theresa as the “little Schönbrunn of the Alps”. The most notable monasteries of the region, Wilten & Stams, were refurbished into Baroque.","langId":"en","countryId":"at"},{"text":"Southern Bavaria unites the southern parts of Upper Bavaria and Lower Swabia. In the Baroque era, these regions were the scene of some intense building activity – so much that even today the monuments from this time make their mark on the landscape. Not only are there many splendorous monasteries and palaces with rich furnishings, but everywhere one finds the onion-shaped spires of village churches built or rebuilt in Baroque style, typical of the countryside. Over the course of the 18th century the gracious and elegant French styles of Régence and Rococo, originating from profane noble or courtly buildings, came to influence Southern German ecclesiastical architecture, leading to those miracles dubbed ‘Rococo churches’. A typical feature of Rococo style is the popular, enchanting, friendly, indeed sometimes childishly naive character of the painted and sculpted depictions, often enriched with a touch of humour – one needs only to look at the countless playful small angels found in so many churches to find such flourishes.","langId":"en","countryId":"de"},{"text":"The appearance of Baroque in Croatia coincided with the cessation of the Ottoman invasion at the beginning of the 17th century and simultaneous ecclesiastical renewal after the Council of Trent. Perhaps to a greater extent than in other European countries, Baroque in Croatia manifests the duality of stylistic influences of the Central European and Mediterranean cultural and artistic circles. It is a consequence of the historical integration of the two central Croatian regions – continental Croatia and coastal Croatia – into two dominant political and cultural options of the 17th and 18th centuries: the Habsburg Monarchy and the Venetian Republic. That general dichotomy has its exceptions: the expansion of the Central European cultural circle on the Croatian coast and Habsburg estates in Istria and Kvarner, as well as the phenomenon of the Republic of Dubrovnik, a free city-state in south-eastern Croatia, oriented towards Rome and southern Italy. The most prominent clients in both regions – Jesuits, Franciscans, dioceses and nobility – turn mainly to foreign architects, sculptors and painters, but also to notable domestic authors who had their workshops in larger towns. During both Baroque centuries, we can trace two simultaneous phenomena - an increase in artistic standards, promoted by works of foreign masters and educated domestic artists, and a provincial variant of Baroque in the creations of local authors. Particularly in sculpture and painting the first category combines quality artworks of various provenances, and the second includes works of often reproductive character. Nevertheless, they both fit perfectly into the narrative of the Baroque in the vast area of its spread.","langId":"en","countryId":"hr"},{"text":"The Ottoman occupation of the middle part of Hungary from the 1540s cut short, stopped or altered the continuity of arts and architecture influenced by Western European ideas. However, the Baroque arrived in the early 17th century to those parts that were not occupied by the Turks (North and a part of West Hungary) as can be seen in the compelling Baroque rebuilding of Sopron after a devastating fire in 1676. The new style and its accompanying ideals would spread across the whole of the country gradually after the reconquering wars at the end of the 17th century. These circumstances led to entire Baroque cityscapes built over empty sites or atop cities destroyed in war like Buda, Győr or Eger. The nobility was eager to commission country and town palaces in the new style with gardens built following the Baroque schemes and the emerging bourgeoisie also erected their town home following the ideas of the Baroque. Among the main promoters was the Catholic Church, mainly the Jesuit order. Grandiose churches and colleges were built to serve new demands to show rich decorations and the perspective and theatrical effects that were already used in the Western part of Europe. On city squares, Baroque statues were erected to glorify the Christian Faith and Religion or to commemorate important events. Alongside the activities of foreign artists and architects (mainly from Italy or German-speaking countries) in Hungary, local masters also took over the new fashion. From the middle of the 18th century arrived the fashion of the Rococo and a Neoclassical Late-Baroque as well.","langId":"en","countryId":"hu"},{"text":"By the early 17th century, the arts of the Baroque began to flourish in papal Rome, thanks to the contribution of artists such as Caravaggio and Bernini, Lanfranco, Pietro da Cortona and Borromini. Popes and cardinals promoted a majestic and emotional art celebrating the power of the Roman Catholic Church by means of public undertakings: piazzas, bridges, fountains, churches, altarpieces, chapels, all characterized by grandiose architectures, dynamic spaces, flowing curves, rich colours and luxurious materials. Noble families competed with the popes in commissioning outstanding palaces and villas, as well as frescoes, paintings and statues often depicting profane mythological subjects. Not only Rome but also its environs witnessed the spread of the splendour of the Baroque art: for example Frascati, Grottaferrata and Castel Gandolfo, where the popes and their families had villas and gardens built. Bologna was the other important city of the Papal State: cradle of the naturalism of the Carracci, Bologna shows a peculiar declination of the Baroque language, more classical and restrained, through its noble palaces, churches, villas and theatres within the city and in its surroundings.","langId":"en","countryId":"it"},{"text":"Portuguese monuments collection aims to introduce the visitor to the extremely rich variety of Baroque heritage in Portugal. Taking advantage of the financial resources provided by Brazilian gold shipments from 1695 till the second half of the 18th century, King João V, as well as mainly the religious orders and the aristocracy were enabled to commission a wide array of civil, military and religious monumental ensembles and artistic masterpieces, displayed throughout the whole country, from Minho to Algarve, Madeira and Azores.  \nIn addition to exhibiting the splendour of both royal and religious power, these works of art convey the peculiar Portuguese interpretation of Baroque that blends the ‘exoticism’ of its culture, originated by the encounter with other civilizations from Brazil to the Far East, together with the richness of its typical artistic language, whose main features are the gilded wood and the *azulejos* panels.","langId":"en","countryId":"pt"}],"legacy_status":"e"}},"003e5b56-f530-5f59-88f9-8fbf91faecd0":{"title":"Medjez al-Bab","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"A very pretty country road links Tébourba to Medjez al-Bab."}},"0158a83f-59d6-510f-9afc-daf15123521d":{"title":"Fertőrákos","description":""},"01a72572-7c98-58e6-a882-419c02a02266":{"title":"Naro","description":""},"01a7fa99-c5d0-5d91-9ed4-e4777a00cdf8":{"title":"Sicily","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"01d7cd33-8edf-57c3-9518-fe5d050a2487":{"title":"Juromenha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"01ee875c-c376-5883-bea9-b652d274bb33":{"title":"Itinerary 45","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["jo"],"location_ids":[9,10,23,24,32,33]}},"0234880b-5c93-5316-a337-8a874f90c139":{"title":"Itinerary 76","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[37,39,52,54]}},"03041cac-bc26-50c6-bb29-1cbf70e7a431":{"title":"Mayorga de Campos","description":""},"031a8efe-b569-559c-b989-57c3d06db8e2":{"title":"Itinerary 52","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[429,434],"territory_ids":[10]}},"032f3f58-03c0-53ab-9be7-790f181b740d":{"title":"Pill","description":""},"0389ce75-0a3a-59f2-b6ba-11e64c930bc7":{"title":"Portugal","description":""},"03b3a424-14db-52ff-9fe3-d5e93c75d95c":{"title":"Ohrid","description":""},"03c282d2-2529-53b9-8191-1923525a897d":{"title":"Mili San Pietro","description":""},"03eecabf-7157-585a-8c6f-5d2a80f63f06":{"title":"Füssen","description":""},"03f23c73-2f9d-5036-8bdb-fb64a80dfc17":{"title":"Itinerary 86","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[215,219,221,235]}},"0473902c-7c75-5876-a28e-5f6ba1f9785e":{"title":"Dießen am Ammersee","description":""},"04ccb49e-f528-53af-b3f9-96f284b3c348":{"title":"Manouba","description":""},"04f3ab8b-147f-5b79-92a6-ac6fbfa6ecbe":{"title":"Jordan","description":""},"050a4d37-a00a-5f10-bc74-4cb2e6f4b1df":{"title":"Qal‘at Najm","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"05438199-93c9-5813-8c5d-aba9171a78cf":{"title":"Cheleiros","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"05626e33-ed57-5b08-b8db-4fbe27dbfda5":{"title":"Montemor-o-Velho","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"05bbf4ed-a2a6-525f-a94d-40149015441f":{"title":"Kalba","description":""},"060325ec-c169-5e92-a75b-3d44e193a207":{"title":"Ermita de Gelo","description":""},"061deddc-2558-5418-90ad-d40fb5deeb2e":{"title":"Guarda","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"06373f8f-cb0e-5013-97ed-7a0ea76e58fc":{"title":"TAFESSERA","description":"A village in the Beni Snous Valley, Tafessera is one of the oldest settlements in the region. Around the very old medina, which has kept its earliest Berber structures, traces of the Roman Empire in vestiges of the chapel of Kouiyet Errom Fortress have been dated to the time of St. Augustine (AD 354–430).  \n  \nKouiyet Errom, literally small Christian fort, is today the main mosque of the village. The walls surrounding it make a strong first impression. It attracts numerous visitors and the curious from the entire region, as does the *madrasa* (theological school).  \n  \nApart from an old spring, now dry but still the subject of an ancient cult, the uniqueness of the village lies in the prehistoric underground caves that date back millennia. The composition of rocks in the region, mainly karst limestone, contributed to the formation of underground corridors, caves, fissures and natural grottos that provided Tafessera, like other villages in the valley, with hidden natural dwelling places and numerous tunnels leading to other villages.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"0639a6ac-d3f2-5b7e-a92a-73a222171d1d":{"title":"Tavira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"06789a70-a661-5792-a0d1-1ffdef4176b7":{"title":"Istanbul","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"06c84e27-3e2e-5127-9bed-bd9a07f05a45":{"title":"Deir Mimas","description":""},"06e8335d-8fa7-5962-ba1c-393323f80132":{"title":"MIRANDA DO DOURO","description":"The history of Miranda do Douro goes back to the time of the first King D. Afonso Henriques, who set up an enclosure of shelters to encourage settlers, in a harsh, remote area where there was only a small hamlet. There was little success at first and it was only in the time of D. Dinis, in 1286, that the settlement was raised to town status. Its position on the frontier with the neighbouring kingdom encouraged trade and local craftsmanship and eventually the town was made the see of the diocese in 1545.  \n  \nThe Manueline era, a time of peaceful association with Castile, was one of great prosperity and a large number of both Portuguese and Spanish Jews, converted or not, settled here. New houses and churches were built, as well as public buildings, such as the Customs House, and naturally the defences were completely overhauled and renovated. This led to a polarisation between Miranda and Bragança and a healthy dispute between primacies, privileges and development. A large part of the city’s Manueline heritage disappeared with the explosion of the gun powder store at the Castle on 8th May 1762.","extra":{"about":"The history of Miranda do Douro goes back to the time of the first King D. Afonso Henriques, who set up an enclosure of shelters to encourage settlers, in a harsh, remote area where there was only a small hamlet. There was little success at first and it was only in the time of D. Dinis, in 1286, that the settlement was raised to town status. Its position on the frontier with the neighbouring kingdom encouraged trade and local craftsmanship and eventually the town was made the see of the diocese in 1545.  \nThe Manueline era, a time of peaceful association with Castile, was one of great prosperity and a large number of both Portuguese and Spanish Jews, converted or not, settled here. New houses and churches were built, as well as public buildings, such as the Customs House, and naturally the defences were completely overhauled and renovated. This led to a polarisation between Miranda and Bragança and a healthy dispute between primacies, privileges and development. A large part of the city’s Manueline heritage disappeared with the explosion of the gun powder store at the Castle on 8th May 1762.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"074f3a81-f025-5a64-a7e5-121461cd5f9c":{"title":"Marvão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"08089950-bdc5-5b48-979f-8d7d6177eae0":{"title":"Lucknow","description":""},"0823f17a-c5d2-5ae0-91a8-79d6655e19ab":{"title":"Szentendre","description":""},"0877a703-c6c0-58e9-9c72-3be7cf96070f":{"title":"Setúbal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"09172371-9546-5403-ac47-30dc619130e1":{"title":"Itinerary 124","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[409]}},"09a80d2d-7b45-5f82-bc7a-2cd35940101c":{"title":"Salemi","description":""},"09d0867b-d346-58d8-84b9-1d6d6198b83d":{"title":"Birkenstein","description":""},"09fa1084-8f65-525f-9601-b9e3eb78f434":{"title":"Calera de León","description":""},"0a254bc5-fbcc-52b3-971f-3e0c57e15603":{"title":"Skopje","description":""},"0a2f55a6-72f8-5441-95a5-32024a7825b8":{"title":"MONTEMOR-O-VELHO","description":"The history of the town has been documented since Roman times, but the fortress became important only at the time of the Muslim Occupation when, along with Coimbra, it was an important point on the route of the River Mondego. Taken by the Christians in 878, but lost again, it was eventually conquered by Fernando the Great, Emperor of León, in 1064.  \n  \nOver the years, the Castle was enlarged and developed at the top of the hill that dominates the countryside, making it the centre of this rich agricultural land and a highly important focal point for the *Mozarab* community. Integrated into the county of Portucalense, it was granted its first charter in 1095 by D. Raimundo, the son-in-law of the Emperor of León and the Governor of Coimbra at that time. Eventually it passed into the hands of the daughters of D. Sancho I of Portugal, D. Teresa and D. Sancha.  \n  \nThe royal residence built in the castle was a favourite with the kings of the first dynasty. It was here that D. Afonso IV gave the order for the murder of Inês de Castro, in one of the most tragic and beautiful love stories that poets such as Camões and António Ferreira have never tired of telling. Another resident was the Duke of Coimbra, D. Pedro, one of the sons of D. João I and regent during the minority of D. Afonso V, an enthusiast for overseas discoveries and expansion.  \n  \nAn outstanding figure in Manueline times was Diogo de Azambuja, a *fidalgo* (nobleman) who served three kings and established Portuguese sovereignty in São Jorge de Mina, Safi, Mogador and Aguz.  \nThe town was granted a new charter by D. Manuel I in 1517.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"0a3cf446-1f8a-5060-947f-b9f9d081bc70":{"title":"Itinerary 51","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[418,434],"territory_ids":[10]}},"0a53b7e6-987b-539a-8cf3-ce0de5234b90":{"title":"Pécel","description":""},"0b38d418-f1a9-5714-bfaa-59fe0e884513":{"title":"SAN MARCO D'ALUNZIO","description":"Situated on a rocky point towering over the gorges of two deep riverbeds, today’s inhabitants are heirs to the Greco-Roman City of *Alontion*\\-*Haluntium*.  \n  \nIn the 6th century a community of Lacedemonians refounded the City of Demona or Demenna, which, during the long rule by Islam, stood as a true defensive redoubt of a vast territorial area where the Byzantine culture was deep-rooted. In fact, according to the historian Ibn al-‘Atir, his coreligionists tried in vain to execute a first assault on the city in 901, and it was only in the following year that they succeeded to put the inhabitants to flight. But the tenacious Byzantines took it once again forcing the Fatimid Amir Ibn Abi Khinzir, in 910, to move the army against the territories of Demenna once again, until definitively defeating it. In the light of its strategic importance it gave name to the entire Val Demone.  \n  \nTowards the end of the 10th century, the geographer al-Muqaddasi recalls Damannas, assimilating it with Taormina as a kind of settlement.  \n  \nIn 1061, Roberto il Guiscardo founded the first Norman castle in Sicily there, dedicating it to San Marco (St Mark) and displacing the memory of the ancient Demenna. On the death of the Great Count (1101), his widow Adelasia with her sons Simone and Ruggero (future King of Sicily), up to 1112, chose the small town as the seat of the court, proving to be a munificent benefactress of the Basilian monasticism, very widespread in this area. Al-Idrisi describes the place as prosperous, with a flourishing silk industry and with a shipyard on the coast for the construction of vessels from the wood felled in the rich woodlands of the interior.  \n  \nRecently, appreciating the evidence gathered from this richly inaugural palimpsest, the Museum of the Byzantine and Norman Culture and Figurative Arts was established, rich in didactic evidence and precious sculptural, pictorial and numismatic exhibits.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"0b619152-45f1-58c2-b6e8-c5d938734e18":{"title":"India","description":""},"0b749b42-839f-5c66-8827-514a884c872f":{"title":"Croatia","description":""},"0bbcf3df-f36f-5ffb-86c7-4122496dcbdf":{"title":"Leisach","description":""},"0c535e33-48f4-59a4-89a4-4af3958d19af":{"title":"EDİRNE","description":"Edirne was first founded by the Thracians and named Orestia. In the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138), it was given City status and took the name Hadrianople. The city developed as it reaped the blessings and advantages of the prosperous Roman Era.  \n  \nWhen the Roman Empire was divided in 395, Hadrianople was left to the East Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Raids from the Balkans frequently threatened and destroyed the city.  \n  \nAfter the Turks took the city, its name was corrupted to Edirne."},"0c79321e-b40e-59ca-a149-62bc2b15a4e1":{"title":"VILA NOVA DE CERVEIRA","description":"D. Dinis decided to create a fishing village of about 100 people here in 1320 and, in the following year, the king granted the settlement a charter, renewed by D. Manuel I in 1512. One of the founder’s main concerns was to build a walled redoubt or castle, and this project was carried out immediately afterwards. It still retained its 15th-century structure when Duarte D’Armas drew it, depicting a number of houses and churches already spreading beyond the town walls.  \n  \nCerveira was not only an important village because of its links with fishing and trading, but also for military activities on a coast that was frequently attacked by pirates.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"0cd07cdc-84e2-5270-8ab8-ef6779e48e5a":{"title":"Vilgertshofen","description":""},"0ce3896a-15d6-571b-b699-177ebbf0b47b":{"title":"Zelená Hora","description":""},"0d643b35-f553-5970-96f4-90ea1842f1be":{"title":"Guadalupe","description":""},"0da64b2a-6e43-5cfa-897d-85679b18285a":{"title":"Fürstenfeldbruck","description":""},"0db85dc6-a6d0-5d47-a49e-6985c0b3c527":{"title":"Explore by Country","description":"Browse monuments and sites by country and region"},"0df89da8-c99f-50e9-8cf7-8a71c63aa564":{"title":"Loulé","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"0ed84a92-6bb5-53f6-a8c7-802bc1389849":{"title":"Zell am Ziller","description":""},"0edf480a-5b03-5950-9554-5eafd89f63f1":{"title":"ZAFRA","description":"Situated in a broad valley in the south of the province of Badajoz, Zafra is a town that conserves interesting traces of the patronage of the House of Feria, which is why it was declared a Complex of Historical-Artistic Interest in 1965.  \n  \nIt seems that Zafra was originally an Islamic foundation, which enjoyed a strategic situation on three ancient roadways, and that Fernando III definitively reconquered it in 1241; and from that date on it flourished in commerce and crafts. It was the property of various nobles until 1394, at which time don Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa handed it over along with other villages that belonged to the province of Badajoz, although some years later Figueroa set up his household there. The Suárez de Figueroa family controlled the town’s destiny, first on the part of the properties there and later as part of the estates of the County and Duchy of Feria. When it became the centre of a great estate, Zafra benefited from the construction of important buildings such as the Alcázar, the walls, different convents, hospitals and other public spaces, a great number of which were the work of a Mudéjar workforce. In the 17th century, the Duchy of Feria was joined in marriage to the Marquisate of Priego; then, in the 18th century, to the Duchy of Medinaceli.","extra":{"author":"María Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"0f81c3b9-80c2-5ff5-83a7-87b8562d66e6":{"title":"Itinerary 5","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[316,316],"territory_ids":[9]}},"10158c91-6b29-5330-be5f-1978504c536f":{"title":"Itinerary 103","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[73,74,77,103,131,172]}},"103b7595-efae-55a9-86d3-2fd2a1c37ece":{"title":"BALAT","description":"The ancient city of Miletus, upon which Balat was founded, was one of the most important cities of the Ionian region. In those days, the city was located on a peninsula in the area where Büyük Menderes River (ancient Meandre) poured into the sea; however, today the city is nine km. from the sea because alluvium carried by the river has filled in the region. Laid out according to the famous city planner Hippodamus’ grid plan, the city became rich with the colonies it founded on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas and thereby became a chief site in the Ionian world. Although the city had once been home to the famous philosophers Thales, Anaximenes, and Anaximander (7th-5th century BC), and architects like Hippodamus (5th century BC) and Isidorus (who built Ayasofya in Istanbul in the 6th century AD), it only managed to preserve its importance up to the Roman period. After that it began to lose its popularity, once trade came to a halt as its harbours filled up with alluvium and became swamps. From this point on, it searched in vain for its magnificent days of the past. During the Byzantine period, a fortress was constructed on the hilltop where the theatre was located. In fact, the name Balat comes from the Turkish interpretation of the Greek name “Palatia” meaning palace.  \n  \nAt the beginning of the 1390s, the Menteşe Emirate was annexed to Ottoman territory. However, in the war that ensued between Sultan Beyazid I and Tamerlane around Ankara in 1402, İlyas Bey from the Menteşe dynastic house participated as an ally of Tamerlane. Once Sultan Beyazid I was defeated and taken prisoner, Tamerlane reinstated İlyas Bey to the Menteşe throne, as he did with the other rulers who assisted him. The capital of the re-established Menteşe Emirate was transferred from Beçin to Balat. The new capital became a market site where goods like saffron, sesame, honey, beeswax, and rugs were sold, especially during the time of the Menteşe Emirate. Wheat was also exported from here to Cyprus and Rhodes during this period. By the 19th century, however, the city was in a state of complete abandonment.","extra":{"author":"Rahmi H. Ünal"}},"11324e72-1b6b-5fd7-9759-7e95d4f05561":{"title":"Praia da Vitória","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1276f94e-2369-5ae9-b4a5-95ca658e0ef6":{"title":"Ariana","description":""},"129d3375-8f87-550d-b568-0484ec2d92a3":{"title":"Ağzıkara Han","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"134071b4-14b3-56fe-ab05-f06506bf6ba5":{"title":"Matmata","description":""},"136114c1-1782-5bd5-984e-e5fad87cfba8":{"title":"Beyşehir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"13d7a050-ca32-5652-b7e4-60112c6b7b16":{"title":"Ma‘an","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"13ea5851-b8b6-548c-8673-1bf013ea7005":{"title":"Lemta","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"The town is situated half-way between Ksar Hellal and Monastir."}},"13f30466-c486-520f-9084-13ecc322f0a0":{"title":"Déguèche","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"It is located 10 km. east from Tozeur."}},"143e9672-3bc4-55a0-9093-7b1787a8d765":{"title":"Altavilla Milicia","description":""},"145bcc34-0ba9-5c42-a9ed-0674fa73b3e7":{"title":"VILLALPANDO","description":"Unfortunately, all the churches of Villalpando have suffered various mutilations over the course of time. What remains there of the Mudéjar period can be seen principally on the exterior of the sanctuary at the head of the church, since the rest of the walls and ceilings have disappeared. These exteriors are interesting because they are flat and made of brick, a unique shape in the Mudéjar of Castilla-León. They came about when the Mudéjar *alarifes* who were working here decided to copy the Romanesque variants of the flat end wall in the city of Zamora (in San Cipriano) and in the valley of the River Tera.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"14697928-4b9a-5fc1-8e95-944d4a2efa83":{"title":"Itinerary 61","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[512,513]}},"14cd47df-2377-5c4c-b648-306b60889303":{"title":"Palmela","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"14d164ba-769d-539f-b502-7c0a66ca0703":{"title":"Weilheim in Oberbayern","description":""},"14ff7f9a-593e-5564-a117-828a5325f13e":{"title":"Midoune","description":""},"151855f6-eea9-57b6-b64a-2e2f3dcc66e5":{"title":"Guadalajara","description":""},"154d1812-65d8-58b7-bd90-674646544053":{"title":"Tartus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"15d8f143-900b-5db2-993f-effc1c740066":{"title":"Itinerary 11","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[286,294,296,299,319,323,336,340],"territory_ids":[6]}},"15e0a986-85f4-5243-b1d6-bbe93c069d1d":{"title":"Homs","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"16187694-c107-5888-81d9-9104c6cf8e30":{"title":"Ghar al-Melh","description":"","extra":{"info":"Before reaching the village, the road runs along a beautiful agricultural plain and lush orchards, which are worked in the “Andalusian way”.","how_to_reach":"From Tunis, take the north exit in the direction of Bizerte. Ghar al-Melh is reachable via the main road to Bizerte (GP 8), turn right at the road sign, or turn right before that towards Utique. Cross the village of Aousja, and then take the road on the right towards Ghar al-Melh."}},"16ba5e0a-5573-5505-bf94-ccbd8be483ec":{"title":"Ba'abda","description":""},"1722bd43-ba35-5a6c-af26-3b6663530cee":{"title":"Itinerary 137","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"location_ids":[531,532,533,534]}},"182b1531-4c25-504a-a601-aa172eb9ac58":{"title":"Maqam of Nabi Musa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"187c7694-fc86-5d77-b135-81491b2e7018":{"title":"Shawbak","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1896ab67-aaa7-5d8b-a575-e8b11341b4e6":{"title":"PRAIA DA VITÓRIA","description":"Praia da Vitória was the headquarters of the first captaincy of the Island of Terceira, from 1456 to 1474, at the time of the first settlers. Despite being overtaken by Angra, the town developed extensively, and was granted a city charter in 1640. It retains an important architectural heritage from this period, which includes the Parish Church and the *Igreja do Senhor Santo Cristo das Misericórdias*. The famous Battle of Salga took place here, in 1581. The following year, D. António, the Prior of Crato at war with his cousin Philip II of Spain, was acclaimed king here, though it was Philip who ended up consolidating his position on the throne of Portugal.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"18aaafe7-0751-5c6d-8fb0-efec52f23488":{"title":"Merida","description":""},"191739c4-e87f-5582-b839-471dbd7d9adc":{"title":"Itinerary 84","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[224]}},"1a03c051-4560-5817-8bd7-9d5511c58e19":{"title":"Valmontone","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"1a37552b-8961-5b42-85f5-531eccfe5064":{"title":"Monchique","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1a487c79-bc61-58f6-a881-cdf438de5e53":{"title":"Maskaneh / Medieval Balis","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1ad68177-5365-5783-bffc-b5ada9d8936b":{"title":"Itinerary 75","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[51]}},"1af40c81-ec28-5997-ba9c-ad813b348272":{"title":"Itinerary 56","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[406,414,420,448],"territory_ids":[10]}},"1b6fbc31-63a5-5d2a-bae7-f8ba8202c41d":{"title":"Itinerary 91","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[186,187,191,206]}},"1b9d7ce6-9125-5a2f-9d88-61f99af1d75d":{"title":"Bichlbach","description":""},"1bc50cd9-67d6-5d3a-b1a9-e06707740830":{"title":"Khan Yunis","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1bd4c932-8933-5aca-a3f7-27e2f59dc9df":{"title":"Tadmur (Palmyra)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1c2a6900-6048-5779-ae77-fc0fe3ca70c8":{"title":"Vranov nad Dyjí","description":""},"1c68c2cd-3d84-5d89-a95d-6155f2bad593":{"title":"Itinerary 94","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[180]}},"1c916263-eac6-5db8-bb1f-fcae945b9b83":{"title":"Mikulov","description":""},"1cab368f-4365-58a1-83ff-99719362990c":{"title":"Dornes","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1cbade54-caf0-524b-9f9a-92a2962bab4e":{"title":"Palencia","description":""},"1d166744-72cc-5d12-9f83-542e250f0dbf":{"title":"Chénini (of Tataouine)","description":""},"1d248a52-9fe9-521f-9654-0315d2af0583":{"title":"Honaïne","description":""},"1e46ad24-936c-52c5-9aff-3cc1b2eab906":{"title":"Dois Portos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1f679a97-788c-55ec-b954-eb648252937d":{"title":"Tobed","description":""},"1fb62e7f-9602-5e45-8f3d-930fbd0b5573":{"title":"Upper Austria","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"1fe7b005-0804-51de-9ff3-f38214ab42b1":{"title":"Castelli Romani","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"3"}},"20a76c6e-d0d5-5be9-bbd2-2410f653b0cc":{"title":"Itinerary 71","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[42]}},"2116aa4f-1d72-55bc-91c3-024d3de686bf":{"title":"Medicina","description":""},"21392f64-6c52-5dcf-a442-d9e7f2eb504d":{"title":"AL-KEF","description":"The old Numid city of Sicca had already emerged, under the protection of an exceptional goddess – the Oriental Ishtat, goddess of love and war. The town was christened and known of in Antiquity under the name of Theodore of Sicca Veneria, derived, through its Latin root, from *Shikabeneria*, which the Arabs transformed into *Shaqbanariya*. Popular good sense wanted to attribute it to “*shaq bi-l-nar*”, he who travelled across hell.  \n  \nIts name today, al-Kef, appeared during the course of the 10th/16th century following the completion of transforming the country into an Arabic one, priming it for confusion and bringing it very close to ambiguous acts of sacrilege. Al-Kef, “he who prevents and puts a stop to harm and evil”, above all signifies a place of refuge. Its long history as a safe haven situated in the open country, particularly for the inhabitants of Lorbeuss, and as a sophisticated fortress of the Regency of Tunis, confirms its vocation and clearly justifies its name, which can also mean plateau in geographical terms.  \n  \nFounded on the last areas of headland of the plateau of Jabal Dyr, the town of al-Kef has been profoundly affected by its history as a stronghold and as a religious centre. Here, the particular natural characteristics of the site favour the emergence of the paradox, applicable to all high altitude sites, that describes its foundation: a paradox in which sanctity combines with the gregarious protective instinct to create a place high above sea-level that is both unique and fecund. It is as if the fate of al-Kef is sealed by this binary invocation, in which the paths of two histories – one of war, the other, religious – have often crossed. The urban and architectural landscape illustrates and identifies the historic journey of a town that is both truly and simultaneously a citadel and a temple.  \n  \nThe town is more suggestive of a large *shawi* village of the Aures, or of a Kabyle hamlet, hanging on to its rocky outcrop. Roman and rigid during the Age of Antiquity, Oriental and supple in Paleo-Christian and Arab-Islamic times, it is a place of transition between two superimposed urban landscapes, one vernacular, the other Mediterranean; the archaeological structures, inherited from each and every era, make themselves felt and push their forms into the morphology and dense fabric of the present *medina*.  \n  \nBuilt in a series of steps on the side of the original rock, at the foot of the citadel and on the same level as the sanctuaries, the Medina of al-Kef cascades its building blocks out and downwards, dominating the large Ra’s al-‘Ayn source and its green enclosures. A landscape that reveals as much of the genius of its land as it does of the successive external contributions; a happy synthesis that creates an exceptional, natural, site and an ancient and rich history. From its past military grandeur, the old town has retained both its *kasbah* and its fortifications. The minarets and uncountable number of domes, which punctuate here and there the everchanging landscape, are reminders of the brotherhood metropolis and the centre of marabouts that described the town long ago. Probably Libyc in origin, the first urban centre of the town dates back to the 5th century BC. As the site of a bishopric since the 3rd century, its church experienced its hour of glory, thanks to its bishops; it was thus that Arnobe taught rhetoric there, Saint Augustine enlivened its monastic life, and Saint Fulgence attempted in vain to found an Order. Sicca was endowed, from the time of the Byzantines, with solid fortifications and several basilicas; they were intended for the surveillance of great centres of “Moorish” resistance.  \n  \nAfter the settlement of the Arabs, *Shaqbanariya* for a while remained a Kharijite stronghold, up until 171/788. It became famous for its fortress, *qal‘a*, right through the Middle Ages up to the beginning of the 7th/13th century. Situated on the road of the citadels, *tariq al-qila‘*, the town retains its souvenir of 40 “citadel men”, *rijal al-qila‘*, who are like holy warriors. As the seat of government during the Zirid era, *Shaqbanariya* became a City State in the 5th/11th century, at the time of the Hilalian invasion. Its importance was nevertheless diminished by the neighbouring town of Lorbeuss, despite the presence of the Sidi Ahmed Ibn Harz Allah who was already teaching mysticism there.  \n  \nAs the stronghold of the Banu Shannuf during the dismantling of Hafsid power, *Shaqbanariya*, which became al-Kef during the 10th/16th century, was recaptured by the Turks of Tunis who turned it into a solid centre of support. In 1046/1637, after the neutralisation of the Banu Shannuf, a permanent garrison, *ujak*, was installed in al-Kef, and it was depended upon by the *‘arrush senjaq* – tribes that were linked to the central power known as *makhzen*. The growing importance of its strategic role, following the fixing of the borders between Algiers and Tunis, made it into an advanced bastion of the Regency of Tunis, turned to the west, facing the independent tribes of the region. Because of its fortifications, the town was the perpetual desired prize of various armed conflicts that marked the end of the 11th/17th century and the beginning of the 12th/18th century, opposing the Muradite Pretenders supported in Algiers by Brahim Sherif. Taking advantage of these conflicts, Algiers tried, in 1089/1679, to seize the *senjaq* of al-Kef. The final cycle in the history of al-Kef, beginning in the 11th/17th century, was marked by a powerdriven *kasbah*\\-*zawiya* duality. If the *kasbah* and its *ujak* were aligning themselves more closely with the power of central government, then the brotherhoods, in retaliation, had prepared their assimilation to the country via their proselytism. This fusion, whether through the expediency of the *makhzen* or through the affiliation of the brotherhood, brought the town closer to its countryside and facilitated sedentary nomadic relations. The military and religious chiefs had been active agents in the diffusion of multiple cultural and social trends, and in the interweaving of the town and its region to larger areas.  \n  \nDuring the whole of the 12th/18th century, al-Kef acted as principal stage to the wars between the *Husayniya* and the *Bashiya*, supported by the intervening Turkish armies from Algiers. As the stronghold of the *Bashiya*, al-Kef stood up against Husayn Ibn ‘Ali under the leadership of Sidi Ramdan Ibn Shannuf, a town saint. Following the failure of the revolt, the *kasbah* was converted back into a *ribat*, to house marabouts. The final campaign of 1169/1756 saw, once and for all, the ruin of the town and the destruction of its fortifications.  \n  \nAt the beginning of the 13th/19th century, Hammuda Pasha, in his desire to free himself from the tight clutches of Algiers, once again raised its ramparts. This allowed him to secure victory over Algiers, to expand the territory of the Regency of Tunis, and to preserve its independence as well as his own. During this period, help from the Saints of al-Kef, *rijal al-Kef* – such as Sidi ‘Amor, the bearer of the cemetery, *al-bala*, and Sidi al-Bdiri, who died, as did his companions, defending the town – was often beseeched. From the end of the 12th–beginning of 13th/end of the 18th century, al-Kef existed as a brotherhood metropolis, and the great brotherhoods – like the ‘Issawiya, the Rahmaniya, and the Qadriya – were already in place by the end of the 19th century.  \n  \nThe last of these, founded in 1239/1824 by al-Haj Mohamed Ibn ‘Ammar al-Mazuni al-Gharbi, who was originally from Mazuna in Persia, underwent an extraordinary growth and expansion in Tunisia and in eastern Algeria. Thanks to the radial area over which it spread, estimated to be greater than 150 km., and the number of its followers in the region, numbering more than 5,911 persons recruited in particular from the Unifa tribes, as well as to its wealth, evaluated to be over 3 million francs at the time, the brotherhood had been able to amass great political weight. Having died in 1294/1878, Sidi al-Mazuni was replaced by his adopted son, Qaddur, as head of the brotherhood, who built ties of friendship with Bernard Roy, a French intelligence agent who became the Secretary-General of the government. Shaykh Qaddur welcomed the occupation of the town of al-Kef by French troops in 1881. This attitude, coupled with the favours accorded to them by the French, did nothing but discredit this brotherhood.  \n  \nOn Qaddur’s death in 1916, his grandson Ahmed took over from him until 1941, the year that he himself was succeeded by his own son ‘Abd al-Hafid. The latter was witness to the struggle for Independence, the dissolution of the *zawiya*, and to the liquidation of its assets as well as to other trials and tribulations. The Qadriya’s considerable property inheritance extended beyond the actual road that leads to the *kasbah*. A large section of it was demolished in order to build an official residence. Only the areas that were deemed sacred were saved from this fate. Having housed a library for a number of years, they regained their original religious functions. The mosque still includes some of the elements that once composed a set of brotherhood buildings. The facade was modified in 1919, through the addition of the present minaret which replaced the old one. Maghrebi in design, it consists of a square tower, repeating on each of its four sides the decorative interlacing diamonds, a pattern taken from the Almohad minaret of the Kasbah of Tunis. A poem engraved into a marble panel, recessed into the base of the minaret, attributes merit to Shaykh Ahmed Qaddur.  \n  \nIn 1280/1864, the town found itself at the heart of the insurrection of the regional tribes against the beylical power. During these troubled times, the town’s brotherhood chiefs acted as the restraining, moderating force. Following the calamities of 1283/1867, al-Kef went into notorious decline that was aggravated by the French Occupation of 1881, particularly so as certain brotherhood leaders did not act unfavourably towards the colonisers. Dissolved in 1958 for their demobilising role in the course of the national struggle, the brotherhoods, save for their architectural heritage, no longer possessed any political nor economic weight; however, maraboutism has regained its past importance. In fact, the town of al-Kef is the administrative and political headquarters of the government administration, and has undergone important urban, socio-economic and cultural transformations.","extra":{"author":"Mohamed Tlili"}},"215a58ba-2526-5f2d-a659-cf594b7d6ae5":{"title":"Itinerary 106","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[85,87,102,111,117,134,164,175,177,178]}},"21b8d3fb-52f5-540d-a8e3-3bbe5dffb670":{"title":"Carrión de los Condes","description":""},"21cad775-0b8b-5dde-b320-6c19bd19c918":{"title":"GUADALUPE","description":"In the extreme south-east of the province of Cáceres and straddling the provinces of Toledo and Badajoz, extends the region of the Villuercas, a mountainous land, where the Mountains of Toledo penetrate into the province of Caceres. With several rivers running through it, the slopes of the mountains and the valleys beneath them form a wild landscape, untouched, and full of game.  \n  \nGuadalupe stands out from all the rest of the villages in the area. The medieval origin and later development of Guadalupe links to the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who gave her name to this place, and on whom the village has depended throughout its existence.  \n  \nAs you get closer to Guadalupe, a leafy valley, surrounded by mountains, comes into view. There, on a hilltop, is an enormous stone fortress surrounded by a village of whitewashed walls. This is the Puebla de Guadalupe, in the centre of which stands the Real Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe), which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 8th December 1988.","extra":{"author":"María del Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"229cbeb1-6396-593e-8e36-9a428f1b05ef":{"title":"Orah","description":""},"2308f46c-b288-58db-aa19-df16cc3840b7":{"title":"ALCOCHETE","description":"From very early times, the position of the town on the Tagus estuary made it ideal for fishing and trade between the two banks. In the Moorish period, the lime-kilns there were already of some importance and the name of the town came from the Arab *al- Kuxat*. The area supplied Lisbon with lime and firewood for several centuries.  \n  \nD. Manuel I was born in Alcochete, on May 31st 1469, at the Palácio de D. Beatriz, named after his mother, which was almost totally destroyed in the earthquake of 1755. Prince D. Fernando and his private court also lived here for quite some time.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"23998250-d17a-5b30-836e-bea11b661494":{"title":"VIDIGUEIRA","description":"The town of Vidigueira developed at the end of the 14th century, with the successive transfer of patronage, placing it within the House of Bragança until 1519, when the navigator Vasco da Gama was made Count of Vidigueira, a title that was passed on to his descendants. It was around this time that various improvements were made to the town, to mark the importance that this family had in the region, as well as their influence on the policy towards the Far East. Among its members, for example, was D. Francisco da Gama, who, like his great grandfather, was Viceroy of India.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"243a7b03-68b6-50a7-9e2b-eba235d997a7":{"title":"Tunis","description":""},"24694934-315b-5b72-8c3d-e3760af099b9":{"title":"Tihany","description":""},"24797143-d0d9-5f8b-9fc4-36d358d0d636":{"title":"Virovitica","description":""},"254eae82-8c03-5979-98a2-7368a721cda5":{"title":"Evora","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"25508345-c342-5e46-8fee-afd41e6b9dfd":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean","description":"Did you know that Islam strongly influenced Christian art in medieval Spain and that this symbiosis is called *Mudéjar*? Do you know the difference between minarets in the Maghreb, minarets in the Middle East and minarets in Turkey? Explore 1203 museums, monuments and archaeological sites in 445 locations and discover the artistic legacy of Islam in North Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe.  \n  \nClick [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn18QXpUtuM&t=8s) to know more about the genesis of this project.","extra":{"country_ids":["dz","eg","jo","ma","pa","pt","es","sy","tn","tr","it"],"country_texts":[{"text":"Algeria is the descendant of an ancient African civilisation. The people of Algeria have managed to absorb and elaborate influences from Greek, Phoenician, Roman, Vandal and Muslim cultures, while still maintaining their spirit of independence, a quality which has provided space for a multitude of political experiments as well as the creation of a unique new artistic style.  \n  \nThis important artistic legacy is linked to some crucial aspects of Algeria’s history: the rise of dissident religious movements, the reign of the great dynasties, the role of the great axes of trade and pilgrimage, and the Ottoman presence in cities of the Mediterranean rim.  \n  \nTake a journey through both the Islamic art and the history of the Central Maghreb (now Algeria) and explore sixty-three monuments and seven museums which demonstrate the specific style of North African Islam that stems from the assimilation of an old Berber-African civilisation into a more recent and more powerful Arab-Muslim dominion.","langId":"en","countryId":"dz"},{"text":"Art et architecture de la lumière présente les formes les plus variées et les plus riches de l'art islamique du Maghreb central, un héritage artistique important, lié aux événements cruciaux qui ont marqué l'histoire de l'Algérie, depuis l'essor des mouvements religieux dissidents et le règne des grandes dynasties, en passant par le rôle des grands axes de commerce et de pèlerinage et jusqu'à la présence ottomane dans les cités du pourtour méditerranéen. La synthèse des influences arabe et berbère, africaine, andalouse et orientale a façonné des modèles artistiques et architecturaux qui s'expriment dans la pureté et l'harmonie de l'architecture ibadite, des mosquées almoravides et des palais ottomans sur la côte.","langId":"fr","countryId":"dz"},{"text":"“He who has not seen Cairo has not seen the magnitude of Islam, for she is the capital of the world, the garden of the universe, the assembly of nations, the beginnings of the Earth, the origin of man, the *iwan* of Islam and the seat of kingship.” That is how Arab historian Ibn Khaldun described Cairo in the 14th century. To see some of what inspired this lofty language, take a tour of the Egyptian art that flourished during the Mamluk era. The Mamluks, a dynasty of former slave-soldiers who rose to power in the mid-13th century, won a major victory over the reigning crusaders and stopped the Mongols’ advance toward Palestine and Egypt.  \n  \nUnder Mamluk patronage, Islamic art in Egypt reached its peak. Artists and craftsmen from every Muslim territory escaped from the Mongol invasion and converged in Egypt, where their different skills blended and created new artistic and architectural styles. These talented artisans drew from Egypt’s unique heritage and abundant materials to create a myriad of masterworks. During the Mamluk period, Egyptian art and architecture united in a harmony of theme that produced pieces of unprecedented quality.","langId":"en","countryId":"eg"},{"text":"For eight centuries medieval Spain was divided into an unequal and constantly changing balance between Christendom and Islam. The difficulty experienced by the Christian kingdoms in the north of the peninsula in re-populating the vast territories that had been conquered led to a political decision which had long-lasting consequences for Medieval Spain. This was the authorisation granted to the conquered Muslim population which allowed them to remain under Christian domination in the conquered territories, but to preserve the Muslim religion, the Arabic language and their own judicial system. These Muslims were known as the *Mudéjar*.  \n  \nThis period, called the *Reconquista* (reconquest), marked the beginning of a new phase for art and architecture in the Iberian Peninsula. Muslim craftsmen in the region continued their work for the newly established Christian rulers and from the confluence of Christian and Islamic artistic traditions, a new *Mudéjar* art style emerged.","langId":"en","countryId":"es"},{"text":"The architectural and artistic landscape of Sicily in the Middle Ages was characterised by the unification of three cultures: Byzantine, Arab and Norman. Sicily has been on the fringe of the Muslim world since the Arab conquest of Tunisia by the famous Umayyad general Uqba ibn Nafi in the late 7th century. By the 9th century, the Aghlabids had established themselves on the island, choosing Palermo as their capital. The Fatimids also left their mark on Sicily, but the most sumptuous monuments that still bear the lineage of Islamic art date back to the 12th century, when the Normans ruled. Norman kings such as Ruggero II, Guglielmo I and Guglielmo II, as well as leading personalities from the kingdom commissioned important construction projects to architects and craftsmen from North Africa, thus importing their knowledge, philosophy and aesthetics, which thereby determined the artistic landscape of medieval art in Sicily.  \n  \nThe impact of Arabic civilisation on Sicily is complex and unique, but – like the integration of Arabic influences in Spain – it constitutes a synergy between two cultures. This commingling blossomed into a wide variety of expressive styles, and Arabic motifs can be seen echoing through the island’s art and architecture long after it left the dominion of the *Dar al-Islam*.","langId":"en","countryId":"it"},{"text":"The material on display explores the abundance of Jordan’s historical culture, which flourished during the Umayyad era (661–750 AD / 40–129 AH). The Umayyad dynasty immediately followed the four “rightly guided” caliphs, and its two most important characteristics were the institutionalisation of the Islamic faith and the use of Arabic for all administrative purposes. During the relatively brief period of their reign, the Umayyads changed the political and cultural maps of the Mediterranean world and those of both Western and Central Asia. Fuelled by the new religion of Islam, they created a vast empire. The territory corresponding to today’s Jordan was of great importance to the dynasty as a geographical connection between Damascus, the capital of Bilad al-Sham, and the Hijaz, the political and religious centre of the Arabian Peninsula.  \n  \nThe Umayyads created the first artistic tradition of Islam. We can see the foundations for much of what was to come on display in a great deal of their art and architecture. The Umayyads inherited a rich cultural and artistic heritage of Greek, Roman, Assyrian, Babylonian, Achemenid, Parthian and Sassanian origins. In integrating this multitude of influences, they were embodying one of the most distinctive elements of Islamic civilisation: receptiveness to various cultural and religious traditions","langId":"en","countryId":"jo"},{"text":"The history of Morocco is inextricably linked with that of *al-Andalus* (the Iberian Peninsula). The dynamic exchange of cultures, people and commerce brought about the birth of a flourishing art form, the most beautiful examples of which materialised in Morocco. In the enchanted cities of Fez, Tangier, Tétouan and Chefchaouen, the holy city, Andalusian art and architecture manifested the peak of their beauty in their most renowned monuments, the Qarawiyin and Andalusian mosques. Experts agree that these two grand sanctuaries in Fez, built in the 9th century AD (3rd century AH), mark the true beginning of Islamic art in Morocco.  \n  \nStarting with the first minaret and minbar (pulpit), a flourishing artistic heritage began to be passed along to subsequent Moroccan dynasties – a legacy which still represents an important part of Moroccan tradition and culture. In the 11th century AD (5th century AH), when the Almoravids came to power, one sees the Maghreb opening up to Andalusian influences. All artistic creations commissioned by the Almoravid princes thus presented similarities to the art of the Iberian Peninsula. However, it is not until the Almohads come to power that we can see the genesis of a symbiotic, Moroccan-Andalusian art form.","langId":"en","countryId":"ma"},{"text":"The Islamic history of Palestine is connected to some of the most important events in the spreading of the new religion. According to Islam, The Prophet Muhammad prayed in the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem when he ascended to heaven. On top of the rock where he stood to ascend, the Umayyads built the Dome of the Rock, a sacred Islamic site that has served as a pilgrimage destination over the centuries. Palestine has cultivated phenomenal developments in Islamic art, particularly in architecture and complementary minor arts.  \n  \nThe artistic traditions that began in Palestine thousands of years ago grew and changed significantly when they incorporated Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine influences into local practices and styles. Situated between Egypt and Syria – the heart of the Islamic world – Palestine was exposed to impactful architectural and artistic movements originating in Cairo, Damascus and Aleppo, the effects of which can be clearly seen during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. Explore Palestine on a journey of “Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism” to see the beauty and variety of Islamic art.","langId":"en","countryId":"pa"},{"text":"Islamic Portugal, *Gharb al-Andalus* in Arabic, represented an important example of the cultural symbiosis which characterised the Iberian Peninsula during the eight centuries of Muslim presence there. Local communities, Mozarabs (Iberian Christians) and Mullawads (Iberian Muslims) shared and revised artistic styles developed in the great Andalusian cities, which became intimately connected to local culture and artistic tradition over the centuries.  \n  \nThe westernmost territories of the Peninsula closely followed the Islamicisation process taking place in other regions of *Hispania* at the time. According to written records, cities such as Lisbon, Faro, Beja, Santarém and Coimbra gradually came under Muslim influence. The strategy adopted by the first Muslim troops for the occupation of this territory was based mainly on consensus and drafting agreements with the Iberian people. This made a significant contribution toward maintaining a relatively autonomous state in the *Gharb* that sometimes came very close to complete independence.","langId":"en","countryId":"pt"},{"text":"The Atabeg and Ayyubid era coincided with a struggle against crusaders. This conflict marred the whole period, but it did not prevent the Islamic art of the territory now known as Syria from developing according to the politics of Nur al-Din and Salah al-Din (Saladin), founder of the Ayyubid dynasty who aimed to promote cohesion against the crusaders through the restoration of religious and educational institutions. Islamic art found its expression through *madrasas*, *khanqas* (hostels) and *bimaristans* (hospitals), but many other artistic works are also a legacy of this era, from mosques and frescoed churches to crusader castles. The citadels of Mesopotamia, *norias* (waterwheels), *suqs*, metalwork and manuscripts represent the ability of the local culture to serve as a crossroads for new artistic influences in the 12th and 13th centuries.  \n  \nAll texts refer to the pre-war situation and are our expression of hope that Syria, a land which witnessed the evolution of civilisation since the beginnings of human history, may soon become a place of peace and the driving force behind a new and peaceful beginning for the entire region.","langId":"en","countryId":"sy"},{"text":"Tunisia, formerly known as Ifriqiya, occupies a predominant place in the history of Mediterranean art. Heavily urbanised during Phoenician and Roman times, it was enriched by a number of monuments and saw itself as the heir to an old architectural and urban tradition. Tunisia possesses a rich Islamic heritage, spread over 13 centuries, and presents itself as the Maghreb country that has kept and conserved the greatest number of original works. The north of Tunisia includes significant monuments commissioned by the dynasties which ruled Ifriqiya over the centuries, from the first Muslim conquerors to the Aghlabides, Fatimids, Zirids, Almohads, Hafsids and Ottomans. Every mosque, *zawiya* (religious school), *dar* (house) and port displays the rich artistic exchange between ancient and local techniques and magnificent Andalusian and Eastern influences in architecture and ornamentation.  \n  \nThrough an exploration of works of architecture, we will touch upon a variety of artistic expressions such as stonemasonry and sculpture, plaster moulding and carving, wood painting, calligraphy and a wealth of other forms of arts and crafts.","langId":"en","countryId":"tn"},{"text":"The 14th and 15th centuries in West Anatolia marked the beginning of a new era with respect to the art and culture of Turkish communities. It was at this time, approximately 200 years after the conquest of Central Anatolia, that the shores of the Aegean and Marmara Seas came under Turkish control. The Emirates and Early Ottoman periods are striking from an art historical point of view because of their extreme colourfulness, and their new experiments and influences. The Emirates, which declared their independence in various regions of Anatolia and whose strength increased as time went on, began significant public improvements – as though they wanted to leave their mark on the regions they ruled.  \n  \nThe most important centres of the new Ottoman art include the cities of Bursa, Manisa and Selçuk (close to the ancient Ephesus) in west Anatolia, as well as the city which recalls the most sumptuous masterpieces of Ottoman art: Istanbul. Each of these cities displays examples of the artistic experimentalism that is characteristic of Ottoman art and traces of Ottoman artists’ ability to inherit the techniques and the architecture of the Turkish Emirates.  \n  \nExplore West Anatolia and Thrace, where new modes of search and experimentation in architecture and art are more obvious, since it was the first time this region had encountered Turkish-Islamic culture.","langId":"en","countryId":"tr"}],"legacy_status":"e"}},"25787735-a360-55bc-936a-69e1d4568c31":{"title":"Itinerary 82","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[229,234]}},"257b5f30-1106-5169-b4d7-5331aea15dd4":{"title":"Itinerary 104","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[81,109,169,174]}},"25d210e2-2bc0-52ba-83b8-5dc784d2170c":{"title":"Buye","description":""},"26846198-61a1-5b1d-ad44-1c83a106c373":{"title":"Grottaferrata","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1,2]}},"26b30cfc-84d5-5656-975c-89d3ec08925d":{"title":"Miljana","description":""},"276f16e4-890d-54da-b9cb-dd218ccca0fd":{"title":"Innsbruck","description":""},"27c13f2f-63b2-5e1d-9046-04cce1662982":{"title":"Chébika","description":"","extra":{"info":"As soon as one reaches Chébika, the landscape becomes impressive and is imbued with everchanging colours, depending on the time of day and season.","how_to_reach":"Take the road to Tozeur. At al-Hamma, without entering the village, veer right and get onto a 53 km. track which is suitable for motor vehicles, heading in the direction of the mountain oases. Enquire at the National Guard beforehand as to the condition of the roads, as, if it is windy, the track can be very difficult to drive on."}},"2883ede4-ee09-5379-a944-a2ccb25f361d":{"title":"Sortelha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"28d2dec2-cd01-5556-ae76-6854a267dd94":{"title":"Zahle","description":""},"291efb8d-da4b-5c9b-98fb-85346d5f7f23":{"title":"Itinerary 15","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[320,326,328,329,339,344,346],"territory_ids":[7]}},"2a04a1cf-a94b-5178-96f5-f54ad4d1516b":{"title":"Castro da Cola","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2a29df8e-6929-5f5b-9e18-1e8b40d2f69b":{"title":"Becerril de Campos","description":""},"2ad9bbce-2381-54ea-a612-41aee478d8bb":{"title":"Sela","description":""},"2ae8203c-12c6-5034-99c0-5e18ac219a7b":{"title":"Graz","description":""},"2afc11b3-46d1-5152-8861-f7ed2b80829d":{"title":"Ribeira Brava","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2b5eb50f-6254-5b9b-998f-d224bde681d8":{"title":"Village of Qara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2bccad7b-c15a-51ff-b490-40fef5f9b524":{"title":"Erice","description":""},"2bf100d6-f83b-5bec-b6a6-2a4ba97a70bb":{"title":"Tamerza","description":"","extra":{"info":"In heading towards Tamerza, the track changes into a tarmac road.  \n  \nImpressive landscapes appear successively along the entire length of the road: canyons, disappearing into the chott in the distance, views of oases. Make a stop 2 km. from Tamerza, to visit the Great Cascade located below, 100 m. further on. Directions are clearly indicated."}},"2bfa5715-5b74-521a-a598-fe04009f1d2e":{"title":"Aznalcóllar","description":""},"2c5f6baf-d246-5c79-8fd7-e846b0d5458b":{"title":"Varaždin","description":""},"2cd7ba00-bca8-5b1c-8d24-6ef94c53b201":{"title":"Coimbra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2d4c27fe-808a-505b-b6a2-2f2c5c1e29ca":{"title":"TLEMCEN","description":"The Algerian capital of Islamic art, Tlemcen was also the mysticism capital of the West known as the “Jerusalem of the Maghreb”. In the old city, Muslims and Jews shared holy places and cemeteries, and worshipped the same God in different rites. Jewish or Muslim districts within the walls of ancient Tlemcen can be visited on foot; many narrow streets are not accessible by car.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"2d51cdc7-d297-5bf9-9765-cbb31fdbde17":{"title":"Tresonche","description":""},"2d52e1ee-a6ca-5404-a479-bc09d0547a70":{"title":"Sillian","description":""},"2df15d5c-ab21-568e-ab3f-9e5c544082a2":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - EG","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[2,38,45,184]}},"2df3c84c-0c1d-5e91-adc9-192ae928eaac":{"title":"Vila do Conde","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2e51c7ea-8adb-51fa-803b-f2f1e82d8cce":{"title":"Lermoos","description":""},"2e760c7e-a147-5f62-bdd7-d3f346344b71":{"title":"Aleppo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2e7a9e63-d0a8-51ae-b736-58cf0ca47700":{"title":"Mafraq","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2e82cd47-1496-5533-97f9-bf8afcd8498a":{"title":"Valtice","description":""},"2eea80ab-aee2-5fea-8633-6946e1bf2db6":{"title":"Itinerary 64","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[508,516]}},"2f2ebd83-5d2c-5169-8003-2d2bb937e1ab":{"title":"San Vittore del Lazio","description":""},"2f5d3234-4758-548b-97ce-f13c23ebebf8":{"title":"TANGIER","description":"History teaches us very little about what the ancient capital of Roman Mauretania, Tingitania, was like when Musa Ibn Nusayr seized it in 86/705 to convert it to Islam.  \n  \nBecoming a few years later the countytown of a large province, it was administered by governors under the Umayyad Caliphs of Damascus. The Governors had to confront a rising of Berber tribes of the Rif who, angered by fiscal exactions, had joined the schismatic Kharijite movement.  \n  \nIn escaping the Abbassids, Idriss Ibn ‘Abd Allah arrived there in 171/788, but only stayed for a short while before moving on to *Walili* (Volubilis).  \n  \nOn the death of Idriss II, the founder of Fez, the principality of Tangier was passed on to his sons, first Qassim, then ‘Umar. During the second half of the 4th/10th century, the town was at stake in the disputes between the Umayyads of Spain and the Idrissids, and ended up falling into the hands of the Fatimids of Ifriqiya in 346/958.  \n  \nThe Almoravids became masters of Tangier in 467/1075, followed in 543/1149 by the Almohads, who preferred Tangier’s rival Ceuta, establishing there their seat of command over the north of Morocco as well as making it their place of residence.  \n  \nThe Merinids seized Tangier in 672/1274 and devoted all their efforts to it. Thanks to the concern of these monarchs, the town experienced a period of great splendour during their reign(7th/13th and 8th/14th centuries). They endowed it with a grand mosque and a *madrasa*, which display the refinement of Moroccan-Andalusian architectural and decorative arts.  \n  \nIt is interesting to note that the founding stone of this *madrasa*, of which there is no actual remaining evidence, was discovered by the English in 1084/1674 in the wall of a Dominican convent which the Portuguese had built on the site of this *madrasa* during their occupation of the town.  \n  \nThe Merinids also developed economic activities by signing commercial treaties with merchants from Italian towns such as Venice, Pisa, and Genoa, as well as with Marseilles. Its port thus became the turning point of Mediterranean and Saharan commerce. The town imported cloth, spices and metals, and exported hides, leather, rugs and sugar cane.  \n  \nIt was certainly in these *caravanserai*s, which received and lodged foreigners from all over, that a young man from Tangier, who would go on to become the famous Ibn Battuta, was inspired to be a voyager, and where his desire to visit faroff places was born.  \n  \nIn 875/1471, to secure their position in the Strait, the Portuguese seized the town after many fruitless attempts. They transformed it, rebuilding the mosque into a cathedral and the *madrasa* into a convent. They resurrected the walls they had torn down, reinforcing them with bastions and forts and constructed in the higher region, to the west of the bay, a fortress which would bare down over the town. After the death of King Dom Sebastião, which took place in 985/1578 during the famous Battle of the Three Kings, the crown of Portugal was passed on to Philip II of Spain and the town thus came under Spanish control.  \n  \nIn 1071/1661, having become Portuguese again, it was offered to England as part of the dowry belonging to the Infanta Catherine of Bragance who married the English Prince Charles II.  \n  \nOn his accession to the throne, the ‘Alawite Monarch Mulay Isma‘il besieged Tangier in 1089/1679. The English, before evacuating, destroyed the port’s pier as well as most of the town.  \n  \nMulay Isma‘il then put the pasha ‘Ali Ibn ‘Abd Allah Errifi in charge of restoring the ramparts and reconstructing the town. Thus, in rebuilding the ruins, houses, in traditional Moroccan style, were erected; mosques, as well as a *madrasa*, were raised; and a *kasbah* was constructed on its heights, endowed with a palace, and mosque and its adjoining buildings. The son of the pasha, Ahmed Ibn ‘Ali, continued his father’s work, having taken over his duties. In 1196/1782, Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ibn ‘Abd Allah, who wanted to gather all diplomatic representations into the same town, chose Tangier to act as the seat of the European consulates. During the 19th century, the town was officially promoted to being the diplomatic capital of the kingdom, and a permanent delegate of the Sultan, the *na’ib*, was nominated as part of the consular administration in Tangier. From then on, aided by the presence of its diplomats, merchants, men of letters and artists came flocking to the town. The latter of these, subjected to the beauty of the place and the charm of its Islamic architecture, with its narrow and mysterious streets, sang through their writings, or through their painted canvases, of its fairy-like magic, which still emanates from this town today.  \n  \nIn 1906, Tangier was endowed with a special status which placed it and its surroundings under the authority of an international commission. In 1956, it was returned once more to the country.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"2f73372e-4e43-5ccd-a783-aa75abd0c5c5":{"title":"Tinmel","description":""},"30365ac4-3b12-5055-98a6-01207e53126a":{"title":"Achir","description":""},"303b522a-7090-5ebd-a07f-0ac577d423a6":{"title":"Umm al-Jimal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"305f585b-ad37-511c-af7a-7f7f5e994390":{"title":"Lepoglava","description":""},"307bd0b6-a9a6-525c-8575-4a93d948cd24":{"title":"Santervás de Campos","description":""},"308e9b9f-f89c-5c1e-aa7c-cbd90c19e523":{"title":"Slavonski Brod","description":""},"30ca7a5a-f30c-578a-ad9b-a8f20826adfd":{"title":"GELİBOLU","description":"Gelibolu is situated in a strategically important area, where the Dardanelles opens into the Sea of Marmara. The city, first founded by the Thracians, was called Kallipolis –the beautiful city– after the Greek colonisation. Alexander the Great then took the area in 334 BC. The Roman and Byzantine Empires later ruled the city, and the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I repaired the city walls. During the Third Crusade Friedrich I Barbarossa, the German Emperor, transported his armies from the port of Gelibolu to the Anatolian side.  \n  \nUmur Bey of the Aydın Emirate besieged Gelibolu in 1332 and 1341, but did not succeed in conquering it. The Ottomans, who initially landed in Rumelia to help the Byzantines, later realised the strategic importance of the area and captured Gelibolu, whose fortress had been destroyed as a result of an earthquake. The town changed hands several times until 1367, when it finally became Ottoman territory. About the middle of the 15th century, Çanakkale took over surveillance of the strait, and Gelibolu thus lost its importance. In the city there are various works constructed in the reign of Murad II (1421-1451) in particular; most of these works have suffered from to neglect and have thus fallen into ruins.","extra":{"author":"Şakir Çakmak"}},"30e55473-f8d1-542a-a3b6-ef4aea1890e7":{"title":"Annaba","description":""},"30fb6fbc-4986-5621-9d1d-2a2759f051f9":{"title":"MANİSA","description":"Manisa –Magnesia ad Sipylum of ancient times– was founded by Thessalians towards the end of the 2nd millennium BC on their return from the Trojan War. It exhibits a history parallel to that of West Anatolia. The area passed into the hands of Lydian King Croesus in the 6th century BC but was soon taken over by the Persians in 546 BC. Persian rule came to an end with Alexander the Great’s victory at Granicus in 334 BC. In the Hellenistic era the city came under the control of the Pergamene Kingdom. The city and its inhabitants prospered during the time of the Roman Empire and the city preserved its importance during the Byzantine period until the 13th century. Emperor John III Ducas Vatatzes had a fortress built here at the beginning of the 13th century during the Latin occupation of İstanbul and he was buried here, too, when he died. Following the recapture of İstanbul by the Byzantines, the city began to lose its importance until it eventually passed into the hands of the Turks in 1313."},"31480749-0e53-56bd-a5a0-86bbf36e92e3":{"title":"ASILAH","description":"Asilah was founded by Arab conquerors, probably at the beginning of the 3rd/9th century, near a harbour and on a reef, but far from Zilil, a town from the period of antiquity from which it derives its name. It experienced a turbulent history throughout the Middle Ages and modern times which was linked to that of Tangier’s.  \n  \nMentioned by the Arab geographer al-Bakri, it had to endure two Norman invasions during the second half of the 3rd/9th century due to the attractiveness of its agricultural wealth. Rebuilt by the Umayyad Caliph of Cordoba, al-Hakam II, it needed to surround itself with an enclosure to protect it from further attack. It was provided with a mosque composed of five naves which were *“reached by the waves when the sea was stormy”*. Its port, which offered an effective shelter for ships, had a jetty built of ashlar stones which were positioned in an arc to protect the mooring.  \n  \nThe town, which seems to have existed peacefully during the 6th/12th century, opened itself up to trade with the West at the accession of the Merinids, and experienced a certain amount of prosperity. The Wattassids turned it into one of their main footholds in their struggle for power.  \n  \nIt was stormed by the Portuguese in the same year as Tangier (875/1471) and remained under their control until 957/1550. The latter rebuilt the ramparts in stone, fortifying them with solid bastions, and erected a donjon to serve as a surveillance tower. The garrisons entrenched in this fortress suffered continuous assaults over many long years led by the Wattassid Sultans, and by the famous Prince of Chefchaouen, Mulay Brahim. Liberated in 957/1550, the town was reoccupied in 984/1577 by King Dom Sebastião in return for becoming an ally of the Sa‘adian Prince Mohamed al-Maslukh. It was in Asilah that the last of the Portuguese Kings of the Avis Dynasty, having dreamt of reoccupying Morocco, stayed with his army before heading into the fields of the Wadi al-Makhazin Battle near Ksar al-Kebir, a battle which would cost him his life. The town was reinstated back to the Sa‘adian King al-Mansur in 997/1589, then reclaimed by Spain for several years towards the end of the 11th/17th century. It was stormed by Mulay Isma‘il and liberated in 1102/1691. Populated by people from the Rif, it was given two mosques, a *madrasa* and bathhouses, and from then on began to live a modest existence. In 1906, it fell to the forces of Mulay ‘Ali Ibn Raissul who became the town’s pasha, before being occupied by the Spanish from 1912 until 1956.  \n  \nToday, Asilah is known for its annual international festival during which cultural exchanges bring together men of letters, philosophers and artists from all four corners of the globe.  \n  \nIt has preserved, behind the high ochre walls of its ramparts which encase it like a jewel, the immaculate whiteness of its houses and the authenticity of its architecture.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"316ea9fa-ec89-5b88-9a8a-0d1c9aec6578":{"title":"SETÚBAL","description":"Set on the estuary of the River Sado, the Port of Setúbal was, besides the sea traffic, an important region for both fishing and salting in Roman times. Following the Christian Reconquest, the town received a further boost after a period of stagnation. It was linked to the Order of Santiago da Espada, and was granted a charter in 1249.  \n  \nThere are still some traces of the town walls, built in 1343, during the reign of D. Afonso IV.  \n  \nBy the end of the 15th century, due to the revenue from the salt trade and other products, Setúbal was making considerable tax contributions to Crown coffers. D. João II, who married his cousin Leonor in the town in 1471, made a number of improvements, building an aqueduct and regulating the urban area that had spread beyond the 14th-century walls.  \n  \nD. Manuel I took great interest in the town, ordering two parish churches to be built as well as the Town Hall, the prison, slaughterhouses, a leper hospital and corn market. The Master of the Order of Santiago, D. Jorge de Lencastre, the natural son of D. João II, had a residence in the town and was also a patron of local institutions.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"31e5d2b4-692b-5e7b-9fc4-9d10025c2f3e":{"title":"Racalmuto","description":""},"32391ad5-c5c3-530a-8616-731bc01e3327":{"title":"Eçeabat","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"325d985d-0eb8-5039-be2c-18c3e5d1710a":{"title":"Carthage","description":""},"32679e25-72c3-5f81-93b7-b47774d618a3":{"title":"Lambach","description":""},"32b28c15-d37b-558f-b099-b65900c17cf2":{"title":"SÃO SEBASTIÃO","description":"São Sebastião, one of the most important towns on the island of Terceira, was granted a charter in 1503, and was one of municipalities that developed most during the Manueline period due to its position between Angra and Praia, which justified the building of a large parish church.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"331b7d91-f7b7-51dc-9d7e-b467f1d7abe7":{"title":"Schäftlarn","description":""},"333bd404-e9e3-54a8-8aa2-bb30cfc82c46":{"title":"Ariccia","description":"Ancient *Aricia* was a famous pre-Roman city and an important member of the Latin League due to the presence of the Sanctuary of Diana on its land—one of the three main places of worship of the confederation of Latin peoples. The hegemonic ambitions of the Etruscans toward southern Lazio came to a close at the end of the 6th century BCE with the famous battle of Aricia.  \n  \nThe city took part in the battle of Lake Regillus (c. 496 BCE) after the defeat of the Latin League as stipulated in the *Foedus Cassianum* (493 BCE). Following the refurbishment of the Via Appia starting in 312 BCE, the town moved from the top of the acropolis (the current Historical Centre) towards the valley, which started being populated with *tabernae* (shops), warehouses, temples, public buildings and markets, all revolving around a Forum, whose arch, *Basto del Diavolo* (Devil’s packsaddle), was one of the entrances and is still standing today. Many *Aricini* were awarded important public offices in Rome. Moreover, Augustus’ maternal family was originally from Aricia.  \n  \nDespite being severely affected by the decadence of the Roman Empire, Aricia survived the assaults of the Vandals, but by the turn of the 5th century CE it succumbed to the barbarian hordes that looted and attacked the Roman countryside, and later the Saracen raids. The local population slowly moved back towards the acropolis and the upstream areas.  \n  \nIn 981 CE Ariccia became a fief of the powerful family of the Counts of Tusculum, and it went then to the Malabrancas. They promoted important fortification works, choosing the area today occupied by Chigi Palace to build a defensive tower to the northern entrance, facing the current Via dei Laghi, which became the main entrance to the town due to the abandonment of the Appia Antica. Later, the land tenure went from the Malabrancas to several religious orders, namely the monks of Saint Anastasius, Tre Fontane, the Colonna papal family and the Order of Grottaferrata, but only decaying ruins remained to recall its ancient splendour.  \n  \nIn 1473 Ariccia was acquired by the Savelli family. They launched the reconstruction of the destroyed town, providing it with services, adequate fortifications and – starting at the beginning of the 16th century – the erection of the baronial palace. After being purchased by the Chigi family in 1661, the village underwent a complete transformation under Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The brilliant architect not only redesigned the Palazzo, designed the Piazza di Corte and built the Assunta complex, the Stalloni and the Porta Napoletana, but he also reorganized internal roads and oversaw the redevelopment of construction in the city. The recent refurbishment of the square has allowed for the modern needs of the town and its citizens while restoring the architectural value of the precious complex.  \n  \nIn 1854 the Monumental Bridge was inaugurated, commissioned by Pius IX (1846–78). It is considered one of the most magnificent works of engineering of the Pontifical State.  \n  \nAriccia is also known worldwide as the land of porchetta (boneless pork roast). You can find shops and taverns (*fraschette*) that offer this classic product all over Ariccia. The secret of its recipe dates back more than 26 centuries: thus, the porchetta of Ariccia was no less famous in Roman times (when it was called *ventre falisco*) than it is now.","extra":{"info":"To visit Ariccia you should allow at least a full day. You can create your own itinerary using this website to get an idea about the monuments and sites to be visited or you select from the routes that you find on this page, after the map: \\[https://explore.museumwnf.org/countries/c-it/l-409\\](< https://explore.museumwnf.org/countries/c-it/l-409>) For the opening hours of Chigi Palace and the possibility of visiting other monuments, see the corresponding files. Churches are normally closed between about 12.30 and 15.30.","contact":"Chigi Palace  \nPiazza di Corte, 14  \n00040 Ariccia (Rome)  \nEmail: info@palazzochigiariccia.com  \nPhone: +39 06 933 0053","contacts":[{"name":"Comune di Ariccia","phone":"+39 06 93 48 51 (centralino)","address":"Piazza della Repubblica, 1, 00040 Ariccia (RM)"}],"prepared_by":"arch. Francesco Petrucci  \nCopy-editor (Italian): Saverio Capozzi  \nTranslator: Lavinia Amenduni  \nCopy-editor (English): Danny de la Vega  \n© Museum With No Frontiers (MWNF)","how_to_reach":"**By car**: take Via Appia Nuova (SS 7), 28 km from Rome, going south. At the entrance to Ariccia, follow the signs for parking at the foot of the Monumental Bridge, where you can take an elevator with a panoramic view of Chigi Park to easily reach Piazza di Corte, the historic centre and the Fraschette area. Alternatively, you can find a place to leave your car in one of the many available parking lots in the city. All parking spots are subject to payment for non-residents.  \n  \n**By train and/or bus**: Ariccia is easily reachable by public transport too: from Roma Termini Station, take the regional train to Albano Laziale (departure every hour, [www.trenitalia.com](https://www.trenitalia.com), journey time approximately 50 minutes). Leaving the Albano Laziale station, go up the stairway that crosses a park to reach the Appia Nuova (this segment called Corso Matteotti); continue to the right and after a 15–20 minute walk, skirting the tomb of the Oriazi and Curiazi from above and crossing the Monumental Bridge with a view of Chigi Palace and the Church of the Assumption, you will reach Ariccia. On the Appia Nuova you can also find a minibus-shuttle that connects Albano, Ariccia and Genzano (about three trips per hour). As an alternative to the train, you can take the Cotral buses departing from Anagnina, the last stop of Metro A, toward Velletri (about two departures per hour, [www.cotralspa.it](https://www.cotralspa.it/)); in this case it is better to get off at Albano Laziale and take the minibus-shuttle that leaves from the same square or continue on foot (see above); since the Monumental Bridge has been closed to heavy vehicles, the Cotral bus stop in the Ariccia city centre has been suspended.","additional_regions":[1,2]}},"33598575-8404-5b92-bfea-14aa8e9b5544":{"title":"SINTRA","description":"In countless descriptions provided by Arab geographers, Sintra is always mentioned as being dependent upon Lisbon. Apart from a number of other small settlements that took advantage of the fertile soil of the region’s valleys, the main centres of population would have been the Moorish Castle and the area where the Vila Palace now stands. High up in the mountains, the long perimeter wall (heavily rebuilt as a result of Romanticism in the 19th century) defended a small settlement and also served as a temporary refuge for those from outside. In view of its mild climate, leafy woods and abundant supplies of water, Sintra seems to have been favoured as a summer residence and leisure spot by the nobility of Lisbon, both before and after its inclusion in the kingdom of Portugal.  \n  \nThe Moorish community remained a very dense one throughout the region. At the end of the 15th century, there was still mention of a Moorish Cemetery in Colares, which D. Manuel I gave to a private individual.  \n  \nAt the height of the period of Romanticism that swept across Europe in the 19th century, Sintra joined in with the Revivalist movement. This resulted in the blending of many of the region’s historical features with visions of an exotic East, which at that time was undergoing a process of conquest and assimilation by various colonial powers. The Pena Palace thus came into being as a work that reflected the wishes of a prince consort of German origin. Likewise, the Monserrate Pavilion would have made no sense without the Indian and Moorish delirium that inspired its creation and was so fashionable amongst British aristocratic circles at the time.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"336c7ca4-8c52-5e89-a9b6-5bb9da298a6c":{"title":"Lagos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"33f0a28d-5ee4-567a-a3e1-f51cb0ebf14e":{"title":"Kemerburgaz","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"34ae3cf7-4d3f-5c3f-b623-a39e7546c6c9":{"title":"Oberammergau","description":""},"34e69385-f419-572e-b66a-7586c5008fb8":{"title":"Oroszlány-Majkpuszta","description":""},"37188672-4c42-54e6-9f5f-5e9b19515f4e":{"title":"İnegöl","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3735bf6f-80a1-5e8c-b2d8-3aa8b4852fa4":{"title":"Velika Mlaka","description":""},"375e7bfc-c808-5833-8592-9c06e884cedd":{"title":"Bosra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"376d8d50-83c1-5c1b-9172-14f8ebb37fb7":{"title":"Belyunesh","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Located about 50 km. from Tétouan. A sublime route along the Mediterranean and across the mountainous ridge of Hauz. Estimate between three and four hours for this part of the itinerary.  \nLeave Tétouan via avenue Martil, heading in the direction of Ceuta. Arriving in Fnidq, head towards Tangier. After about 5 km., take a right in the direction of Belyunesh. Continue for a further 12 km. on an extremely winding road across the Ridge of Hauz. Belyunesh is at the foot of the Jabal Musa."}},"37d6f9fc-2d1d-58a5-809b-e7326bd1dc23":{"title":"RABAT","description":"It was during the 4th/10th century that the Orthodox Muslim warriors, fighting against heretic tribes, built a fortified basecamp, *ribat*, on the left bank of the mouth of the Bu Regreg, not far from the remains of the Roman city of antiquity, Sala Colonia. The latter was itself built on the site of a small agglomeration which served, from the 10th century BC, first as a Phoenician, then as a Carthaginian stopover at a time when the western Maghreb, from Algiers to the Atlantic, and from the Sahara to al-Andalus, was unified under the Almoravids (447/1056–542/1147). These *Murabitin*s, “men of the *ribat*”, endowed the *ribat* of Bu Regreg with an element of sanctity, making it the spearhead of their battle against the Berghuata, who had been responsible for the death of ‘Abd Allah Ibn Yassin, the founder of their dynasty. When the Almohads succeeded the Almoravids, the *ribat* of Bu Regreg, instead of losing its defensive and military role, entered into the history books during the reign of the first Almohad Sovereign ‘Abd al-Mumen (524/1130–558/1163) under the title of “*Ribat al-Fath*”, “The Camp of the Conquest”.  \n  \nIn fact, it was around 540/1146 that ‘Abd al-Mumen, the founder of the greatest Muslim Empire of the West that ever existed, gave the order for the creation of a *kasbah* including its palaces, its mosque and its compensating reservoirs. He christened it *Mahdiya* at first, meaning the town of *Mahdi* in reference to Ibn Tumert, promulgator of the Muslim reformist movement which called itself *Mahdi*, that is to say “*God’s Chosen One*”, chosen to preach the Good and fight Bad. According to witness accounts by Hassan al-Wazzan, known under the pseudonym of Leon the African, the Almohad Caliph became particularly attached to the new *kasbah*, and grew into the habit of residing there each year between April and September, as well as from time-to-time holding large reunions there, gathering round him all provincial governors and army chiefs. Additionally, the *ribat* gained a military aspect to it by becoming an assembly point for the troops, a step on the way to the Conquest of Spain where Muslims faced an increasing Christian opposition. ‘Abd al-Mumen thus enlarged the *ribat*, fortified the *kasbah*, Salé and the Ma‘mora, and constructed an important naval shipyard. The towns of the Bu Regreg entered the history books at full steam.  \n  \nThe Almohad Empire experienced its true Golden Age under the reign of ‘Abd al-Mumen’s grandson, Abu Yusuf Ya‘ub al-Mansur (579/1184–595/1199), who defeated the Castillians at Alarcos in 591/1195, this time gaining an enormous war booty which enabled him to produce great works as a builder. It was thus that he decided, in particular, to erect a veritable Almohad capital, following the Idrissids in their building of Fez and the Almoravids in their building of Marrakesh. Having in spirit what his empire had in terms of its Andalusian destiny, he chose the site of the *ribat* of the Bu Regreg, which opened directly onto the ocean, to house, in his view, one of the greatest Muslim towns in the world. He undertook the construction of a massive mosque, the largest in Islam after the Samarra Mosque in Iraq. But in 595/1199, as the minaret stood already 40 m. high above ground, Ya‘qub al-Mansur died, and the building work stopped, and was not to be taken up again, on the same site, until seven and a half centuries later when the mausoleum of Mohamed V was built.  \n  \nThus, after *Ribat al-Fath* had become a charming city, of which geographers of the time spoke highly on its beautiful houses, attractive coastline, varied and lush orchards, and numerous boats which assured the navigation between the two riverbanks which were in any case linked by a wooden bridge, as well as on the prosperity of its inhabitants and the safety of its streets, it progressively became depopulated after the death of al-Mansur, especially after the defeat of Las Navas de Tolosa in 608/1212, which blew a hole in the Muslim conquest of al-Andalus. It nevertheless retained a certain economic prosperity, derived from fishing and agriculture, which grew when it began to take advantage of the new techniques brought over by the Andalusian refugees. With the demise of the Almohad Empire, *Ribat al-Fath* entered a morose era of abatement, even though the river’s estuary retained its sacred status. It was this mythical and mystical prestige which incited the founder of the Merinid Dynasty, Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub (656/1258–685/1286) to bury his wife, al-Horra Umm al-‘Izz, at the antique site of Chellah in 682/1284, and to have himself buried there as well. The various sovereigns belonging to this dynasty kept this tradition going, and in 739/1339, Abu al-Hassan had a rampart and *zawiya* added. Even when Abu Inan, the son of Abu al-Hassan, revolted against his father, who was then killed in the ensuing battle, his own body was brought back to Rabat to be buried in the necropolis.  \n  \nAs soon as the Hafsids of Tunisia created troubles for the Merinids, forcing them to leave the mouth of the Bu Regreg, the left bank experienced a kind of hibernation period, during which the Chellah watched over its dead in silence. However, Salé continued to have a booming agriculture and to be an important harbour, welcoming in several migrating populations including the Berbers, the Andalusians and even the Tunisians.","extra":{"author":"Kamal Lakhdar"}},"3825da91-9387-5c14-8956-99f7f8d7b46f":{"title":"Itinerary 67","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[505,506,509,511,517,518]}},"383e8088-f8da-5a5c-a5d5-9d5aa5274552":{"title":"Deir al-Qamar","description":""},"387b9175-e6eb-50ea-a1fc-e5728762c257":{"title":"Prelog","description":""},"39b8eaff-ee45-5678-bd24-37bb72687b8e":{"title":"TAORMINA","description":"The seat of Siculians or Sikels, of whom there remains in witness a necropolis of the 8th century BC, the city was founded and inhabited in the 4th century BC by a group of Greek refugees from nearby Naxos. At the time of the Romans it was enriched by prestigious monumental buildings, of which some conspicuous vestiges remain.  \n  \nIn the 7th century the Byzantines added further fortifications to the Hellenistic walls (Castles of Monte Tauro and Castelmola), and established the capital of the *thema* in the city when Syracuse fell into the hands of the Muslims (878). This permitted them, thanks to the inaccessibility of the site and to its powerful defensive structure, a strenuous resistance to the Arab Conquest. In fact, the Reconquest by the Christians in 909 followed the first capitulation of 902 under the blows of Amir Ibrahim Ibn Ahmad and in 962, after an assault lasting seven months, the final occupation by the Muslims. The survivors were deported as slaves to Yemen and acquired by the Fatimid Caliph of Bagdad, al-Mansur. The city changed its name to *al-Mu‘izziya* to celebrate the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu‘izz and the conquerors started their reconstruction in the south where the Cusene and Porta Saraceni Quarters have been identified. The construction of a tower in the area of the Roman forum is also attributed to the Arab period (the pre-existence of Palazzo Corvaja). This presided over the Giarafi (“canal”) Quarters, where the hydraulic conduits of the imperial age converged, which the Muslims had wisely enriched, with irrigation outlets in the surrounding land to encourage cultivation of the fields.  \n  \nThe Normans conquered it in 1079 after an ingenious assault, carried out by the means of stockades, ephemeral *donjons* and innovative war machines, which completely isolated the sharp relief on which the settlement stood. Further, the city having been taken, the built-up area was restricted to the original town, justifying this contraction by the improvement of the defensive strategy, by way of a smaller walled circle, which was easier to control and maintain.  \n  \nHaving been the seat of Parliament at the beginning of the 15th century during the Vice Regency of the house of Aragon, the State-owned city was sold several times by the Spanish court.  \n  \nExcluded from all commercial traffic, the city was opened in the 19th century to the tourist industry, thanks to the renown that travellers and *vedutisti* had bestowed on it, from the second half of the 18th century.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"39e4c763-441f-534f-b7da-8466a3a1068b":{"title":"Machico","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3a09d8fd-9ec4-537e-b74b-4bd0314de3cd":{"title":"Rein","description":""},"3a40eacd-85fa-5375-8374-cb892e542155":{"title":"Sharjah City","description":""},"3a6b5537-8ef3-58a1-8704-0989bb384b5f":{"title":"São Marcos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3ac8be4a-60b0-501f-ae16-415814fefcd9":{"title":"ADRANO","description":"Its name comes from Adranon, a goddess for a long time venerated by the Siculians. According to the historian Diodorus, Dionisius I, the tyrant of Syracuse, founded the city in about 400 BC. After submission to the Romans it passed through a long period of decline, prolonged by the turbulence during the Byzantine era. It flourished once again during the Arabic period, with the name of Adornu, changed to Aderno and also to Adernione. It was an important feudal township under the Norman Dynasty reaching a good level of prosperity thanks to the peaceful life, lived out in common with the Greeks, Latins, Jews and Muslims, and becoming the centre of an important and fecund countryside. Al- Idrisi in about 1150 described it thus: “A gracious hamlet, which could almost be called a small city; it rises on a rocky peak, has a market, a bath, a fine stronghold and plenty of water”.  \n  \nFrom the 14th century the fiefdom belonged to Matteo Sclafani and then to the Moncada family. It only reverted to the original name of Adrano in 1929.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"3b1a2aeb-e44a-5dbf-aee3-db40aede9066":{"title":"Italy","description":""},"3b623270-d9d2-5179-b4e8-6ba0325ea34f":{"title":"Innsbruck-Wilten","description":""},"3b8103a8-becc-51c6-a642-41a3f1554497":{"title":"LEMTA","description":"Originally a Libyc-Punic agglomeration, *Leptimus* is mentioned for the first time in the 4th century BC Allied to Rome. During the third Punic War, in 146 BC, it benefited from the status of a “liberated town” following the defeat of Carthage. Elevated to colonial status by Trajan, it became the principal town of the regional area of *Leptiminensis*. After the Byzantine Conquest, it became the home base of the Byzantium military command. Its renaissance dates from the Aghlabid period: from a simple *ribat* that served as a refuge to fishermen, Lemta became one of the most important ports of Ifriqiya. Nevertheless, it was supplanted by Mahdia in the 3rd–4th/beginning of 10th century. Around Lemta there is a salt marsh that, according to al-Bakri, produced fine-quality salt.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"3bd2a83c-a7d1-563a-9483-3a0bae6d0e2e":{"title":"Palestrina","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"3bd697d1-1027-5e5d-9907-d117f0bf38fb":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - PT","description":""},"3c220c46-7247-5a4c-8307-edb69c9d95b2":{"title":"Touggourt","description":""},"3c452f8c-c184-58df-a05d-da033e720ab2":{"title":"Zsira-Gyüleviz","description":""},"3c78c18d-c7e4-5bbf-99c1-d4cd544fa0f6":{"title":"Gelibolu","description":"","extra":{"info":"Today the Gelibolu (known as Gallipoli in the West) Peninsula is a National Park full of monuments and cemeteries of Turkish and foreign soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Çanakkale. You can take a rather narrow main road to the southern end of the peninsula where there are Turkish, French and English monuments. In the direction of the town of Gelibolu to the north, you can reach Kabatepe, Anzac Bay and Conk Bayırı by heading north and then taking a road that curves to the left. There is a small museum at Kabatepe, where belongings recovered from the soldiers of the First World War are displayed.","how_to_reach":"You can reach Gelibolu by taking the main road D.550 north from Eceabat.","showOnMonument":true}},"3c8f11c1-0bcf-53d0-80b8-fffd3dd74106":{"title":"Sines","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3cb405e1-d7e3-557c-a9d5-195513f53afb":{"title":"Qal‘at Bani Hammad","description":""},"3cb9ba99-b573-5934-be8b-f6ee81c0c904":{"title":"Almeida","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3cdfa37d-3583-5465-8552-4683f18b63f0":{"title":"Wadi al-Dhlayl","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3d3e1e7e-a4cb-5981-be10-8f0713b262bd":{"title":"Monsanto","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3d7c4663-726a-5e6e-abd2-574c088f2bdb":{"title":"Hama","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3d7de905-9d34-51ff-8ace-3c5bd1a3621f":{"title":"Marija Bistrica","description":""},"3e3226ec-2934-5bff-9c3a-e908fd1f3b97":{"title":"Kroměříž","description":""},"3e4984f1-8471-5aa4-b8db-98582c1a7b9e":{"title":"CALERA DE LEÓN","description":"In the south of the province of Badajoz, on the border with the province of Huelva, this district is in a mountainous area of great natural beauty where the predominant vegetation is the Mediterranean forest with holm and oaks. A few kilometres away, in the Sierra Morena of Extremadura and on the highest point of the province of Badajoz, on top of Mount Tentudía (1.104 m. above sea level), the patron of the area is venerated at the Monastery of Santa Maria.","extra":{"author":"María Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"3ebb1685-d2d3-5c90-a5f1-ee0cf14962ee":{"title":"Ayn al-Basha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3f26c0bb-582a-51d1-b242-35e9d983b978":{"title":"Veszprém","description":""},"3f6217d0-928f-5b6b-aad0-43178b90d462":{"title":"Hisban","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3f63c49f-df3d-56ae-93aa-a79b5fc615dc":{"title":"Doubravník","description":""},"3f809a1a-8b5d-5267-8849-10e66add38ef":{"title":"Mrayjat","description":""},"3faf7c9b-92f5-500e-8dce-9b0469575b83":{"title":"MADABA","description":"The city of Madaba originated in biblical times, but this “City of Mosaics” is most famous for its seat of a Byzantine bishopric and for the centre of a mosaic school. During the Roman-Byzantine period, Madaba was part of the *Provincia Arabia*, which was drawn up by the Roman emperor Trajan after the Roman conquest of the region. After the Arab-Muslim conquest in the early 1st/7th century and during the Umayyad period, Madaba became part of the Belqa, which was under the jurisdiction of the military province of Damascus. Both archaeological and literary evidence points to the fact that the population and importance of Madaba declined after the 3rd/9th century. The reoccupation of the city by 90 Christian families from Karak, led by two Italian priests from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1297/1880, saw the start of archaeological research in the city.","extra":{"author":"Lara Tohme"}},"4032d736-6d2c-563e-b70c-d81b30ccdcb6":{"title":"Torres Novas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"404d229a-b1e2-5847-aa46-4647891b199c":{"title":"Tétouan","description":""},"40a104c7-2b64-5fa9-b749-b3ca016669f0":{"title":"Khan al-Arus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"40c80fcd-9277-5ae3-a6d1-38062174830c":{"title":"BİRGİ","description":"Mehmed Bey, one of the commanders of the Germiyan Emirate’s army, founded an Emirate named after his father Aydın, in the regions of ancient Lydia and Ionia in West Anatolia and made Birgi his centre. Also known by his nickname “Mübarizüddin”, “the Warrior for the Religion”, Mehmed Bey divided up the regions he had conquered among his sons. Mehmed Bey carried out various raids on the Aegean and Rumelian shores with the naval forces he had established in Ayasuluğ and İzmir. When Mehmed Bey passed away in 1334, his son Umur Bey took his place.  \n  \nIbn Batuta, who in the year 1333 visited Birgi, stayed for 14 days at the palace of Mehmed Bey, the founder of the Emirate. According to information the traveller gives about the palace, Mehmed Bey’s quarters were located in a high section. At the corners of the pool in the middle of the apartment were bronze statues of lions with water flowing out of their mouths and the inner courtyard was surrounded with rooms side by side. The traveller speaks with praise of 20 young Rum men with long blonde hair wearing satin dresses that welcomed them on arrival at the palace, and of the golden spoons and ceramic bowls he saw there."},"40e0a813-e29a-5917-9a2d-6404a2394bb2":{"title":"Nová Říše","description":""},"40fc3da3-4415-5ff1-8d07-1cc5075d01b2":{"title":"Itinerary 133","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"location_ids":[244,246,499,523,524,525,526]}},"413cbd60-dc6d-57e8-979d-fa600cdd6ee9":{"title":"Macedonia","description":""},"41629ffb-6de7-535c-a38c-8f1a49bae169":{"title":"Guadix","description":""},"41986273-85a3-5020-a672-b11953b0ac51":{"title":"Town of Vascos","description":""},"422310e1-b698-5e49-9b64-ee6a30f98420":{"title":"GHAWR AL-SAFI (ZOAR)","description":"The site of ancient Zoar is located at Khirbat Sheikh ‘Isa, near Ghawr al-Safi, at the southeast end of the Dead Sea, about 63 km. southwest of Karak. Zoar was mentioned for the first time in the biblical narratives in Genesis 14:2, in the episode of the four kings from the East who invaded the five cities of the Dead Sea plain. The city appears in this episode under the name of Bala‘. The campaign of the four kings occurred, supposedly, in the time of Abraham, in the 2nd millennium BC. The renowned biblical scholar de Vaux argued that the stories in Genesis 14, however, are difficult to place in the history of the Middle East and were written largely to associate Abraham with the historical events of the country.  \n  \nZoar is mentioned again in the account of the punitive destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Genesis 19, the story relates that Lot, the nephew of Abraham, prayed for the little town near Sodom to be preserved and Yahweh granted him this favour after which the town was named Zoar, “the little one”. From there, Lot fled to the hill-country and made his home in a cave (see Monastery of St. Lot). According to the story here one daughter gave birth to Moab, the father of the Moabites and the other to Ben ‘Ammi, the ancestor of the Ammonites. A recent survey of Ghawr al-Safi located the ruins of Khirbat Sheikh ‘Isa, which include an impressive stretch of a town wall, and identified the site with Zoar.  \n  \nIn the prophecies of Jeremiah 48 and Isaisah 15, Zoar is mentioned again in events of the mid-6th century BC: “Why the heart of Moab is groaning, why its fugitives are as far afield as Zoar?”. This oracle refers to the invasion of the Babylonians, either under Nebuchadnezzar II in 598 or under Nabonidus in 552 BC. On his way to Tayma in Arabia, Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, conquered Moab and Edom and he has been memorialised in a relief carved on the rock of Sela‘, south of Tafilah.  \n  \nUnder the Nabataeans, the city was certainly a major stopping point on the road from Petra to the Dead Sea, where bitumen was collected and sold to Egypt for mummification. Because of its location on a strategic road, Zoar was captured by the Hasmonaean prince Alexander Jannaeus in 83-82 BC, but given back to Aretas III by Hyrcanus II. Following the annexation of the Nabataean kingdom in 106, a Roman garrison was posted at Zoar. The Roman camp was located above Khirbat Sheikh ‘Isa, at the site of Umm al-Tawabin. Under Hadrian (117-138), Zoar is mentioned again in the Babatha archives. This Babatha was a wealthy lady of Jewish origin who was living at Maoz, the port of Zoar on the Dead Sea. When the revolt of Bar Kokhba broke out in 132, she took her documents to hide them in a cave near En-Gedi. She married twice, but it appears from the archives that she had problems with her second marriage as the wife of her second husband refused a divorce. Babatha sued this wife as well as John, son of Joseph Eglas and Abodobodas, son of Ellouthas, guardians of her orphaned son Jesus. Her cases were heard by the governor at Petra or at Areopolis-Rabba.  \n  \nWhen Diocletian reorganised the Roman Empire at the end of the 3rd century, Zoar was attached to *Palestinia Tertia*. On the mosaic Map of Madaba, a church is depicted at Zoar, to the right of a palm grove. Its name appears as “Balak”.  \n  \nIn the Medieval Islamic periods, Zoar (Arabic Zaghar) enjoyed great prosperity and its oasis was famous for the production of dates, indigo, syrup, sugar and balsam.","extra":{"author":"Fawzi Zayadine"}},"42606190-a5cf-5ecd-b509-7f549868d123":{"title":"Vilar Formoso","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4290ba30-f4a1-53d5-8db1-5fbff0c2df75":{"title":"Itinerary 90","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[181]}},"4323f7d6-2b93-5b03-8541-7aabb617e916":{"title":"Rosetta","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"439fce29-6fb5-52b1-ab0a-8ff0dd1c62d4":{"title":"FARO","description":"The following description of Faro at the end of the 5th-b. 6th/12th century is provided by the Sicilian al-Idrisi. It seems, because of its brevity, to be symptomatic of a certain decline in the importance of Faro towards the end period of Islamic influence, particularly if compared with the detailed report that he made of the city of Silves. “Santa Maria do Garbe is built on the shore of the Ocean and its walls are bathed by the seawater at high tide. It is of medium size and very beautiful. It has a cathedral mosque, a smaller one and a chapel. Boats frequently dock and set sail from there. The region produces many figs and raisins.” With an area of roughly seven hectares enclosed between its walls, Faro was one of the largest cities in Gharb al-Andalus. At that time, the city occupied a peninsula overlooking the lagoon, and long stretches of its walls were completely encircled by the sea. Its port was situated in what is now the square in front of the Porta da Vila and, further to the east, the water covered the area where we can now see the Square of São Francisco.  \n  \nThere is not much that remains of Islamic Faro. The ravages of time and successive rebuilding work do not allow us to do much more than make topographical interpretations and point out the occasional feature of interest. Because of its exceptional quality, the most important of these is undoubtedly the Porta da Vila. The original site of the citadel (on which a modern factory now stands) is known, as is the location of the mosque (replaced by the cathedral after the Christian Reconquest). In addition to the city walls, the streets in the old city respect the original urban layout of mediaeval times. Hopefully results from various archaeological excavations currently in progress will allow more important data relating to the history of Santa Maria do Garbe to surface.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"44157ab4-ab4d-57d5-a66b-30b590fc13f0":{"title":"Altofonte","description":""},"441f001c-fa51-5e84-aa74-0e608d8fd8f7":{"title":"Polling","description":""},"447c6bd6-e51c-580f-963f-ba7092e8d924":{"title":"Explore by Itinerary","description":"Follow curated routes through Islamic heritage sites"},"44908593-762c-5761-80e8-2d698d519b00":{"title":"Itinerary 39","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[56,84,96,113,132,147,171]}},"44cb4718-34ba-53c7-b867-5ecffedb9410":{"title":"CASTELO RODRIGO","description":"A typical border settlement, built on a hill that dominates the surrounding region, Castelo Rodrigo was fortified from at least the 12th century onwards. It was brought under the Portuguese Crown in the time of D. Dinis, and gradually grew in importance until the first great Manueline reform, that gave the town’s historic area the appearance that it still retains today. The town was granted a charter by D. Manuel I in 1508.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"4513cc9c-f21f-5c79-865a-7a8c13b43f2a":{"title":"BEJAYA","description":"It is undoubtedly due to its sheltered site that Phoenicians chose this place to establish their trading post. Before the Roman occupation, the city was part of the territories of the Numidia of Massinissa. After the Berber revolts led by Jugurtha, Rome annexed Western Numidia to Mauretania. Saldae, the Roman city, then became a colony founded by Augustus; an inscription discovered in the region refers to it as “Colonia Julia Augusta Saldantium”.  \nIn the Vandal era, Bejaya became a capital. Rumour had it that “Saldae was selected by Genseric (king of the Vandals)”. Later it fell under Byzantine rule. Several amphorae, mosaics, capitals and coins have been found there during excavations by archaeologists. In the second / eighth century, it was occupied by the Arabs.  \nAccording to Ibn Khaldoun, it was in 459 / 1067 that the Hammadid sultan al-Nasir founded the city that he named Nasiria, but which would keep the name Bejaya in reference to the tribe of the Bgayet. Al-Nasir founded the city on the advice of the Zirid emissary Tamim. It was to become the second capital of the Hammadid kingdom. Well-located and easy to defend, the port became the site of brilliant cultural and religious life.  \nThousands of labourers set to work, and within a few months they built the immense encircling wall, flanked by bastions, that rises in steps from the coast on the steep slopes of Mount Gouraya. It secured the city from the seashore as it followed the curves of the coast. The wall, punctuated by several doors, protected many palaces.  \nAl-Nasir promoted the settlement of the city by exempting its inhabitants from taxes (*kharadj*), and connecting it to the Qala by a royal road (*tarik al-Soltane*). During the reign of al-Mansur, in 482 / 1090, when he had to abandon the Qala under pressure from nomads, Bejaya became the capital of a kingdom that extended from Tenes to Annaba, and exercised indirect authority over Tlemcen and Tunis. Bejaya was the most important hub of the central Maghreb, and included up to 100,000 residents.  \nTo the southwest of the city was the neighbourhood called Dar Senaa. A dock, naval arsenal and shipyard where, according to al-Idrissi, “big buildings and warships were built, because there is no shortage of timber in its valleys and mountains, and the forest produces excellent resin and tar.”  \nA large number of scientists settled there. A native historian drew up a list of 104 local practitioners of law, medicine, poetry or religion. The city became a place where the Orthodox culture of the East and the more liberal one of al-Andalus met.  \nLittle remains of this prestigious past. From the original gates come the remnants of Bab al-Bahr (Gate of the Sea) and Bab al-Bounoud (Gate of the Standards). There is no longer any trace of the palaces that sheltered within city walls, but the geographer Ibn Hamdis described interior courtyards paved with marble, and the “basins on which lions sit, filling the fountain from their mouths with water that resembles the blades of a sword”.  \nThe Palace of the Pearl, Qasr al-Lou’lu’a, was fitted with barred iron windows; the doors were openwork and inlaid. The honeycombed walls of the reception rooms were covered with carved marble on their entire surface, and painted in some places in gold and deep red, with golden inscriptions in Arabic characters. The Great Mosque, located not far from there, was an example of the most outstanding mosques.  \nAl-Mansur, son of al-Nasir, continued the work of his father. He built palaces too, among which is the palace of Amimoun, as described by Leon the African, “Next to the mountain is a great fortress with solid walls.”  \nBejaya equally excelled as a shining intellectual and scientific centre. Its fame attracted scholars, merchants, poets, and sailors from far and wide, giving it the character of a prosperous country’s capital and the seat of a powerful dynasty.  \nThe role played by this city in the transmission of knowledge in the Muslim Middle Ages is confirmed by residencies of prestigious scientific and literary persons well-versed in all fields of knowledge. These included Andalusian metaphysician Ibn Arabi, Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, Catalan philosopher Raymond Llull, historian Ibn Khaldoun and Sicilian poet Ibn Hamdis. There was also the *wali* Sidi Boumediene, a Seville native whose tomb still is venerated at Tlemcen. The *mahdi* Ibn Toumert also stayed in Bejaya before meeting with Abdelmoumen, who would become leader of the Almohads, in Mellala, near Bejaya.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"452eeaf4-7b13-546c-b3b4-4af310c43405":{"title":"United Arab Emirates","description":""},"453bd9ed-5689-560d-9d8c-e978393425a4":{"title":"ARIANA","description":"Did Ariana already exist in the age of Antiquity? Whilst a text written by Marmol describes it as *“built by the Romans”*, and Leo the African attributes it to the Goths, there is not a single piece of archaeological evidence that corresponds to these claims. On the other hand, a text dated from the 4th/10th century, relating to the biography of Sidi Mahrez, mentions Ariana as being the place where this *shaykh* lived before settling in Tunis where he became the Patron Saint of the town. We know from other sources that in the 5th/11th century, this city had its own mosque and a *hammam*, and was considered sufficiently prosperous to justify the sending, by the Zirids, of a governor in charge of raising taxes.  \n  \nThis plain was chosen by the Sultan al-Mustansir, for the salubrity of its climate and its rich resource of water, as the site on which to build his *Abu Fihr* pleasure residence, which became the object of admiration for all visitors (Ibn Khaldun, Dimamini the poet…). Ariana is known equally for its role as an outpost, defending Tunis from incursions made from over the sea, from over the plains of al-‘Auina and from Suqra. This period was followed by the Crusades, led by the King of France, Saint Louis. Military contingents, which included among them Sidi ‘Ammar al-Ma‘rufi, a mystic recruited from Kairouan in response to the call to Holy War, departed from Ariana. He himself died of dysentery a short while after the departure of the Crusaders, and was buried at the entrance to Ariana. Considered as the Saint Protector of the town, his tomb became the object of assiduous veneration for all Arianese.  \n  \nIn the 11th/17th century, Ariana welcomed an important Morisco community which brought with it new customs in terms of culinary skills, dress, ways of speaking and in terms of arboricultural, market-gardening, evidence of which still exists today.  \n  \nIn the 12th/18th century, Ariana witnessed the arrival of the first Jewish families from Algeria, and the foundation of the first synagogue, the Ghriba. This community underwent such growth that in the 1930s it became a majority.  \n  \nIn the 13th/19th century, Ariana attracted important dignitaries from Tunis, who built their *burj*s there at the centre of huge gardens in which grew the rose of Ariana (Burj Ben ‘Ayed, Burj al-Baccush, Burj al-Zawush, Burj Raffo …). The Tunisians of modest means, whether Muslims or Jewish, rented a room or two in the village, when the resort was in the full bloom of springtime.  \n  \nLittle by little, holiday makers settled in Ariana for good, and the village took the shape of a town, governed since 1908 by a municipality. Following the urban boom, only a main road now divides Ariana from Tunis.","extra":{"author":"Jamila Binous"}},"454d61ed-4cc2-515d-95b6-933aeeabf689":{"title":"Qsar Ouled Soltane","description":""},"4551c8fa-763a-5025-9ee7-cee8fee5e629":{"title":"Challala-Dahraniya","description":""},"457bed7d-a64a-5987-918e-78b66fc5745b":{"title":"Alcácer do Sal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"457ca7d3-691e-56a1-8799-aa5eb8624469":{"title":"Tetovo","description":""},"45c67ab7-1677-5759-b7c4-a69a5e91526d":{"title":"ARRAIOLOS","description":"Arraiolos was an important town throughout the Middle Ages, because it was Royal land. It was then granted to D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, who gave it to his grandson, the future Duke of Bragança, in 1422. The town was granted a charter by D. Manuel I, in 1514.  \n  \nIt was an important administrative and economic centre for this part of the Alentejo, and within its walls a cottage industry developed, from the beginning of the 17th century onwards, when handmade carpets made there began to incorporate Oriental designs, inspired by Turkish, Persian and Indian carpets.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"47055a36-d4e7-5c5b-a1d2-00df8c6c9c88":{"title":"Araya","description":""},"47626984-b0e6-5a43-a47f-b45bd0d69084":{"title":"Rabat","description":""},"4764e751-abde-52c4-a895-c30c5089b63a":{"title":"Llerena","description":""},"47b6b39c-f452-5593-a26f-e4f04590db46":{"title":"Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"47e08348-ff2b-55a0-bcbf-f4a92b39eabc":{"title":"Itinerary 87","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[220]}},"47f46e75-c0d1-51d5-9f6d-78293f8adab2":{"title":"Strassen","description":""},"4807eb1f-590a-5ebd-874a-58c4d1f5157f":{"title":"Explore by Theme","description":"Discover Islamic art and architecture organized by thematic cycles"},"48170e16-fb05-5e44-814a-fe1cf853a090":{"title":"Itinerary 118","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[2]}},"481d69ba-fef4-5f6a-bd9f-ec4ccbc7e317":{"title":"ALCALÁ DE HENARES","description":"The Renaissance precinct of Alcalá de Henares is contained within the medieval town centre, around which a wall was built in the 14th century by Don Pedro Tenorio Bishop of Toledo (1367–1399). This meant abandoning the remains of the ancient Roman Township in the valley of the River Henares. Today, the remains of the medieval settlement can be found on a nearby hill. This is where the Muslims took refuge after they were expelled from the city in 1088, and where they lasted out until 1118; in the same place, there had also been a prehistoric settlement. Bishop Tenorio, whom Pérez del Pulgar described as “*most obstinate and rigorous*”, had the bounds of the city built with stout walls of Toledo masonry with square towers on the outside. In this way, he fortified the road from Toledo to Alcalá, which passed through Canales, Yepes and Santorcaz.  \nThe obstinate prelate started the work on the Archbishop’s Palace. We only have a few photographic images of it from the end of the 19th century and the drawings and engravings collected in *Monumentos Arquitectónicos de España* (Madrid, 1859–1880). Following the Disentailment of Mendizabal the palace was semi-abandoned, although at the end of the 19th century the architect Urquijo and the painter Laredo restored it. In 1939, during the Civil War, it burned to the ground. Some of its rooms, such as the anteroom of the Councils, had a notable eightsided ceiling with tie beams and plasterwork in all the spans.  \nOther successors of Tenorio extended his work: Pedro de Luna (1404–1414), Sancho de Rojas (1415–1422) and Juan Martínez Contreras (1422–1434) under whose governance Pope Martin V raised Alcalá to the status of the Primate See. The Bishops Alonso III of Fonseca (1475–1534), and Sandoval, whose coats of arms appear in several places, continued the work. There are several wooden ceilings from the Renaissance period, such as that over the staircase.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"48ecc9ae-bf40-5c06-bb0c-2fc606054776":{"title":"Tarouca","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"48f90ed2-a05a-5344-bcdd-9dcff0eed685":{"title":"Křtiny","description":""},"49650a92-b7db-59e3-bc65-4ed19e572841":{"title":"Reutte","description":""},"49be8c9c-ea13-55b7-93e3-3363d6532f35":{"title":"Znojmo","description":""},"4adab7d1-5d45-5f1d-a7af-c3c66e3dcb5c":{"title":"Shmemis Citadel","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4ae8555c-2d93-5809-bc62-45132147a7f0":{"title":"MOURA","description":"Moura probably existed before the Moorish invasion of 711, but only developed later. Conquered by D. Sancho II, in 1232, the town came under the Portuguese crown later, being granted its first charter by D. Dinis, in 1292. Its position close to the frontier meant it was both an important stronghold and, at the same time, a suitable place for trade. D. Manuel I donated a new parish church and fortress, and sponsored other institutions such as the Convento do Carmo.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"4b257c42-2cb1-5f61-9f36-c72ef7d2866a":{"title":"Bursa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4b52b9a4-dc3b-5faf-b3af-f7cb5574fed6":{"title":"Funchal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4beacf08-368c-5853-b3cb-531958712da6":{"title":"Khan al-‘Arus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4c176406-d325-5e4f-b1af-08d9d432e581":{"title":"Požega","description":""},"4c386626-901b-5569-a88d-c678942366ee":{"title":"Itinerary 28","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[484]}},"4c826830-28fc-5f55-a48a-4b1db5a7171b":{"title":"Tamentit","description":""},"4c984693-27a4-5d29-ab53-bbce4a7e37f1":{"title":"Moravská Třebová","description":""},"4cda4f97-49cc-5340-be3a-bfee0962a2f0":{"title":"TİRE","description":"Mehmed Bey, who divided his Emirate up among his sons, left the administration of Tire, one of the most important towns, to his fourth son Süleyman Şah. In 1390, Sultan Bayezid I, who annexed the Aydın Emirate onto the Ottoman State, forced İsa Bey of the Aydın dynasty to reside in Tire. From this point on, the Aydın dynasty, re-based in Tire, played an important role in the town’s development. The Battle of Ankara that took place between Sultan Bayezid I and Tamerlane in 1402 resulted in the re-establishment of the Anatolian Emirates, which had supposedly been wiped off the stage of history. The battle’s victor, Tamerlane, reinstated the administration of the emirates that Bayezid had added to Ottoman lands to the former owners; Musa Bey and his brother of the Aydın dynasty hosted Tamerlane in Tire during the winter of 1402-1403."},"4d1283f1-3039-5147-9e77-748c596e2f3f":{"title":"Setif","description":""},"4d139b83-ed1f-50e6-bb55-797deb4a31b4":{"title":"Alcochete","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4e26eabb-ba96-5510-b77c-cf6dd319fd2f":{"title":"Dyje","description":""},"4e4922f8-6cb3-5fd8-bd0e-d9ec2ff93219":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - JO","description":""},"4e77196e-e40e-5eda-84dc-8e76171356bb":{"title":"Algiers","description":""},"4ec85796-86a1-5eb8-8caf-6a82a368c9cb":{"title":"Neustift im Stubaital","description":""},"4ed768cc-401b-50c2-beb4-7aae3d01fc17":{"title":"TOZEUR","description":"The name Tozeur comes from the Latin *Thusorus*, a name the Romans gave it when it was nothing but a citadel on the *limes* which was meant to contain Nomadic Berber populations. The Arabs, led by Hassan Ibn Nu‘man, in occupying it in 73/693, found it to be a Latinised, Christianised and influential town. Its rapid surrender spared it from reprisals. According to al-Tijani, the conquerors respected the churches and built a mosque next to each and every one of them. The ruins of the churches were still standing when he visited the region.  \n  \nFrom the Occupation onwards, the new masters gave Tozeur a second name, equally of Latin origin: *Qastiliya*, from Castella, citadel. The headquarters of the whole of the Jérid, Tozeur, shared its new name with it up until the 13th/19th century. From then on, official documents and travel accounts only refer to it as *Bled al-Jerid*, the Land of the Palm Trees.  \n  \nTozeur’s population, composed of Arab groups from the Occupation and of Berber offshoots, grafted onto the same Roman backbone, lost its stability and calm in the 6th/12th century with the Hilalian invasion, which was followed by troubles that were often bloody.  \n  \nThe Arab chroniclers at the height of the Middle Ages present Tozeur as the Jérid’s main town, as opulent and buzzing with activity. They speak with admiration of its brick and stone ramparts, of its numerous *suq*s, its well-built mosque, its large suburbs and of its luxurious oasis, producing the best and most abundant dates in Ifriqiya. Al-Bakri, in the 5th/11th century, says *“Every day they unload 1000 camels that carry dates”*. Tozeur’s wealth was derived from the exportation of dates and crafts, mainly those consisting of woven wool and woven silk.  \n  \nOpulent and distant, Tozeur, like the rest of the Jérid, was coveted by dissidents who were rebelling against the central government, or who were fired up by vague impulses of Independence, under the pressure of powerful families. The Mallorcan Banu Ghaniya, fighting the Almohads for power, made Tozeur and Gafsa bases from which to mount attack from 582/1187 to 583/1188. Between 732/1332 and 792/1390, the Banu Yamlul were able to become the leaders of this town, despite embargoes enforced upon it by the central government, recognising in name rather than in nature their allegiance to the Hafsid sovereigns.  \n  \nIn spite of these occasionally bloody twists and turns and of the fiscal exactations that ensued, Tozeur continued to shine until the 13th/19th century. Al-Tijani paints a fascinating picture of the place. According to him, the inhabitants of Tozeur lived mainly in the oasis where the houses were bigger and more beautiful than those in town. Stunned by the spectacle he saw through an observatory situated at the point where the waters meet, he described it thus: *“The fullers assemble together and spread out their coloured fabrics and all kinds of decorated objects, so as to cover the entire area. The spectator is under the impression of having found himself in a paradise of blooming flowers and free-flowing streams”*. The “free-flowing” streams were nothing other than currents of water escaping from the *wadi*, and were nourished by the sources as well as by the irrigation canals, *seguia*, of the oasis. The judicious irrigation system allowed for everyone to have their fair share of water, thus enabling the government to collect their fiscal due. *Qadus* were used to determine the dividing up of water, based on chronometric calculations: rudimentary pottery clepsydras that emptied themselves eight times a day.  \n  \nToday Tozeur is composed of modern quarters and of old quarters, particularly those of Zebda and the Ouled al-Hadef. The streets of the latter, torturous and covered in sections by thick vaults, lead to small squares. The facades of the houses, the *zawiya*s and the mosques are adorned with beautiful reticulated brick cladding.  \n  \nR. Brunschvig, through interpreting the witness accounts of geographers of the Middle Ages as well as those written by Leo the African in the 10th /16th century, is inclined to believe that Mediaeval Tozeur was located at Bled al-Hadar, slightly south of present Tozeur: *“It is there, inside a small mosque”*, says he, *“that one can admire a stunning mihrab, dating from 590/1194, built under the Almohads, by Yahya Ibn Ghaniya”*.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"4f00ab19-0473-501c-b5b7-265e33f2de0c":{"title":"VIANA DO ALENTEJO","description":"Viana do Alentejo was an important 15thcentury town that belonged to the second Count of Barcelos, and then to D.Afonso V and his wife, before being absorbed into the domain of the Counts of Viana, namely D. Pedro de Meneses, Governor of Ceuta.Various Portuguese kings spent periods of time here, particularly D. Fernando I and D. João II.  \n  \nAn administrative centre,Viana developed with agricultural trade, benefiting from its strategic position on the Alentejo road network.  \n  \nThe town was granted a new charter by D. Manuel I, in 1517.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"4f45799a-5946-5a50-8b81-0cbcf06629c4":{"title":"Kairouan","description":""},"4fca1279-fab7-5a6b-90c6-3cc036ec94e1":{"title":"ALCAMO","description":"Alcamo is strategically wedged between the fortress of Mount Bonifatto and that of Calatubo, fundamental defensive posts on the checkerboard of military power, during the Muslim occupation. Its name has its origins in Arabic, referable, according to some, to the toponymic *Manzil* (hamlet-station) *al-Qam* (colocynth, a very bitter cucumber). It is also ascribable, according to others, to Abd Allah al-Qam, a valiant leader, who founded a castle with a fortified village, called Abdalcamo, having defeated the Byzantine troops during the Islamic advance (827).  \n  \nAround the middle of the 12th century, al-Idrisi identified it as a comfortable village, with a much-frequented market, praising its fruit-bearing land, its artisans and manufactures. In 1182 Ibn Jubayr also mentioned Alcamo. This Arab settlement which had remained unharmed during the Norman Reconquest and domination was abandoned in 1221 on the orders of Federico II who, so as to ward off insurrections, made the inhabitants settle at the foot of the mountain. However, a rebellion that was supported thanks to a new movement of troops in the old inhabited area, provoked retaliation by the Swabian Emperor, who, in 1243 had the castle and the village of Bonifato razed to the ground. The surviving Sicilian Muslims were deported to Lucera and Nocera, while the Christian population who escaped from the destruction was forced to permanently remain on the site of the present-day city.  \n  \nThe new centre was situated along the commercial road leading from Palermo to Trapani and the western side of Sicily.  \n  \nThe oldest nucleus of Alcamo, with a structure based on orthogonal axes and regular blocks, is dated to the second half of the 14th century when the Ventimiglia family, who held the barony for a long time, promoted its re-foundation even rebuilding the castle of Mount Bonifato.  \n  \nAmong the leading poets and writers the city produced Ciullo d’Alcamo, who composed poetry in the Italian language at the court of Federico II, in around the middle of the 13th century.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"4fd583ae-55e5-5b24-ad6e-b47f82ce22a4":{"title":"AL-‘UBBAD","description":"Originally called *Ribat el-Eubad* (fortified place of el-Eubad), Al-‘Ubbad had two parts, el-Fouqi (above), the current el-Eubad, and Essefli (below), which today is in metropolitan Tlemcen. Aside from the *koubbas* (tomb structures) of Sidi Senoussi and Sidi Bou Ishaq el-Tayyar, patron saints of the village, el-Eubad’s appeal is in the architectural complex of the Sidi Bumadyan tomb and mosque.  \n  \nAt the end of the narrow road that leads up to el-Eubad is a covered entrance to a large courtyard paved with marble. The complex is built on a divided rectangular plan: the tomb on the left and the mosque on the right. Built in 729 / 1329, the mosque is remarkable for a monumental porch that frames the entrance.  \n  \nWith a vault seven metres high and a staircase leading to a handsome double cedar door decorated with carved bronze leaves, it is a monument in itself. On the facade of the porch, in a rectangular framework of three-lobed decorations inlaid with enamel and green lines, a geometric composition in white, brown, green and yellow tiles frames the arch. Above this rectangular frame is an epigraphic frieze dedicated to the patron, Sultan Abu al-Hassan.  \n  \nThe minaret to the right of the mosque is remarkably well preserved, so it still possible to admire its beautiful faience tiles, diamond-shaped designs in low relief, and the faience mosaic decoration of its crown in a frieze of twenty-four rosettes.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"4ffaf1c7-3772-5188-8aa0-f1135e335440":{"title":"Explore Palestine's Islamic Art and Architecture","description":"Throughout history Palestine has witnessed different eras and civilisations. Squeezed between two great civilisations, Mesopotamia and Syria on the one hand, and the Nile Valley on the other, it was a passageway through which these civilisations left behind destruction and ruin in addition to a rich cultural heritage. It is no coincidence therefore that Palestine was the first region the Islamic Arab army set foot on in its colossal conquest.","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"legacy_status":"e"}},"50021cb2-91a4-5999-ab32-0ca71946cea1":{"title":"Gabès","description":""},"5002c70b-9993-5685-976f-a699e2ac9a49":{"title":"Kef Lakhdar","description":""},"50056f38-816a-59e1-9ca5-a93f534a93e1":{"title":"Itinerary 119","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[2]}},"50476e17-6d49-5df1-94bd-d5845b628a69":{"title":"Tleta","description":""},"506ebfbe-e49b-5f19-8db5-62c712fa2323":{"title":"VILLALÓN DE CAMPOS","description":"Villalón was resettled by a Mozarab called Alón according to some chroniclers, or by others, by a Christian called Alfón or Alonsi. Fernando III and Fernando IV granted commercial privileges to the town and Juan II gave it to don Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, the Count of Benavente, in 1434. The successors of don Rodrigo were the patrons responsible for the town’s most important buildings.  \n  \nThe commercial development here resulted in the design of squares and porticos, both of which were very useful for agricultural transactions. The wealth and patronage of the Benavente family is evident in the churches built here and their contents.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"50d2d419-1613-5890-8a89-a9b6ebc7b01a":{"title":"Bizerte","description":"","extra":{"info":"The road runs alongside the Lake of Bizerte on the approach to the town, and from afar one can see the silhouette of Jabal Ichkeul plunging into its surrounding natural park.","how_to_reach":"From al-‘Alia, take the road in direction to Bizerte."}},"50ed9db4-a106-5744-a7b7-5a8eee90b8e8":{"title":"Eger","description":""},"50fd6db4-51e0-54e2-b90d-e1c544d44a78":{"title":"Austria","description":""},"51037d21-9bf3-59e8-99e9-e475647dc76f":{"title":"Umm al-Walid","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5118adf5-5f44-58ca-9ff8-5b94cfcf210b":{"title":"Itinerary 120","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[1]}},"511ee4d4-481e-5712-90f7-00a44c94b649":{"title":"Daroca","description":""},"51351cd5-6b12-5878-8c80-91024873ffef":{"title":"Itinerary 100","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[70,92,101,152,163,165]}},"51734d5e-3bb0-5ece-a914-6c8c9090f982":{"title":"Freixo de Espada à Cinta","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5176f2e3-3742-5bdf-a420-0095d820e65f":{"title":"Franco do Campo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5250ef4c-c518-53dc-9526-1cabf05e058c":{"title":"Itinerary 3","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[498]}},"52b2b119-653d-5e7a-9d67-2b4e5b801737":{"title":"El-Ateuf","description":""},"52e956fa-87bf-550f-9475-e67959f10740":{"title":"Village of Mulay ‘Abdallah (El-Jadida)","description":""},"53224035-1f11-5b34-8672-584f4a9db127":{"title":"ARÉVALO","description":"Arévalo, one of the oldest towns in Castile, has seen many of the vicissitudes of the crown of Castile. Isabel la Católica spent her childhood here, as did her grandson, the future emperor of Germany. The Queen’s Palace, where Juan II and his wife Isabel also lived, and where María de Aragón died, was converted into the Convent of the Bernardine Cistercian nuns, after it was ceded to them by the Emperor Carlos V in 1542.  \n  \nThe city, which was conquered in 1088 by Alfonso VI, was divided up between five families: the Briceño, Berdugo, Montalvo, Sedeño and Tapia. In the 15th century the Zuñiga, the counts of Plasencia and later the dukes of Arévalo also received portions of the city. The fact that it was a town on the edge of the Tierra de Campos and dependent on Toledo marked its architecture, for we can see the box-shaped sections of masonry edged with horizontal and vertical brick courses, typical of Toledo, while the towers and apses are more like the those found in the Tierra de Campos.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"5350e81c-0e2e-554d-a48f-57672c9e7ae4":{"title":"FUNCHAL","description":"Funchal, the Capital, and largest urban centre, has been important since the time of the early settlers. Its privileged setting, allowing for an easy approach by sea, together with its sheltered bay and protecting hills, meant that its future development was ensured. The first buildings erected here, undoubtedly not very far from the shore, consisted of simple huts, built to house the early settlers and extremely poor hut-like churches. After the churches had been built, the first house to be constructed in stone was that of Constança Rodrigues, the granddaughter of the discoverer of Madeira, João Gonçalves Zarco. A certain João Manuel followed this with a house built in white cedar that caused something of a stir as it was higher than the others and so was regarded as an affront not only to the neighbourhood but also to the Crown.  \n  \nThe oldest surviving edifice is the Torre do Capitão (the Captain’s Tower, now in the Parish of Santo António, in Funchal), situated on the Alto de Santo Amaro, a modest square building with two embrasures and a doorway with a pointed arch.  \n  \nThe area that is to be visited in this itinerary covers the neighbourhoods around the cathedral and Santa Maria. It is divided by two streams crossed by a series of bridges, completely covered in some places by luxuriant bougainvillaea.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"537a6f77-9e4a-56a5-b0d5-54bbd33a9eb2":{"title":"Albufeira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"541180db-0289-5e17-93cc-9e2ac92b3c83":{"title":"Tunis, Manouba","description":""},"548cf0f4-e449-56ea-9fd7-f102fc987c8d":{"title":"Anras","description":""},"54a22a50-1d3e-5afe-8ad5-6532ec457aab":{"title":"MAYORGA DE CAMPOS (option)","description":"There are two historical facts, which in artistic terms have influenced Mayorga de Campos. The first is its dependence on the Monastery of Sahagún, against which the villagers rebelled in 1270, destroying the houses and palaces of the abbot. The second is their dependence on the Counts of Benavente after 1430.  \n  \nMost of the walls and the fortress built by Fernando II have disappeared, except the Puerta del Sol, or Sun Gate; little remains of its parish churches. Some are closed for religious services and others have been put to various and inappropriate uses. The basic trait of the churches in Mayorga is their semicircular apse, in the Romanesque manner, built with cob walls and plastered over. This is a characteristic repeated in the other churches of the area, such as the one in Castrobol (Valladolid).","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"54c74bb3-986c-532c-9d9f-72d5fd68123f":{"title":"Redinha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"54ee2bae-472a-51f2-8c1e-d5ef5252ed34":{"title":"Židlochovice","description":""},"54f3557a-f461-5e80-9858-4d48823dfd96":{"title":"SILVES","description":"The following panegyric of Silves delivered by al-Himyari clearly demonstrates the importance that the city had acquired by the end of the Islamic period:  \n“This city lies to the south of Beja \\[…\\] Silves is encircled by a solid wall and has plantations and orchards in its surrounding area. The inhabitants are provided with drinking water by the river, which bathes Silves on its southern side and moves the city’s mills situated on its banks. The sea is three miles to the west of Silves. There is an anchoring place on the river and a yard for ship building.  \n  \nIn itself, the city is beautiful to look at, with elegant buildings and some well-stocked bazaars. Like the people from the neighbouring towns and villages, its inhabitants are Arabs originating from the Yemen and other regions of Arabia. They speak a very pure form of Arabic, express themselves in an eloquent fashion and recite verses by heart. All of them, common people and burghers alike, are remarkably gifted.”  \n  \nEarlier, the references made to the city in written sources amounted to a report of the naval battle fought nearby between the Norman “drakkars” and a fleet from Seville, and little more. However, from the 5th/11th century onwards, as Faro began to take on a more secondary role, the city by the River Arade assumed greater importance and gradually became the main city in the Algarve.  \n  \nUntil recently, all that was known of Silves in Islamic times was the perimeter of the town walls and the odd piece of archaeological information. Apart from this, the memory of the period of Islamic influence amounted to fleeting references to the names and works of Ibn Ammar, Ibn Qasi and al-Mu‘tamid.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"5504a8c2-c82a-57a3-a9ba-cf173c00b966":{"title":"Taoujout","description":""},"5534a576-3ce6-5360-a651-f306fbf347d0":{"title":"Humt Suq","description":""},"554a8c4a-d39e-5f3c-afcf-4bfbd7087371":{"title":"Santa Cruz","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"556ac51c-04a2-51bd-8894-152a2b218bdb":{"title":"Karak","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"556c16d7-bda5-51e6-9481-44b9a93b9704":{"title":"Grombalia","description":""},"556e9fac-3026-5107-a846-37314faa6a22":{"title":"Mire de Tibães","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5617b292-055d-502d-9c75-96d0ba2d9742":{"title":"Arévalo","description":""},"561dfa87-7e71-5452-a7b5-4b5dbb82f1cf":{"title":"Edirne","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5686df3d-1c4d-5ef2-9e9b-a8e035657625":{"title":"Gaza","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"56a80a58-7ba6-5c8c-b05e-21e29b93034e":{"title":"Lanteira","description":""},"56cc921e-12d4-518c-927f-e95ca8f898af":{"title":"Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"57592471-b368-507c-a52d-772d4cd6bc7f":{"title":"Yenişehir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5788af78-c4de-53d7-a033-847c3b4d6012":{"title":"Itinerary 98","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[88,110,158,166]}},"57bd129f-a9f6-5bd6-a125-b672adc794b9":{"title":"PINHEL","description":"The city of Pinhel also owes its origins to the late 12th-century policy of D. Sancho I to establish and strengthen the frontier with León and Castile. The first charter dates from 1209, indicating that it was of sufficient size to deserve this distinction and the basic legislation for its future development.  \n  \nFundamental to this process of development was the introduction of the *Lei das Sesmarias* (a law designed to make ownership of the land conditional on tillage), decreed by D. Fernando, who also created an annual fair to attract traders from all over the region.  \n  \nIn 1510, Manuel I granted Pinhel a new charter.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"57cc47d2-0ab8-5c97-9280-6d08d20d88c2":{"title":"Mussomeli","description":""},"58164aab-8bad-5de9-a01b-52997b79cb7e":{"title":"Vác","description":""},"5817d984-9886-5a0c-bf7e-a836fba73c96":{"title":"Rottenbuch","description":""},"58254d1d-bc69-5547-8658-2550d3075acb":{"title":"Stadl-Paura","description":""},"5832c384-a296-5aad-bd78-97b1516eb533":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - ES","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ab"],"territory_ids":[12]}},"5833533b-1c53-500e-9e22-983bee89c113":{"title":"Itinerary 93","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[182,183,190,194,195,197,202,205]}},"589ab13f-454c-55c0-9343-5693f2e516af":{"title":"TOUGGOURT","description":"Touggourt is the natural capital of the Wadi Ghir. The circular city is surrounded by a ditch, originally a moat. Above it a surrounding wall 2.50 metres high is flanked by small towers spaced approximately 60 metres apart. This primitive fortification, made of rough gypsum masonry, is broken by three doors. “The two city gates called Bab el-Khadra and Bab es-Salam were braced with iron. They opened opposite a drawbridge over the defense moat”, wrote General Daumas in his 1845 narrative, *Le Sahara algérien* (The Algerian Sahara). Bab el-Gheder, the third gate, opens onto the Casbah.  \n  \nThe heart of the city is the *ksar* Mestawa, dominated by the Great Mosque with white marble doorways and columns. The facade is covered with glazed earthenware tiles. Near the mosque stands a terracotta brick minaret.  \n  \nDuring the first centuries of Islam, Touggourt was dependent on the governors of Biskra. In the 9th / 15th century, after the arrival of the first sovereign, Souleyman ben Djellab (of Moroccan origin and related to the Marinids), a new dynasty reigned for four centuries, with help from nomadic populations in the region. In the 10th / 16th century, Ottoman influence caused hardship for people subjected to heavy taxes. In 1854, the city fell under French rule.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"59e197a5-9395-50d5-b774-26783f9c0aa8":{"title":"Viana do Alentejo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5a009e41-c8d2-5db8-bcca-3197baa98889":{"title":"KAIROUAN","description":"Following several fruitful expeditions, General ‘Uqba founded the town of Kairouan in the year 49/670, with the thought of being able to assure Muslims of an everlasting presence in the Maghreb. Strategically, the choice of its site was judicious. In fact, Kairouan is a day’s walk from the sea, which was still under the domination of the Byzantine fleets, as well as being a day’s walk from the mountains, in which Berber tribes, hostile towards Islam, were entrenched. The new town formed a bridgehead along the demarcation line following the withdrawal of the Byzantine army after the defeat of Sufetula in 27/648. ‘Uqba devised the town plan of Kairouan by placing the Great Mosque at its centre, next to which he built the Government Palace and established the basics of the main thoroughfare, later called “Grand Simat”, before he proceeded to distribute portions of land to his soldiers. Kairouan became a town and people arrived in droves from all around. Neither the Revolt of Kusseila (64/684) nor the Rebellion of the Kahina against Hassan Ibn al-Nu‘man (78/698–82/701) succeeded in swallowing up the new-born town, which came into existence in an extremely hostile environment. Indeed, after the country’s pacification, the town was the target of Kharijite Berber plots who organised revolts in the name of racial equality. They sacked the town and massacred its population at various intervals during the years 124/742–139/757. Consequently, protection over the town was imposed: this was the work of Mohamed Ibn al-‘Ach, the first Abbassid chief who settled in Kairouan and busied himself with protecting it against invaders through the building of a rampart in 144/762. The Abbassid Caliph al-Mansur wrote to al-Aghlab Ibn Salam Tamimi, his Governor in Ifriqiya, about this matter, advising him *“to be just towards his subjects, to fortify the town of Kairouan and its defences and to arrange for its protection”*. It is true that these measures did not prevent further assaults against the town from occurring, but nevertheless they did help to improve its security and create more favourable conditions for its urban growth. Under the reign of the Banu al-Muhallabs, Kairouan went through a relatively peaceful period. Yazid Ibn Hatim undertook building and extension works on the Great Mosque, which became a reason for Kairouan’s rise and demographic growth. He organised the *suq*s, and filled them with different professional bodies. Earlier, various *suq*s had proliferated in the heart of the *medina*, attesting to intense commercial and economic activity. Since the Ist/2nd half of the 7th century, Kairouan began its preparation to become a significant, and heavily populated, Arab-Muslim centre, without, however, aspiring to become a great luxurious and opulent capital; its houses remained modest. Merit is due to the Aghlabids for propelling it to the rank of great Mediterranean capitals. Yet, the new era had begun ominously. The founder of the dynasty, Ibrahim I, distanced himself from the Kairouanese by founding, in 185/801, a new capital, al-‘Abbassiya, 5 km. to the south. His son, Ziyadat Allah, punished the inhabitants of Kairouan for supporting the Arab rebel leader Mansur al-Tanbudhi, and destroyed its ramparts. However, after the consolidation of power among the Aghlabid princes, Kairouan stood out for its loyalty to the dynasty, which then endowed the town with its most beautiful monuments. It was thus that Ziyadat Allah I undertook, beginning in 220/835, the reconstruction of the Great Mosque, so as to render it worthy of the spiritual role which had not ceased to befall the town of Kairouan. Abu Ibrahim placed his freed slave Khalef (246/860) in charge of building a cistern which came to be considered as one of the most important hydraulic works of the Muslim world.  \n  \nHistorical sources attest that Kairouan attained its level of growth with the Aghlabids and did not cease to develop. Its intellectual life was no less abundant, and Kairouan became one of the most brilliant centres of Islamic culture, from where Malekism would spread out across the whole of the Muslim West due in particular to the work of the great scholar Sahnun Ibn Sa‘id (159/776–239/854).  \n  \nWhen the Fatimids settled in Ifriqiya (296/909), they did not bestow any kind of particular importance on Kairouan, which was fighting back stubborn Shi‘ite resistance, forcing them to seek refuge on the coast and to found the town of Mahdia. The Kairouanese even rallied themselves around the Kharijites during the revolt of the “man on the donkey” in 329/941. However, aggravated by the demands of the Berbers, they ended up supporting the Fatimid Caliph al-Mansur, who after his victory, pardoned the Kairouanese and founded his new Capital, Sabra al-Mansuriya in 337/949, on the doorstep of their town. Later on, al-Mu‘izz built an aqueduct that supplied the town’s cisterns with drinking water after first providing for his own Capital, Sabra. Kairouan seemed at the height of expansion: it numbered around 15 thoroughfares, each emanating from the Great Mosque, creating a circulatory urban configuration, which leads to the assumption that the town-plan was based on that of Baghdad, the round city. Fifteen cisterns, situated outside the town walls, supplied the town with water and one could count the presence of over 48 *hammam*s. The town constituted a commercial centre, linking the two extremes of the Muslim world and the economic one which received caravans from al-Andalus and from the auriferous deposits of the southern Sahara. Kairouan was surrounded by wellpopulated villages like the Sardaigne, Jalula, Husr and Sadaf, that provided it with foodstuffs and agricultural produce. Furthermore, the town of Kairouan became one of the largest centres of textile, ceramic and pottery fabrication. It could thus fulfil the necessary criteria required in becoming one of the biggest towns of the era. It is probable that it was, alongside Cordoba and Fustat, one of the greatest metropolises of the Mediterranean.  \n  \nAfter the departure of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu‘izz to Egypt (361/972) in the wake of Cairo’s foundation, Ifriqiya became a Zirid province. Closer ties began to form between the Zirids and the Kairouanese following Prince al-Mansur’s move to Sabra in 375/986. These were reinforced in 406/1016, in the aftermath of the Shi‘ite persecutions in Kairouan, and came to a head in 438/1047, when al-Mu‘izz repudiated his Fatimid allegiance and Sunnism was proclaimed. The Fatimids’ reaction bore tragic consequences for the town.  \n  \nIndeed, in 442/1051, the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir sent the Hilalians to Ifriqiya: tribes from lower Egypt swarmed over North Africa and sacked its capital, Kairouan, which was deserted by the majority of its population. From then on, the town lost its political-economic role and retreated back within its city walls, cutting itself off from a hostile countryside and retaining an essentially spiritual role, whilst transforming itself into a market-town dedicated to commercial activities and craft-making. Meanwhile, the town went through a relative renaissance under the Hafsids. In fact, from the end of the 7th/13th century, Kairouan began to rebuild its ramparts along new lines, and the success of maraboutism provoked the proliferation of mausoleums and *zawiya*s that marked the urban development of the town. It transformed itself into a centre for tanning, fur-trading, and weaving, and its *suq*s were again reorganised. Following the decline of Hafsid power, Kairouan was conquered in 944/1538 by the Chiefs of the Shabbiya Brotherhood who turned it into their capital for 40 years and into the bastion of national opposition to the Spanish Christians who had come to rescue the Hafsid Sultan Hassan. In the 11th/17th century Kairouan benefited from the care and concern of the Muradites, in particular that of Hammuda Mohamed; he transferred his capital there following the rebellion lead by his uncle and his brother ‘Ali. But in 1112/1701, Murad III turned against the Kairouanese, burning down their homes, taking advantage of the allegiance of the Husaynites, after which Husayn Ibn ‘Ali paid particular attention to Kairouan through reconstructing its ramparts and building the Husaynite Madrasa. His successors followed his example as a sign of gratitude for the position taken by the town during the rebellion of ‘Ali Pasha. The French traveller Desfontaines, who visited the town in 1784, noted that it was *“the largest of the kingdoms after Tunis. It is even better built and less dirty than the latter …”*. The traveller Guerin estimated that its population, in 1861, was 12,000 inhabitants. In fact, Kairouan was the seat of the government administration with a population of 130,000 inhabitants. It was an essentially agricultural region, focusing on cereal cultivation and arboriculture. The town was reputed for its crafts, mainly for its rugs and brassware.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"5a03cfd5-7b41-586e-b2c8-1d86d928cbc2":{"title":"Explore Portugal","description":"Situated in the extreme southwest of Europe, continental Portugal and its islands are an amazing reservoir of discoveries – a genuine workshop and a unique melting pot of styles and techniques, strongly influenced by Portugal‘s Mediterranean and trans-Atlantic outlook through the centuries. 296 monuments in 126 locations provide an opportunity to explore the legacy of Islam, the Great Discoveries and the Baroque.","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"legacy_status":"e"}},"5a1b8451-0ed7-537d-ad4d-4cb94f316fd6":{"title":"Medina del Campo","description":""},"5a9ae0aa-991a-5de7-ab1a-d6c52ebc3730":{"title":"Asilah","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Situated 46 km. south of Tangier, on the Atlantic coast. From Tangier go towards Rabat. Follow the sign saying Centre Hassan II. The itinerary is based within the old town inside the ramparts.  \nOutside the walls, there is supervised parking."}},"5ad5f826-2904-5528-ab27-f4e26e5ca962":{"title":"SOUSSE","description":"Founded in the 2nd century BC by the Phoenicians to serve as a base for their trading ships in the western Mediterranean, Sousse experienced a remarkable boom during the Roman era, distinguishing itself as one of Africa’s main cities. Nothing significant occurred during the Vandal period or the Byzantine period, and this also applied to the first Muslim period. Facing the supremacy of the Byzantine navy in the western Mediterranean as well as the anarchy that dominated Ifriqiya throughout the 2nd/8th century, the Muslims decided to retreat inland into the country, while Sousse, which was composed of numerous hamlets, lived under the protection of its *ribat*, a sort of fortress that served as a watchtower and refuge for its inhabitants. During the middle of the 2nd–3rd/beginning of 9th century, the Aghlabids succeeded in pacifying the country and becoming the new masters of the sea. They chose Sousse as their naval base and Ziyadat Allah I endowed it with a *kasbah* in 205/821 that encompassed the *ribat* and the naval dockyard where a military garrison were stationed; the whole compound was enclosed by a rampart. It was thus that Sousse was used as the departure point for the Conquest of Sicily in 211/827, reviving the conflict between the Aghlabids and the Byzantines, resulting in a series of clashes that have been well documented in historical sources. The threat of danger incited the Aghlabid princes to reinforce the defensive infrastructure of their base at which the most vicious assaults were aimed.  \n  \nA new *kasbah* was built by Abu ‘Abbas in 229/844; then, 15 years later, Abu Ibrahim Ahmed encircled the town with a freestone enclosure. Sousse then benefited from a time of relative peace, which favoured its growth and development. From being purely a military base, it rose to being one of the largest towns in Ifriqiya, serving Kairouan as the main maritime outlet.  \n  \nCrafts were developed, particularly the weaving of fine materials, which was greatly admired abroad. The problem of supplying the town with drinking water was resolved through the rebuilding of the *sofra*, an ancient Roman cistern that had been turned into a prison during the Aghlabid period. A canal brings the water from the surrounding area to inside the town walls. The foundation of Mahdia in 304/917 by the Fatimid Caliph al-Mahdi, relegated Sousse to second place; Sousse suffered greatly under the siege imposed by the Kharijite Abu Yazid in 333/945.  \n  \nNevertheless, it was able to pick itself up again due to its ideal location in terms of the economic geography of Ifriqiya. Throughout its history, and depending on political fluctuations, Sousse sometimes developed in direct relation to inland areas, whilst at other times it developed completely separately from it, but it always counterbalanced itself with maritime activities.  \n  \nThe end of the 4th/10th century and the beginning of the 5th/11th were notably periods of great urban growth. However, this prosperity was abruptly halted by the arrival of the Hilalians who ransacked the country. Sousse’s fate slipped through the hands of Jebara Ibn Kamel, an Arab Chief allied to the Zirids. Cut-off from the rest of the country, it retreated back into itself, surviving only thanks to its maritime commercial trading links with the other ports of the Mediterranean. Like many coastal towns, it was annexed by the Normans of Sicily and dwelled under their domination for 15 years, until the arrival of the Almohads in 555/1160.  \n  \nDuring 7th/13th century, the town benefited from the great attention paid to it by the Hafsids, who endowed the town with several monuments. But when, in the 10th/16th century, the Sultan Mulay Hassan called on the Spanish to help him reclaim his throne, Sousse rose up against the invaders and endured severe damage following two punitive expeditions.  \n  \nThe Turks, in restoring peace to the country, reclaimed the town. The 11th/17th century was marked by two events. From within, Sousse was deeply shaken by internal struggles that afflicted first the brothers Mohamed and ‘Ali Bey from 1085/1675 to 1097/1686, then Murad III and his cousin Ramdan who had taken refuge in Sousse only to be persecuted and decapitated there in 1110/1699. In the outside world, Sousse took part, as did most coastal towns, in privateering activities, rampant throughout the Mediterranean, and because of this was often the object of reprisals by European States, most notably France and Venice. In the 12th/18th century, during the rebellion of ‘Ali Pasha in 1140/1728, Sousse sided with Husayn Ibn ‘Ali’s camp and was stage to various battles, until the final victory was won by the Husaynites in 1170/1757. In recognition of this, the Bey Mohamed accorded Sousse various rights and privileges. On the other hand, in the Revolt lead by ‘Ali Ibn Ghdhahum during 13th/19th century, Sousse sided with the rebels. After this insurrection failed, General Ahmed Zarruk, sent by the *bey*, exercised a pitiful regime of repression over Sousse, whose importance suffered a continuous decline until the debarkation of the French troops in September 1881. By that time, it had been reduced to a town of merely 8,000 inhabitants.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"5b13111d-d9ce-5fa9-af6a-6fb391b5f1c2":{"title":"Czech Republic","description":""},"5b35f0d9-5f54-5cad-81c1-3f3f0bd2b7b3":{"title":"Frascati","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1,2]}},"5b6b18bb-bbd7-57da-8368-b49ad23d9efc":{"title":"Udhruh","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5bd6a7de-5b23-5a21-8889-46961928f413":{"title":"Osijek","description":""},"5bf8ea89-82d0-5d58-9054-c4e95787b59c":{"title":"Itinerary 16","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[337],"territory_ids":[8]}},"5c258ec2-4464-53ad-9b3b-8c845f824d3b":{"title":"Casablanca","description":""},"5c2f7f87-322b-55c6-8248-b480fdb7cec9":{"title":"Fügenberg","description":""},"5d122e5b-e7ee-5716-9999-fae4f1d518f7":{"title":"Vilamoura","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5d4a3620-0251-5cbe-949d-7c8425b68093":{"title":"Taormina","description":""},"5d5d1e6b-1f8d-5f22-9bd0-ccd02d4965df":{"title":"Aqaba","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5de89b16-ab46-5000-b305-eb681ec86f8c":{"title":"Alfaiates","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5e1bd177-50a6-55d2-9639-9354e7536c49":{"title":"Vila Franca do Campo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5e324c55-9fd9-5301-a247-48afa528bb80":{"title":"VICARI","description":"Al-Idrisi describes it as an “*imposing castle and impregnable fortalice with plenty of water and productive land*” (tr. Amari, 1880-1881).  \n  \nAccording to some chroniclers, the Great Count Ruggero used this place as a stronghold for the Conquest of Palermo, and in 1077 constructed a castle there at the foot of which many groups of Lombards settled. In effect its position of privileged “guard” on a crossroads of fundamental importance, in order to link the coast with the interior, makes it reasonable to imagine the existence of communities from the Byzantine era and the permanence of an inhabited area during the Islamic period. This hypothesis seems to be supported by some remains, which have been discovered during the archaeological campaigns carried out recently in the area of the castle.","extra":{"author":"Scientific Committee"}},"5eabf1d5-83d6-5a67-a5bf-736936927ed9":{"title":"HUMT SUQ","description":"Situated on the same level as the semi-desert zone of the African continent, the Island of Jerba would have been only a piece of the sandy Sahara emerging out of the large gulf of Gabès, but its meeting with man was to give it an altogether different appearance. The island of Homer’s Lotophagus, or the “island of great depths”, became Girba during the Roman era, hence its present name; it is a large and beautiful island which holds an important strategic position in the Mediterranean. Situated approximately at mid-distance between Ceuta (*Sebta*) in Morocco and Alexandria in Egypt, Jerba possessed a flourishing arboriculture as well as vineyards; it produced all kinds of fruit; and its pottery workshops manufactured large jars used for the exportation of olive oil. Its inhabitants produced olive oil, wool fabrics and a popular cotton cloth. During the Age of Antiquity, its coastal installations worked treating murex, a variety of mollusc that secreted a purple-red colour (*purpura*), a dye much sought-after by the sovereigns of the time as it was used to colour their regal garments. The coastal fisheries provided a variety of fish. Important trading agencies marked out the coastline: Meninx to the south, Tipaza on the site of Ajim, Haribus near Guellala and Ghizen on the northern coast.  \n  \nLocal tradition recalls, during this time, the arrival of a Jewish community who towards the middle of the 6th century BC had left Jerusalem as refugees and who found Jerba a favourable place in which to propagate their faith. Passing into the hands of the Romans after they had taken Carthage, Jerba underwent an even greater boom as can be seen by the size of the city of Meninx, which became the island’s capital, and by the construction of a reef linking the island to the continent. The island even gave birth to two emperors, Vibius Galus and his son, Volusianus. With no traces left of the Vandal episode, the island continued to welcome all religions, as illustrated by the fact that, at the end of the reign of Justinian, it housed a solid Christian diocese in the city of Girba, which seemed to have replaced Meninx as the island’s capital.  \n  \nConquered by the Arabs in 273/887, the island appears to have be unaffected by the events that were acted out on the continent. It was only with the arrival of Ibadism, which slowly gained interest in the Muslim West during the 3rd/9th century, that Jerba was taken note of. One has to briefly remind oneself that during the Great Discord (see the Historical Overview), the first partisans of ‘Ali were Kharijites. Hence the latter gave themselves the right to select a leader, whether he be or not descended from Quraysh, the Prophet’s tribe, whether he be even a black slave. But Kharijism did not remain unified; ever since its beginnings, it splintered into various sects spreading across the Muslim world; Ibadism, a moderate faction of this movement, implanted itself in the Maghreb. It derives its name from its founder, ‘Abd Allah Ibn Ibad al-Murri, who lived in Basra in Iraq towards the end of the 1st/7th century. When and how was this island penetrated by this movement? It is difficult to reply to this question with precision, but it seems that the proximity of Tripolitania played a role in the origins of contact made between Jerba and the first Ibadite State, founded in the Maghreb in 140/758 by five missionaries sent from Basra to preach their doctrine. It was to be an ephemeral state, but it represented the first application of Ibadite political theory of Collegiate power. At the same time, Kairouan was occupied by the Ibadites and was also governed by one of them, ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Rustum.Tripoli, Ifriqiya and east Algeria seemed for a while to have been converted to the new doctrine. Ibn Rustum, chased out of Kairouan in 143/761, sought refuge with the Berbers and founded Tahert in 161/778, near present-day Tiaret in southern Algeria. Some time after his settlement, he instituted an *imam* diocese (*Imamat*) which would remain within his family until 296/909 to which Jerba was attached. It was a theocracy founded on the Qur’an and on the Tradition in which the *imam* must be a pious theologian supervised by clerks; it was an austere, puritanical and egalitarian regime. His son, ‘Abd al-Wahab (171/788–208/824) was elected by a council, but was very soon contested by an Ibadite faction which separated itself from the Rustemids, giving rise to two schismatic movements.  \n  \nIt seems that during this period of Ibadite penetration, Jerba was more of a refuge for these dissident groups created in opposition to the dynastic power of the Rustemids, notably the *Nukkariya* and the *Khalafiya*. The “renouncers”, *nukkar*, who constituted one of the main branches of Ibadism, gained their name from the fact that they refused to recognise the second *imam* of Tahert; they also owed their celebrity to their leader, the famous Abu Yazid, “the man on the donkey” who never compromised the existence of the Fatimid Caliphate. As for the *khalafiya*, they derived their name from Khalaf Ibn al-Samh; his father was at first the vizier of the imam ‘Abd al-Wahab, and then Governor of Tripoli (195/811–207/823). On his death, the Tripolitan Ibadite notables elected his son, Khalaf, but he was not recognised by the *imam* of Tahert, which then brought about a schism. Whosoever advocated ideas against the heredity of power and ideas for meritocratic election would have benefited from a good audience if preaching to the population of Jerba. In 296/909, the Fatimids were to put an end not only to the Aghlabid Emirate but also to the *imam* diocese of Tahert, creating a great and powerful kingdom.  \n  \nSmall Ibadite factions gradually regrouped in southern Ifriqiya and Tripoli. No longer able to recreate an *imam* diocese, they adopted the laws of secrecy when it came to matters of faith in order to avoid repression. At the end of the Rustemid reign, Jerba had a *Nukkariya* majority, and the *shaykh* Abu Messwer had a lot of difficulty in creating the first *Wahabiya* school in Jerba (remember that this name was given to the followers of the second Rustemid *imam*, ‘Abd al-Wahab, who was mentioned above). He was the founder of Humt Suq, also referred to in sources as Suq al-Khamis. It was only from the beginning of the 4th/10th century that *Wahabism*, anchored onto solid foundations, had begun to supplant *Nukkarism* and a harsh, bitter combat was fought between the two parties.  \n  \nIn the middle of the 5th/11th century, a new form of government appeared amidst the Banu Yahrassen tribes, which was composed of a council of hermits presided over by a *shaykh*, under which the whole life of the community was submitted. This council was made up of 12 people, each of whom had their own function. They had founded their power on the basis of Ibadite teachings and thought.  \n  \nDuring the 6th/12th century, the island had to uphold a lengthy resistance against the Normans; on several occasions the latter had the upper hand, as they played on internal dissensions within the island and Jerba was taken in 529/1135. Around 544/1150, Mahdia, Sousse and Sfax, the coastal towns, were also in the hands of the Normans and had to pay tribute to the conquerors. The people Revolted and they were liberated a short while after by the Almohads. The island was taken for a second time in 682/1284 by Admiral Roger de Lauria; it was pillaged and sacked. The admiral organised the building of a fortress and the population was forced to pay heavy tributes. He systematically raided and plundered the Ifriqiyan coasts. Christian domination lasted more or less until 735/1335; the people, overcome and exhausted by the demands of “greedy money grubbing governors”, rose up against them, putting an end to their rule. In 835/1432, Alphonso of Aragon took over the island, but his domination lasted but a short while. In 924/1518, Hassan al-Wazzan, returning from a voyage to the East, was captured by a Sicilian pirate during a stop-over in Jerba and was taken to Italy. Offered as a gift to Pope Leo X, John of Medici, he was converted to Christianity and was given the name John Leo the African. He wrote prolifically, but posterity honours him above all for being the author of the *Descriptions of Africa*. In the 10th/16th century, the island, having become the den of the famous corsair Dragut, Darguth Rais, was attacked by the admiral to Philip II, André Doria. It turned out to be a disaster for the Spanish and the apogee of Turkish power in the Mediterranean. Despite the Turkish defeat of Lepante in 978/1571, the island as well as the country dwelled henceforth under Ottoman domination.  \n  \nIn the 11th/17th century, two-thirds of the island had been won over by Wahabism. In the 12th/18th and 13th/19th centuries, the *Nukkariyas*, confined to the eastern zone of the island, progressively converted themselves to Malekism, reinforcing the grip of Tunis as a central power. The system of *‘azzaba*s was from the start based on a vision of power upheld by the original initiators, but its development presents a gradual fissure between the two powers. Dynasties of local governors seized transient power for themselves, leaving the *‘azzaba*s to deal with justice and teaching.  \n  \nOn the 28th July 1881, French troops occupied the great fortress, the Burj al-Kabir, just as they had occupied the rest of Tunisia. Since Independence, Jerba has returned to being the fascinating, mysterious island it once was, with its blond sandy beaches, filled with sea and sun, dotted with small white and curiously shaped mosques, revealing themselves to those with inquisitive gazes and yet how secret they are!  \n  \nThe fruits of a long local tradition, the buildings of Jerba, are scattered according to the image of spatial occupation held by the Jerbian. Breaking away, in effect, from the classical city which for a long time had flourished near the coast, these islanders, for reasons of security, had surged back further into the island, developing thus a dispersed community. From the Middle Ages onwards, they flocked towards different areas in order to exploit the land agriculturally, assuring their self-sufficiency. In this type of settlement, the mosque occupies an essential place in community life. It is the spiritual centre, even though it is located at the periphery. Sources attribute the island as having 360 mosques, that is nearly a mosque for every day of the year, demonstrating thus the profound piety of its inhabitants as well as their dispersion. These monuments were, successively or at the same time, the preferred place in which to live out the cultural, administrative, military, and indeed political life of the population. They assured the formation of the frameworks necessary to govern the island in an autonomous manner. They thus reflect the moments of strength within the Ibadite epic which enabled the island to be kept in the lap of Islam, despite the pressures that weighed down on her during the centuries of trouble. Whether it be religious or used for economic purposes, the island’s architecture is characterised by its sobriety, its minimalism and its functionality. Nothing is superfluous. It is the expression of the egalitarian teachings of a rigorous Islam, believed in by the first initiators of the Ibadite doctrine. Local in origin, most of the monuments described below are built in this mould, as are even the official monuments which were constructed under the orders of the central state, to which the island was more or less attached during various periods of its history.","extra":{"author":"Aziza Ben Tanfous"}},"5f5db974-1421-5a97-9288-53ead780d4fd":{"title":"Noudar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5f6974c9-bd97-584b-aace-0aa37a73d040":{"title":"Itinerary 113","description":"","extra":{"location_ids":[409]}},"5f8de01b-417a-52a7-a34c-1ce9cc956d92":{"title":"Paderne","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"603250a7-4665-5a6f-8aa8-b1688e75b35d":{"title":"Bologna","description":""},"60390603-06ed-571d-9dd5-99f191d0de83":{"title":"Testour","description":""},"60530d47-fa51-5a8e-af81-c9cc714229b4":{"title":"Itinerary 13","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[285,288,293,298,300,305,325,330,334,338,345],"territory_ids":[7]}},"60b556a2-980a-5b52-bb6a-8429ea8caa3e":{"title":"Al-Hnaya","description":""},"6154e800-5109-5c20-acdf-fbc643a2586f":{"title":"Telč","description":""},"622c99a7-7db9-5c4a-8c74-1d1133247bd3":{"title":"Ankara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"62570b6b-d213-5f5f-b2c9-2843799a7f9f":{"title":"Sintra","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information Office: Praça da República, 23, tel: 21 923 11 57.","showOnMonument":true}},"6283d35c-5f3a-53bd-bb0d-48d436d74fb9":{"title":"Potsdam","description":""},"6287bd28-26d2-5ad9-85ad-06502c0d17ad":{"title":"Tunis, Bardo","description":""},"629e6bca-19ae-59e8-b2f6-a6c5b0fdbd62":{"title":"VIANA DO CASTELO","description":"Viana do Castelo, or Viana do Lima, as many of its inhabitants like to call it, started out as a small fishing village called Átrio, which existed in the 12th century. D. Afonso III named it Viana when he granted it a charter in 1258, and from then on it developed rapidly, especially during the Manueline Period. The town was, therefore, a Crown estate and, for the first phase of its settlement with new inhabitants, the actions of João Gonçalves proved to be crucial. The king’s representative in the region, he justly came to be known as “the Settler” of Viana.  \n  \nIts excellent anchorage at the mouth of the River Lima first attracted inter-European trading vessels, and then, later, ships carrying goods and people to and from Africa, Brazil and the Far East, at the same time as European trade increased apace. It was an essential trading port for cloth and metal goods from Flanders, England and Germany. This wealth, however, attracted pirates, mainly from France and the Biscay area, so when D. Manuel I passed through the town on a pilgrimage to Santiago do Compostela, he ordered a fort to be constructed on the bar of the estuary.  \n  \nThis golden period created a mercantile and manufacturing class and craftsmen’s guilds, which left their mark on the historic centre of the city. The wealth, piety and devotion of the citizens of the town, along with their personal and professional affirmation, are reflected in churches and many other buildings in the area.","extra":{"about":"Viana do Castelo, or Viana do Lima, as many of its inhabitants like to call it, started out as a small fishing village called Átrio, which existed in the 12th century. D. Afonso III named it Viana when he granted it a charter in 1258, and from then on it developed rapidly, especially during the Manueline Period. The town was, therefore, a Crown estate and, for the first phase of its settlement with new inhabitants, the actions of João Gonçalves proved to be crucial. The king’s representative in the region, he justly came to be known as “the Settler” of Viana.  \nIts excellent anchorage at the mouth of the River Lima first attracted inter-European trading vessels, and then, later, ships carrying goods and people to and from Africa, Brazil and the Far East, at the same time as European trade increased apace. It was an essential trading port for cloth and metal goods from Flanders, England and Germany. This wealth, however, attracted pirates, mainly from France and the Biscay area, so when D. Manuel I passed through the town on a pilgrimage to Santiago do Compostela, he ordered a fort to be constructed on the bar of the estuary.  \nThis golden period created a mercantile and manufacturing class and craftsmen’s guilds, which left their mark on the historic centre of the city. The wealth, piety and devotion of the citizens of the town, along with their personal and professional affirmation, are reflected in churches and many other buildings in the area.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"62c38d35-9a12-5417-ab33-5809a7ad5df4":{"title":"Viana do Castelo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6363f883-935b-595c-a974-95d48df23792":{"title":"Birgi","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"There are regular *dolmush* minibuses from Tire bus station to Ödemiş and from Ödemiş bus station to Birgi.","showOnMonument":true}},"63826ea2-652f-5c29-b2d4-f03cdf3ea402":{"title":"Miranda do Douro","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"63faa6a4-4f55-590a-9192-9db29b957efc":{"title":"Tirol","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"642c6a43-4595-5553-b0a7-4de82d0c1061":{"title":"Lebanon","description":""},"6476e87f-6330-5492-9bed-5873ba0fdc60":{"title":"Berovo","description":""},"64af80fc-b3b8-5c27-807b-4736de93fdd8":{"title":"Gornja Bistra","description":""},"64bb56e8-0f61-53ae-8eaf-e9e556cbf8d6":{"title":"SÉTIF","description":"The town of Setif, capital of Setif province, is located about 300 kilometres east of Algiers at an elevation of 1,100 metres in the High Plains between the Kabylie and Aurès Mountains. It is bounded to the North by the Babors Range, which extends over an area of 100 kilometres in the northern part of the province, and includes peaks such as Mount Babor, at 2,004 metres. The region has abundant natural and historical sites. It also has six hot springs, including Hammam Guergour and Hammam Soukhna.  \n  \nThe city’s history city dates to earliest antiquity. Setif was part of the Numid kingdom of the Massaessyles. When the Romans arrived it took the official name “Colonia Nerviana Augusta martialis veteranorum Setifensium”. It became a colony in 543, under Nerva. It extended over 40 hectares as the capital of Mauretania Sitifensis. When General Justinian Solomon occupied the city in 593, it was a semi-abandoned capital. The Byzantine rampart he ordered was built three to four metres behind the old one. At that time the city enjoyed a certain prosperity.  \n  \nWith the advent of Islam, it fell under the rule of the Abbasids and enjoyed great autonomy. Al-Bakri describes it as “important, well-populated and rich, provided with water and surrounded by orchards”. In the 4th / 10th century it was taken by the *da’i* (Shiite proselytiser) Abu Abd Allah, who destroyed the Byzantine wall and made the Setif heights at Ikdjane his operational base, thus creating the first Fatimid caliphate.  \n  \nThe city would experience a period of political stability and urban expansion until early in the 4th / 10th century. After that the instability produced by the arrival of nomadic groups had a detrimental effect, but the city remained prominent. In 546 / 1152, Abdelmoumen the Almohad, already the ruler of Bejaya, defeated the Beni Hilal, and the city began to decline. At the beginning of the 10th / 16th century, Leon the African described it as almost nonexistent, and it remained so until the first French colonists arrived in 1838.  \n  \nSetif, which is industrialising and experiencing considerable urban development, is currently an important tourist centre. In the city centre, the archaeological park contains a lake and a museum. Also notable is Aïn Fouara, a large Roman-era fountain that was discovered and restored in colonial times, and the mausoleum known as the Tomb of Scipio.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"650eb316-7f5f-51c2-96cf-4e45a3f19520":{"title":"Holešov","description":""},"652c05d0-52e7-5ee9-879b-b6b967772dfc":{"title":"Explore","description":"Islamic art and architecture where it stands: by theme, by country and by itinerary"},"652e2fad-3a46-50ec-8e6c-55ee7530b041":{"title":"Castelvetrano","description":""},"655f5bdf-6e9d-576f-a666-1a0d960d23fd":{"title":"San Pedro de las Dueñas","description":""},"656bc9cc-215e-5faa-8d65-68d52b91f121":{"title":"Serra do Buçaco","description":""},"65a2b5a6-143c-5e6a-bbe2-c10820ae66ea":{"title":"Torres Vedras","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"660f62d2-d8ff-5c5d-9199-5612a639fd38":{"title":"Almancil","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"661d4554-e696-5255-bac4-057adfd9af24":{"title":"Almería","description":""},"6646f14c-5bbf-50cd-9780-c676b1e8d95e":{"title":"COIMBRA","description":"This was how the Arab chronicler al-Razi described the city of the Mondego Valley in the 4th/10th century: “The city of Coimbra is very strong: it is a most excellent castle. It is situated upon the Mondego, which has its source in the mountains of Serra da Estrela and passes at the foot of various castles that depend on Coimbra. This river rushes into the sea 24 miles from Coimbra; it abounds in fish of many species. The city of Coimbra is beautiful and endowed with different riches; on the banks of the river it has a plain that is very good for crops, even without irrigation. When the river comes out of its bed, the plain is entirely covered. Later, when the river retreats, so well is the grain sown that the inhabitants harvest wheat enough for the whole year and for the following year, although the plain is no more than 15 miles long and 4 miles wide. The city of Coimbra has many orchards with good yields and numerous olive-groves that provide very good oil. Coimbra is a very ancient land. Coimbra may be considered as the northernmost city with Mediterranean characteristics in the west of the Iberian Peninsula and, in Islamic times, it covered a walled area of roughly 10 hectares inhabited by some three to four thousand people. Built on a hill overlooking the plains of the Mondego Valley, its territory stretched as far as the sea, close to which there stood the imposing fortress of Montemor-o-Velho.  \n  \nA monumental citadel, with an adjoining residential quarter, that dominated the top of the hill, where the old university and its campus of modern faculties now stands. Close to the river, along the top of the road that led to the north, there developed a heavily populated quarter of fishermen, traders and artisans, to which access was gained through the Porta de Almedina.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"66797b89-cb69-5635-9d51-242cd315c9dd":{"title":"Villalón de Campos","description":""},"672b4f56-28de-572f-8c5e-fd6370edc6f4":{"title":"Itinerary 65","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[507]}},"674f601a-5cad-5e63-b3da-9babbdc3233c":{"title":"Maluenda","description":""},"68246291-2487-579c-8bb6-0dbab95e7099":{"title":"Faro","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Rua Da Misericórdia, 8, tel: 289 80 36 04.","showOnMonument":true}},"687d06e8-f10b-5a74-a12c-fed18e472156":{"title":"Lourosa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"68a02bec-b17b-542a-bde4-56457522209f":{"title":"Mar Musa al-Habashi Monastery","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"68cddb7c-3c03-5044-9b64-a3e58a1da2b9":{"title":"Central Jordan Valley","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"696b4cf4-a6b5-5b59-a559-b86187cef2e1":{"title":"Maqam of Nabi Samuel (St Samuel)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"697130ed-b1c7-5cef-a1c2-7aacc04bef4d":{"title":"Viseu","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6971d113-f478-59cd-b211-ba06c7775fd7":{"title":"Itinerary 57","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[407,411,412,413,419,423,439,442,445,450],"territory_ids":[10]}},"69824c72-b929-51e9-9164-7c0b25165fce":{"title":"Mahdia","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Leave from Kairouan on the al-Djem, then head towards Ksur Essaf and Mahdia."}},"69c79641-68fb-5120-9f67-04a3f248b5a4":{"title":"Elvas","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Praça da República, tel: 268 62 22 36.","showOnMonument":true}},"69eba0bf-403c-52ae-bdc3-a1ed825c3f9d":{"title":"Itinerary 62","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[508]}},"6a98de95-ff0e-55b8-b6b3-e12834fbd25c":{"title":"Landeck","description":""},"6ad70cd6-6548-5d91-9f01-14ae45d1ac8f":{"title":"Weyarn","description":""},"6b045bdb-331c-5819-b51d-542ef23a5601":{"title":"Citadel of Abu Qubays","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6b0d5527-590d-52ab-9ede-23f803439ae9":{"title":"Itinerary 111","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[80,100,115,138,144,150]}},"6b0e8180-ca64-50fc-a038-1040396bd8ac":{"title":"Diyarbakır","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6b5ef6bd-e5c6-5812-930c-cb0e51ab3d13":{"title":"Námešť nad Oslavou","description":""},"6be765c5-70c2-51d9-8f52-d48d27f35c2d":{"title":"LAMEGO","description":"The city was important in distant times, at least from the Visigothic period in the 7th century onwards, for coins were minted here in the reign of Sisebuto. When the Muslims began to take over the Peninsula in 713, Lamego was occupied soon afterwards and was only definitively reconquered by the army of Fernando the Great, Emperor of León, in 1057. In 1071, it became the see of the Diocese.  \n  \nThe development of Lamego in Mediaeval times was, in a first phase, due to Egas Moniz, who lived nearby in Britiande and was tutor to the first Portuguese King, D. Afonso Henriques. In 1191, D. Sancho I granted the town its first charter in an attempt to attract a fixed population to this, a depressed area.  \n  \nUntil the 19th century, the town was never very large and any social life was related to the cathedral.  \n  \nThe 12th-century castle stands on a frontier hill. It was frequently restored in the Middle Ages and further work, mainly consolidation, was carried out in Manueline times, giving it the look that it has retained to this day.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo"}},"6c6476aa-1896-5ddd-9f68-4249c24c9ce9":{"title":"Wessobrunn","description":""},"6c6d29d2-a175-5d24-83c3-15bcd9ce393a":{"title":"Btater","description":""},"6c9c6460-35d3-53a0-bdf7-a922e7bd2449":{"title":"Moura","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6cf5a442-512f-5088-bd3c-936d3940c71f":{"title":"Granada","description":""},"6d2bb3f2-9a47-5a1f-b429-480eb82732bf":{"title":"İZNİK","description":"The city was founded in 316 BC by Antigonus I Monophthalmos (380-301 BC), one of Alexander the Great’s generals, and given the name Antigonia. Another of Alexander’s generals, Lysimachus, captured the city in 301 BC, and named it after his deceased wife (Nicea) and made it the capital of the region of Bithynia. After it came under the control of the Romans, the town became one of the most important cities of the Province of Asia. In 325 the First Ecumenical Council gathered in Nicea and laid the foundations of Orthodoxy. In 787, the Seventh Ecumenical Council ended up in moderation between iconodules and iconoclasts. In 1075 the Seljuqs captured Nicea and changed its name to İznik. At the same time, the town became the capital of the Rum Sultanate. However, it changed hands between the Byzantines and the Turks until Ottoman Sultan Orhan Gazi captured it for good in 1331."},"6d7c1e98-0c80-5148-aca6-0a750f823188":{"title":"Itinerary 68","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[514,515]}},"6de9eadc-4d34-5ef6-a9b6-d8536eb30cee":{"title":"Málaga","description":""},"6e7af898-4728-5e8e-9c18-2239f1c9f4cb":{"title":"TORO","description":"Resettled from the 10th century, in the 16th century, Toro was a city which was “*prosperous, fertile and with good wine*” according to the historian Marineo Sículo. There are remains of the concrete walls, trimmed with calyons, which Gómez Moreno describes as *Moriscos* (Moorish), and which protected three communities: a Christian one, a Jewish one and a Mudéjar one. It is thought that Samuel Haleví, the famous treasurer of Pedro I, was born into the Jewish community here. As far as the existence of Muslims is concerned, paying attention to the buildings they left rather than to their names or social positions is more fruitful, although in the census of the Inquisition in 1581 and 1589, *Moriscos* from Granada are mentioned.  \n  \nWhat is decisive in Toro is the brick architecture, which makes this town one of the most important centres of Mudéjar art and architecture in Castilla- León. In contrast to the Romanesque Collegiate Church in stone, the apses of the churches of Toro have blind arcades in brick.  \n  \nThe stone foundations of the churches do not recall the first style of Sahagún, rather, the aim of this simple system of laying foundations was to insulate the building against the damp ground. In general, the walls of these churches correspond to the 12th and 13th centuries, while their roofs, where they have been preserved, belong to the 15th and 16th centuries. There is a certain influence of the Church of San Lorenzo, in the same town, with its double arcade on the exterior of the apse and long continuous friezes in the nave, as is usual in the sanctuaries and naves of other churches in Toro.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"6e907092-11aa-540e-974c-721847fe613e":{"title":"Utebo","description":""},"6ed586d4-cf6b-5513-83db-105294093c36":{"title":"Serpa-Vila Branca","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6f0e047e-562f-51ae-a357-cfa5f0e94100":{"title":"Aljezur","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6f2d8ee7-1c2b-5dd1-bba7-940d4ec9aeff":{"title":"MEHDIA","description":"No other site in the Atlantic coast of Morocco incited as much desire as did the estuary of the Sebou, which in fact dominates the ruins of the *kasbah* of Mehdia. It became, during the centuries, the thoroughfare of populations and nations who surged into Moroccan cities, thus becoming the stage for the country’s important historical events.  \n  \nThe first locality established, in the Middle Ages, close to the mouth of the river was called *Marsa al-Ma‘mora*. It was founded at the end of the 4th/10th century, and, in the 6th/12th century, the Almohad Monarch ‘Abd al-Mumen established a shipyard there.  \n  \nDuring the 5th/11th century, *al-Ma‘mora* was a small but active commercial centre frequented by European merchants. Having become, by the beginning of the 6th/12th century, one of the main centres of North African piracy, it turned itself into an autonomous Republic. The Spanish stormed the fort in 1022/1614, and built a fortress on the hill overlooking the mouth of the river, whose main enclosure constructions constitute the backbone of the perimeter of Mehdia’s *kasbah*. After 67 years of occupation, the fortress was finally conquered by Mulay Isma‘il in 1092/1681. Liberated, it took the name of al-Mehdia, and the name Ma‘mora was restricted to describing the large forest of oak trees to the north-east of Salé.  \n  \nMulay Isma‘il restored the enclosure, inserting a monumental elbow-shaped gate. He erected a large palace with all its outbuildings and established shipyards and warehouses along the river.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"6f2fcc72-8621-55be-8661-8aa0bcf44e70":{"title":"Raqqada","description":""},"6f56cbc1-a8fb-5448-8867-90c3bba18a50":{"title":"Kalocsa","description":""},"6fa70573-08b5-582c-9091-3432c8396508":{"title":"Algeria","description":""},"6fe0489d-65eb-5f9b-92a6-09542d1b6150":{"title":"Weer","description":""},"708b0123-4fb7-5d6f-9a06-f3bcd32700d3":{"title":"Itinerary 81","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[212,232,233]}},"70c33b58-48ce-580a-a694-c71333ace271":{"title":"Itinerary 105","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[78,99,121,123]}},"70d06ab4-589d-5c15-b794-9bcea49f8f4e":{"title":"Khan Jifna","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"70fc3c6c-47c3-5942-9606-7479b8aab4db":{"title":"Mulay Idriss Zerhun","description":""},"71fbf9fd-9938-5e89-a5dd-df956b2cf274":{"title":"Hasa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"72058cd4-5034-59d0-8c3b-6c17e1d94b06":{"title":"Zola Predosa","description":""},"7268193f-4ebb-58fa-b4c5-24cf8066ddf9":{"title":"Al-Humayma","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"727db34a-48f8-56b6-8363-0bd4d7150c32":{"title":"ERICE","description":"Its name comes from the Sicanian-Siculian, *erix*, which means “mountain”. Erice was a religious centre of the Elimian, famous for its temple where the Phoenicians adored Astarte, the Greeks Aphrodite, and the Romans Venus. A Punic stronghold, it was contested by the people of Syracuse and the Carthaginians, who razed it to the ground in 260 BC, deporting the inhabitants to *Drepanon* (Trapani). In 247 BC, it was conquered by the Romans who raised the sanctuary of Venus Ericina (from Erice) to the head of a religious confederation.  \n  \nFrom AD 831, following the Arabic occupation, the city was called *Jabal Ahmad* (Mountain of Ahmad), after the name of the *amir* who had built it. The Muslims celebrated and exalted the springs, exploiting its potentialities to a maximum with cisterns and canal systems. In the 12th century the Normans repopulated it with Latins and rechristened it “Monte San Giuliano” (Mount St Julian) in honour of the hospitalier saint who, according to tradition, appeared to Count Ruggero during the decisive phases of the conquest of the impregnable fortress (1077). “… *There appeared a lightly-armed cavalier on a white horse with a red cloak and a falcon on his wrist, and when unhooded, the falcon flew and forced all the Saracens out of their homes with their dogs, who, seeing they were being assailed in the middle of the city, taken unawares, by divine virtue, let fall their arms stupefied and fled, abandoning the city*” (Adragna, 1985).  \n  \nAl-Idrisi, at the time of Ruggero II, identified an unguarded fortress, and praised its abundant water and sowing fields while later, Ibn Jubayr, in 1184, defined it as “*a substantial city*”. In 1934 it acquired, once again, its original name of Erice.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"729568de-d898-5207-8932-ca43649430db":{"title":"Sopron","description":""},"72afffaa-849c-55f5-b36f-1b9f15a46129":{"title":"Messina","description":""},"7331b9e8-0988-59e8-8e8d-e6a57ee70645":{"title":"Sahagún","description":""},"733a8a77-7dd8-5a42-98ff-1a217e385415":{"title":"Bethlehem","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"73543b21-4ef6-5481-8b08-341f7b9d1271":{"title":"Baden-Württemberg","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"73b506df-6967-5a14-8a09-eb6f9889fcf4":{"title":"Silves","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"7419b646-9287-5686-94ae-78b0f25f1330":{"title":"Le Fahs d'Alger","description":""},"74e67b65-06b6-5636-af93-da9c8e78ebe7":{"title":"Schlierbach","description":""},"752b8a64-4b5f-5093-83ac-f64ddb048097":{"title":"Castellammare del Golfo","description":""},"7545fc42-9933-5e91-9cb7-60575a70e2a1":{"title":"Edelény","description":""},"75616349-4bd2-5276-9600-17aaa9dc58b2":{"title":"Sefrou","description":"The town of Sefrou was founded well before Fez in the 1st/7th century, close to the prehistoric site of Bhalil, on the first foothills of the Middle Atlas. Built on both banks of the *wadi* Aggai, it was surrounded by gardens and orchards which it turned into a summer resort, following the example of the neighbouring towns of Ifrane or Immouzer.  \n  \nOne of the first residential centres, dating from before the arrival of the Muslim conquerors, it was originally composed of three townships or *qsur*, divided along the wadi: the *qsur al-Fuqaniyyin*, “high town”, the *qsur al-Wastaniyyin*, “mid-town”, and the *qsur al-Tahtaniyyin*, “low town”. These three separate entities grouped themselves together to defend themselves more effectively against the attacks of nearby tribes. The Jewish community occupied a specific place within the town, having settled in the centre ever since it came into existence. This geographic positioning would have a dual impact on the community.  \n  \nThe Sefriouris were under constant attack from neighbouring mountain people, but as the Mellah was surrounded by Muslim Quarters, the Jews were better protected and better guarded. On the other hand, due its place at the heart of the *medina*, the Mellah could not grow and extend itself outwardly due to the lack of vacant space. Housing ,therefore, grew in height. The community thus became a victim of its own means of protection and survival. The distinguishing mark of the Mellah, the crucial height of its houses in comparison to those in other parts of the city, attracted the attention of the ‘Alawite Sultan Mulay Hassan (1873–1894) during his visit to Sefrou. He began to dream of building a new Mellah to house the growing number of Jews, but the project never saw the light of day in consequence to the sultan’s death. The housing in the Mellah, in line with all those of the town, were built in brick or in stone. The terraces were made of cedar joists covered in planks of the same kind; cedarwood from the Atlas forests close by.  \n  \nEvery Christian and Muslim traveller who visited the town was united in their description of it as a quiet and peaceful city, far from the great battles which shook the neighbouring town of Fez. Charles de Foucault estimated that *“Damnat and Sefrou are the two places in Morocco in which the Jews are the most happy”*.  \n  \nMajor players within the town’s economy, the Jews of Sefrou enjoyed administrative autonomy, managing their own affairs, even though they were reliant on the *qa’id* in terms of politics and the law, and on the *muhtassib* in terms of crafts and commerce. Three Israelite institutions thus busied themselves with the daily affairs of the inhabitants of the Mellah.  \n  \nThe Jewish community of Sefrou did not stop growing in numbers from when the town was founded. In 1880, their population in the Mellah was counted at 1,000. On the eve of the Protectorate, this number had increased to 3,000, which was over a third of the town’s total population, and was the largest concentration of Jews in Morocco. Their number would have increased to over 4,000 in 1951 had a large part of the community not left, in a period of massive immigration, for Palestine, Western Europe and North America. In 1960, the Jewish community was estimated at numbering 3,138 persons, whereas in 1971 this number had dropped to 222. Today, only Jewish women married to Muslims, or pilgrims who come regularly to Sefrou, remember this communitarian past.","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Situated 28 km. from Fez, on the traditional route for the transportation of dates. Leave Fez via the Immouzer road. Once in Sefrou, park in the car park outside the ramparts of the medina."}},"75915489-4aa3-58cd-872b-47535a93946b":{"title":"GUARDA","description":"The origins of the modern city date back to the policy of D. Sancho I, which was to fortify the eastern frontier of the kingdom with people and castles, conforming to a clear line of separation with León and with Castile. In order to re-organise the territory that was sparsely populated, he created new towns, one of which was established on the top of the platform where the old town is situated. He also moved the see of the Diocese of Egitania from Idanha-a-Velha to Guarda in about 1203.  \n  \nGuarda became the most important Portuguese frontier settlement between the River Douro and the River Tagus, with a significant military garrison, and it also carried out the task of economic development, chiefly in the form of trade. Its geographical situation, in the communications corridor between Portugal and Castile, meant that it fell prey to various attacks and struggles in times of crisis, the greatest of which eventually elevated D. João I to the throne, in 1384.  \n  \nAs the Episcopal city, the activity of its clergy was always highly relevant, and the appointment of D. Pedro Gavião as bishop, in 1496, brought considerable benefits.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"759ee0f0-d707-5075-b844-d5f2e83f164b":{"title":"Beçin","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Beçin is situated to the south of Milas, just 4 km. from the city centre. You can reach Beçin by taking one of the Beçin *dolmush* minibuses that leave from the front of the Great Mosque.","showOnMonument":true}},"75c8c879-b877-5aa9-bec2-523a21cd6b52":{"title":"Ráckeve","description":""},"75d41794-03f0-5db8-9ea7-c68f08e138a7":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - IT","description":""},"75df2664-1cfb-574f-8ff1-d4c507720610":{"title":"Nablus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"763f5b82-70cf-58e1-8eeb-3b674169b8e8":{"title":"Aïn Al-Kabira","description":""},"76bf2347-6f55-5f0e-8a3a-1b62a61ee708":{"title":"Calatayud","description":""},"76fafa55-b4ca-5cbe-825b-5b4e70770c74":{"title":"Manisa","description":"","extra":{"info":"Spil Mountain, located just behind the city of Manisa, offers a rare opportunity for those who want to rest and be alone with nature. For those who would like to spend more time in Manisa, a visit to the Muradiye Mosque Complex and Sultaniye Mosque Complex (16th century) are recommended. Manisa also offers the “Mesir Festival”, organized every year during the last week of April. “Mesir macunu” (a gum-like confection) was first made in the 16th century by Muslihüddin Merkez Efendi, the manager of Sultaniye Mosque Complex at the time. He devised the mixture for use in the medical treatment of Hafsa Sultan, the wife of Yavuz Sultan Selim I. It has become a tradition to distribute “mesir macunu” to the people every year from the Sultaniye Mosque, across the street from the Museum. This is done with great festivity. It is also believed that “mesir macunu”, which contains 41 ingredients including clover, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, vanilla, orange rind and sugar, has, in addition to its characteristics as an energiser and appetiser that eases digestion and eliminates tiredness, an aphrodisiac quality.","showOnMonument":true}},"773f4a73-45ce-5761-87d5-b5aeb5e1d6ec":{"title":"Solomon's Pool","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"774c5c46-01e9-5da1-bf38-1dcabc3034df":{"title":"Castilla-La Mancha","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"776d2a89-68b1-53aa-aa36-724396dc7a49":{"title":"München-Berg am Laim","description":""},"78078ae7-e037-5a6c-9ff3-dcb2940f435c":{"title":"Sidi ‘Uqba","description":""},"782e74a6-c050-51c0-a988-dab162a35f20":{"title":"Hall in Tirol","description":""},"78927feb-9cb7-5a56-8eac-ca7fa126a008":{"title":"Itinerary 42","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[57,133,154]}},"789b9563-a11d-5ad2-94be-12442ad2c14b":{"title":"Torrijos","description":""},"7925d132-e4fc-5ad9-9963-22df789261ff":{"title":"Kébili","description":""},"796253ca-dabb-5980-85a9-43cde0437cd9":{"title":"Kharab Sayyar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"79876b88-d0e4-5410-b35a-ea8d761a1ab1":{"title":"Sevilla","description":""},"798f4e2b-6703-51c4-9ef9-3dbc3d90348a":{"title":"Olomouc","description":""},"79abde13-444e-51ca-96d5-61e441df1d55":{"title":"Mount Nebo (Siyagha)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"79c2840e-4467-58a1-b781-616565a4a7b8":{"title":"Ulubat","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"79cb6d4b-9618-573f-be7c-cb57dd8dceec":{"title":"Astudillo","description":""},"7a84676b-d97d-5462-8173-540a377ca053":{"title":"Torralba de Ribota","description":""},"7aec01b9-68da-5c14-8f6e-3ad0537b9e8b":{"title":"Matrei","description":""},"7aed6220-6869-533d-af7f-d25a260f9687":{"title":"Toledo","description":""},"7b6ac8d8-c4f7-5ed8-b381-74988545330f":{"title":"San Marco d'Alunzio","description":""},"7b6d4950-f2b5-502b-8dc0-4ee88354bc25":{"title":"Marrakesh","description":""},"7b6da463-0d5a-5dcd-94c4-fdcb585f415b":{"title":"Itinerary 25","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[472]}},"7ba97a45-9e5f-5308-ba40-6c811f8655b4":{"title":"Caminha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"7c303246-1249-5f4a-8c62-d389b527dd52":{"title":"Győr","description":""},"7c464573-6db4-5be2-b4c0-a0fe3a88253f":{"title":"Atalaia","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"7c634698-1094-5bde-8815-8b1494365cb7":{"title":"Križevci","description":""},"7c6c9c4e-2bb6-5854-ba18-6df918be66d7":{"title":"Dubrovnik","description":""},"7c6fd638-eff4-5666-aac8-d18d1bf752b3":{"title":"Castilla y León","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"7d027371-1a34-52ac-83e3-89fbaf450e5c":{"title":"FREIXO DE ESPADA À CINTA","description":"The town dates back to the time of D. Afonso Henriques, who encouraged settlement in 1152 at a time when there was said to be a castle there. This castle must obviously have been a small defensive structure, which did not withstand the ravages of time. The town became a centre for trade with León and Old Castile, and was granted a new charter by D. Afonso III in 1272.  \n  \nThe negotiations between D. Dinis and Alfonso X, that culminated in the lands of Riba-Côa entering the Portuguese orbit, made Freixo more important and called for a new series of fortifications. The castle, however, was still not completed in 1342.  \n  \nThe area around the town dealt in the production of cereal and cattle rearing, whilst within the walls there was a budding silk- and wool-weaving industry, which encouraged trade with other regions and the frontier area of Castile. In 1527, Freixo was the most important town in the area with 447 dwellings. Many people set out from there on Manueline maritime adventures, the most important of them all being Jorge Álves who served brilliantly in the East.","extra":{"about":"The town dates back to the time of D. Afonso Henriques, who encouraged settlement in 1152 at a time when there was said to be a castle there. This castle must obviously have been a small defensive structure, which did not withstand the ravages of time. The town became a centre for trade with León and Old Castile, and was granted a new charter by D. Afonso III in 1272.  \nThe negotiations between D. Dinis and Alfonso X, that culminated in the lands of Riba-Côa entering the Portuguese orbit, made Freixo more important and called for a new series of fortifications. The castle, however, was still not completed in 1342.  \nThe area around the town dealt in the production of cereal and cattle rearing, whilst within the walls there was a budding silk- and wool-weaving industry, which encouraged trade with other regions and the frontier area of Castile. In 1527, Freixo was the most important town in the area with 447 dwellings. Many people set out from there on Manueline maritime adventures, the most important of them all being Jorge Álves who served brilliantly in the East.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"7d8c4589-f090-5b86-9d03-6af688087002":{"title":"Itinerary 83","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[213]}},"7e00c668-c64a-57cf-a2aa-bd5dd61c2bb1":{"title":"GUADIX","description":"During the Islamic period, Guadix was an important urban centre. It was even the capital on various occasions when civil war divided the kingdom into factions, such as when it was the seat of power of the Zagal against Boabdil in the 15th century. The conquest took place in 1489 and afterwards the Catholic Monarchs founded a completely new Islamic city. A stout wall surrounded the whole city, comprising an *alcazaba* or citadel, a medina with the great mosque and various outlying districts.","extra":{"author":"Rafael López Guzmán, Miguel Ángel Sorroche Cuerva"}},"7e6a3555-d948-57b8-8581-259b39fcf727":{"title":"M'sila","description":""},"7e77f591-12a6-5090-8f29-abdcae130a2d":{"title":"Sárvár","description":""},"7f05e907-1585-51af-92e1-1f399f786d32":{"title":"Piedmont","description":"","extra":{"territory_level":"1"}},"7f1a37a4-06d6-5909-b25a-cba66fdfc0a1":{"title":"LLERENA","description":"Llerena is in the south of the province of Badajoz in the district of the same name. In the varied countryside of this area, the plains stretch out in the north and a more abrupt relief in the south begins the foothills of the Sierra Morena. The town is on a plain where wide extensions of cereals are grown.  \n  \nThe origin of the City of Llerena (given by Charter of Felipe IV in 1641) dates back to the Middle Ages, and from that time on, its history is linked to the Military Order of Santiago, or St James. Once conquered in the mid-13th century, Fernando III handed Llerena over to this Order for defence and resettlement. In 1297, its “*fuero*” or set of Municipal code of Laws was granted. From the 14th century onwards, because some of the Grand Masters of the Order of Santiago came to live here, its prestige increased, since it was the meeting place for some of the important occasions in the life of the Order. In the 15th century, it became the capital of the diocese of the priory of San Marcos de León, belonging to the Order of Santiago, which had some 50 villages depending on it. In 1478, the Catholic Monarchs established the Court of the Inquisition in Llerena, which held wide powers. All of this meant that, by the 16th century, Llerena was an active and prosperous town with a growing economy and flourishing population. The fact that it was one of the most important centres in the region generated a highly diversified architecture and, consequently, great dynamism in construction and building works.","extra":{"author":"María del Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"7f2067ab-d1a9-5ffd-b488-b88b52dad137":{"title":"Itinerary 48","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["jo"],"location_ids":[8,11,16,30]}},"7f2141af-377b-54e1-b9da-c6afa22417eb":{"title":"Kavala","description":""},"7f3180fa-e2a2-58b6-820b-9b0c24f002d1":{"title":"Sloup","description":""},"7fa31945-bcd5-593a-a115-0f5c3b5fb7cc":{"title":"GHARDAÏA","description":"Urban planning was a challenge in the area. The M’zab region is considered a “lesson in urban planning and architecture”. For its founders there was this imperative: the establishment had to be long-lasting, unlike its ancestral town, Tahert, followed by the ephemeral Sedrata. It was necessary to ensure the region’s military defence and fertilise the valley, at the same time as living harmoniously with the Ibadite community and the exigencies of the terrain. The solution was to create five cities, upstream and downstream, along the M’zab Valley – cities that would be solidly anchored on rocky peaks, at whose summits a mosque would stand as the organising structural element.  \n  \nGhardaïa’s houses are clustered and terraced on the plateau. The city is surrounded by an uninterrupted enclosure of high walls. Doors with monumental massive towers and wide vaults provide access to the city, which is divided into districts. The narrow streets are all similar, running between a double row of identical walls. The market square is vast, surrounded by traditional white arcades called *qomaïra*.  \n  \nAll Mozabite cities resemble each other: the same essential buildings, the same way of life, the same aspirations produced a unique model that exhibits the harmony of Mozabites in their environment.  \n  \nAndré Ravereau summed up the architecture of M’zab: “The M’zab is esteemed without intending to be esteemed”.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"7fa95edb-214b-59e3-85f6-1b73261b4e3e":{"title":"Province of Rome","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"2"}},"7fc5a2f3-293c-555a-85ff-60149363e6f4":{"title":"TESTOUR","description":"Testour is a small town situated in the middle valley of the Medjerda. The town was founded at the beginning of the 11th/17th century on the site of a Roman city called *Tichilla*. The Morisco *medina* is composed of three neighbourhoods: the Andalusian Quarter, the Tagarins Quarter, and that of the *Hara*. Three main thoroughfares, delineating lengthening blocks, run parallel to each other, each one being relatively wide and linked together by smaller side streets that run at right-angles to it. The large square constitutes an important element, a key stitch, in this urban weave. It is the centre of town life and can be considered as the public space *par excellence*. Several important buildings look out onto it: the Great Mosque, the *hammam*, the cafés and, at one point in time, the *funduq*s. Moreover, this square constitutes an early example of the European-type square in the Maghreb.  \n  \nThe *suq* occupies the central thoroughfare, which carries its name, crosses the town from one end to the other and extends itself via the shops that border the sides of the central square. Not a single residential house can be found amongst the stalls and shops, but the *suq* does house several public buildings, notably mosques.  \n  \nTradition attributes 14 mosques to the town of Testour, the majority of which are small neighbourhood oratories. Five of these are actually open for worship, whilst the others are either in ruins or have completely disappeared. Most of these buildings, like the town, were built in the 11th/17th century. Testour also houses other religious or civil buildings such as *madrasa*s, a synagogue, an Israelite mausoleum, a *hammam*, *zawiya*s, all of which date from the 11th/17th century.  \nIn terms of the *zawiya*s, that of Sidi Nasr stands at the far western end of the “rue *al-Hara*”. It contains all the characteristic elements of a *zawiya*\\-*madrasa*, encompassing two domed funerary chambers, an oratory, two courtyards – the larger of which is surrounded by porticoes, and several outbuildings whose rooms are reserved for accommodating students.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"7fc8d738-4b15-52b6-b311-597bc83b731d":{"title":"Divriği","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"807595a2-8a0d-5851-aab9-b1dc209f869c":{"title":"MÉRTOLA","description":"“And Mértola lies on the banks of the River Odiana; and it is a very old castle and has some old buildings”. The literature of the period can tell us little more than this reference by al-Razi about Mértola in Islamic times. We do, however, know that the city was far more important than such scanty information would suggest.  \n  \nTaking full advantage of its exceptional positioning on a rocky outcrop between the Guadiana and one of its tributaries, the ancient city of Mértola was already famous amongst geographers of ancient times for the imposing nature of its fortifications.  \n  \nMértola covered an area of roughly 60,000 sq. m. and had a population of no more than 2,000. In its golden period, the city would undoubtedly have had more inhabitants if the existence of at least two outlying residential districts were considered. One in the area beyond the river (Além-Rio) and the other at the entrance gate of the Porta de Beja, close to an early Christian chapel that was later dedicated to Santo António dos Pescadores (Saint Anthony of the Fishermen).  \n  \nThe streets of the present-day city run parallel to the river and are interconnected by narrow passageways, certainly they make use of the earlier urban layout of the Islamic period. However, despite the fact that the walls, constantly repaired over time, still respect their original mediaeval design, occasionally only can it be attributed to the Islamic period. All that can be recognised of the Almohad period, for example, is the northern perimeter wall with its massive quadrangular towers.  \n  \nAmongst the exuberance of the city’s Roman and Christian remains, and after two decades of archaeological studies, significant features have now been found from the Islamic period that clearly justify the importance enjoyed by the city until its conquest by the Knights of the Order of Santiago in 635/1238.  \n  \nIn addition to the walls, the basic layout of which has remained unaltered since the Roman period, and which still retains small sections dating from Islamic times, the most important data is almost certainly provided by the remains of the former mosque. Also significant were the excavations of an extensive residential district built in the 6th/12th century, on which part of the archaeological work has been centred.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"807a3208-fd74-5098-a078-bbe9d4a665f4":{"title":"Maqam of al-Qatrawani","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"80c4a6b8-15f2-53aa-83df-bef4da2876a9":{"title":"Tafessera","description":""},"80c97588-3473-5f34-af5f-90dbac53709e":{"title":"Sédrata","description":""},"80f91833-1686-5eaf-ae88-809b988de55d":{"title":"Itinerary 96","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[192,193,196,201,204]}},"810a5375-3c86-5f33-886c-fb7f59d9c8d0":{"title":"Itinerary 108","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[66,76,128,153,168,170]}},"811e43a8-be2c-5b2c-8a07-7b2d7299822b":{"title":"Itinerary 33","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[60,110,130,152,158]}},"8192ebfd-2898-5761-90e0-0869085cebaa":{"title":"Mansoura","description":""},"821b4cb7-5f58-5527-88ee-49a2628aaac7":{"title":"PALMELA","description":"The town and castle of Palmela were won back from the Moors by the troops of D. Afonso Henriques in 1148, although it was briefly re-occupied shortly afterwards. The first King of Portugal then granted it to the Order of Santiago da Espada, and it was granted a charter in 1185. It was the main castle in the region and, in the second half of the 15th century and the first half of the 16th century, it benefited from the patronage of the Master of Santiago, D. Jorge, the natural son of D. João II. He was responsible for many improvements, including the maintenance and enlargement of the castle and the completion of the Igreja de Santiago.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"82ab49b9-c1c5-5b86-b017-f1754e218677":{"title":"Tamezret","description":""},"82ae283c-19ac-524a-a183-4bf756dc809a":{"title":"Aniñón","description":""},"833f4c2e-4119-57ea-b97e-cb78d3d39c51":{"title":"Itinerary 12","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[287,301,317,321,324],"territory_ids":[7]}},"8347d57f-43f1-531b-933a-3799d69ce328":{"title":"BARCELOS","description":"In the 13th century, Barcelos was a walled town, a strategic point on the road that linked the Douro coastal area with Galicia, dominating the plains of the River Cávado. D. Dinis granted these Crown lands to the High Steward of the Kingdom, João Afonso, whom he named a Count in 1298. The land and title reentered the orbit of the Royal Family in 1314, when they were passed to D. Pedro, the natural son of D. Dinis, poet and author of *Nobiliário*. The title of Count of Barcelos also passed into, and remains, in the House of Bragança, through Prince D. Afonso, the son of D. João I.  \n  \nBy the end of the Middle Ages, Barcelos had developed considerably through the activities of the Dukes of Bragança and their representatives, and Jewish and Christian families who built or rebuilt houses within the walls, while in the surrounding countryside agriculture prospered. It was a time when the bourgeoisie and lower classes settled in the new peripheral areas of *Porta do Vale*, Cruz and Salvador.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"8386f3b1-4413-5c26-9620-7bd3742be7d3":{"title":"Fertőd","description":""},"83abc0e0-26a7-5bbe-93ec-8f5a423204f7":{"title":"Itinerary 92","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[185,198,203]}},"83e4b364-3a82-5144-8f5b-9e5bda8ee229":{"title":"Itinerary 47","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["jo"],"location_ids":[10,19,20,29,34]}},"8490643c-81c5-55d8-9cfe-2b50eb18d75e":{"title":"Ebbs","description":""},"84cef1a4-1d33-5fb1-b827-310a62dc6e90":{"title":"Alagón","description":""},"8521f6e1-2dec-5ca3-bb08-da4c2f64436a":{"title":"Khan al-Lubban","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"85c6322f-8028-56fc-aa42-ced97ffd1686":{"title":"Chefchaouen","description":""},"864a5440-10db-52d1-9a51-c1175348639c":{"title":"Jerash (Gerasa)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"86b0c5e9-59ab-514f-9820-244be7e03a59":{"title":"Amman","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"86c9d537-dd6a-53b5-868b-d60faf37ccd0":{"title":"Halhul","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"86d9703e-3b46-50e3-8e87-ed7243ff4210":{"title":"Morocco","description":""},"87225fe4-8f5c-54c5-9c1c-0b6cf9e18420":{"title":"Çamiçi","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"874a4728-6bec-5a66-98f7-f592592fabc7":{"title":"Itinerary 24","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[458,469]}},"878950a6-95d1-5161-9276-aca8539e29eb":{"title":"Beirut","description":""},"8849721b-bc80-576e-af0a-7ccf86c62138":{"title":"Alvito","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8960cb05-f872-5116-9688-84e99dec0a20":{"title":"Orta San Giulio","description":""},"898711aa-0972-5da9-9e55-756aa27b9de6":{"title":"MALUENDA","description":"The village of Maluenda had three extremely beautiful Mudéjar churches, built at the same time (in the last decades of the 14th and the early 15th centuries), which form a group with its own powerful artistic personality. This is due in part to the material used – puddle or gypsum mortar – obtained directly from the hills, which dominate the valley. The Church of San Miguel, perched on high, is at present not consecrated and in ruins, but the other two (Santa María and Santas Justa y Rufina), situated at opposite ends of the village, are still intact and in use.","extra":{"author":"Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualís"}},"899a1093-37c6-5dee-aaaf-5c2a61ff4183":{"title":"Brandenburg","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"89ad9dce-7f00-5495-a832-46b18dd5501c":{"title":"Al-'Ula","description":""},"89b9c466-b99d-5080-aab5-eb1670753330":{"title":"BEJA","description":"Beja was one of the most important Roman cities in the western peninsula, a position it maintained throughout the Islamic period, although successive, very destructive attempts were made to regain it by the Kings of Asturias and León. It was taken by D. Afonso Henriques, the first king, but was soon lost again and only came fully under the control of Portugal in 1232.  \n  \nThe town began to develop during the reign of D. Dinis, when the castle was rebuilt and various monasteries were founded. Considerable progress was made when the town was granted to Prince D. Fernando and his wife, D. Beatriz, with whom he founded one of the most powerful families in the country in direct competition with the House of Bragança. They were the parents of D. Leonor, and D. Manuel I.  \n  \nThese nobles endowed the town with important structures, building imposing residences and sponsoring religious orders, hospitals and the Misericórdia charitable organisation, amongst other works. During his reign, D. Manuel I elevated Beja to city status, making a number of improvements, many of which are still visible today.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"89cf8234-4f0c-507a-b94f-c01159eda8a0":{"title":"Timimoun","description":""},"8a209e09-e20c-5e03-8a7a-57147c10675c":{"title":"Itinerary 9","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[283,309],"territory_ids":[8,9]}},"8a6a3b01-97c7-57c8-b163-416430093c65":{"title":"Alenquer","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8ad96e47-bfe3-5ff4-ab0b-e2331376dc1b":{"title":"Cacela Velha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8ba25b16-eea4-5859-9891-edabdf3c8282":{"title":"Queluz","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8c050798-6235-5949-bdda-f7a2c2ce8e75":{"title":"Ouargla","description":""},"8cbd9c41-14dd-5eaf-b2bd-d423e2a367cc":{"title":"Qsar Zénata","description":""},"8d4b1b6a-4b98-58f5-9dc4-fe05a6899363":{"title":"Monteporzio Catone","description":""},"8db6d4c1-9393-5139-851b-6cc331ff2747":{"title":"QAL‘AT BANI HAMMAD","description":"The Qal’at Bani Hammad was built in 397 / 1007, at an altitude of nearly 1,000 metres, on Mount Takarboust (1,418 metres high), in the Hodna Mountains located about 250 kilometres southeast of Algiers.  \nAs in Achir, about 150 kilometres away, the site has real strategic value: a single road to access the city, steep ravines, high buttresses and a vantage point above the surrounding plains. The mountain had been the refuge of Abu Yazid, the “donkey man” whose revolt against the Shia Fatimids lasted 20 years, and who ended his days in this *djebel* (mountain) region of Maadid.  \nLike his grandfather Ziri in Achir, Hammad ibn Bulughin settled the Qal’at by forcibly relocating the inhabitants of M’sila and Souk Hamza, who would use their traditional knowledge to contribute to the beauty of the city. The abundant water, pastures and orchards, along with the influx of city dwellers, scholars, students and merchants, would assure its success.  \nNine years after its foundation, in 405 / 1015, Hammad rebelled against his uncle Badis. This Zirid emir, having disapprovingly observed the development of the Qal’at and Hammad’s domain to the east, ordered Hammad to divest himself of those territories. At his refusal, Badis occupied the Qal’at, which survived, six months into the siege, due only to the sudden death of the emir Badis on 28 Dhul Qaada 406 / 8 May 1016. The Zirid forces lifted the siege and returned to Ifriqiya.  \nWith the arrival of the Beni Hilal in the Maghreb, the two rival principalities were confronted with a common enemy, and family ties tightened: al-Qaïd, the Hammadid emir, sent 1,000 horsemen to aid al-Mouiz, the Zirid emir besieged by the Beni Hilal. The Qal’at soon saw the immigration of refugees from Ifriqiya, which had been ravaged by the nomads.  \nAl-Bakri, who lived there in the 5th / 11th century, described the city as “a great and strong place of war … and a centre of commerce that attracts caravans from Iraq, Hejaz, Egypt, Syria and all parts of the Maghreb”. Ibn Khaldoun pointed out that this influx of travellers was due to “the great resources that the new capital offered to those who cultivated science, commerce and the arts.” The Qal’at of the Bani Hammad attracted many scholars, poets and doctors of theology, especially after the capture of Kairouan by the Hilalians.  \nThe founding of the city of Bejaya by the Hammadid Emir al-Nasir, in 459 / 1067, is an important event in the history of the Qal’at. It was in that city that the Hammadids would take refuge in 482 / 1090, under pressure from the Beni Hilal, who imposed taxes soon after they settled in the central Maghreb. With al-Mansur, son of al-Nasir, Qal’at remained successful: the Hammadids won a victory at Tlemcen against the Almoravids and thus escaped occupation. Al-Mansur would build four palaces: the Palaces of Government, Manar, Salvation and Star. The pressures from the nomads increased. Yahia ibn al-Aziz, the last Hammadid prince, moved to Bejaya, thus promoting the second capital of the Hammadids, where relics of their empire can still be found. Emptied of its inhabitants, Qal’at slowly decayed.  \nIn 573 / 1152, Qal’at fell into the hands of the Almohads, who set it on fire and left 18,000 corpses. The armies of Abdelmoumen settled there and kept a garrison, restoring some ruins and installing a small oratory on the ruins of the Great Mosque. The remaining inhabitants, unable to provide for the mosque’s maintenance, had decided to establish the smaller oratory. The city was then taken over by the Beni Ghanya, descendants of the Almoravids, who had taken refuge in the Balearic Islands before returning to the Maghreb. They would be dislodged, in turn, by the Almohads who reclaimed the city in 580 / 1185, and destroyed it from top to bottom. Thus silence descended on the ancient capital of the Hammadids.  \nExcavations have revealed the layout and extent of the city that had been inspired by Achir. To the east and west, the site is protected naturally by deep gorges and high mountains. A wall seven kilometres long surrounds the city, follows the crests of Mount Gourayan and ascends the flanks of Takerboust to the summit, where a military outpost was built. This wall enclosed remarkable military constructions, such as the dungeon tower of Al Manar, religious buildings such as the Great Mosque and the small oratory, palaces and public buildings.  \nThe city had three gates: to the north, Bab al-Aqwas; downhill, Bab Djarawa; and Bab Djenane. Only the first remains. A main street crosses the city from east to west. South of this street are the ruins of the Great Mosque, inspired by that of Kairouan, with a portico courtyard and prayer hall with 13 naves, of which only the minaret remains. This rectangular room measured 63 x 53 metres and – after the mosque in Mansoura (Tlemcen) – was the largest in Algeria.  \nNorth of the central axis are the ruins of several palaces: Kasr al-Salam, or Salvation Palace, only partly excavated. To the east, Kasr al-Kawkab (Palace of the Star) and Kasr al-Bahr (Palace of the Sea), in the centre of which was a large lagoon where, according to chroniclers, water jousts took place.  \nAs in Achir, the architecture of this Berber capital already displayed characteristics that would be seen in future great cities of the Maghreb like Tlemcen or al-Djazaïr, evidence of architectural continuity. This included housing units comprising courtyards surrounded by rooms (including a reception room); entry to each unit preceded by an anteroom; and T-shaped rooms. Andalusia also would inherit influences from the Qal’at when Hammad’s two brothers founded small principalities in which they reproduced Maghrebi artistic styles.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"8dbc403d-a7ad-57dc-9c3f-cc37cfd205c6":{"title":"Ettal","description":""},"8e20b067-90d3-5c2f-93ce-54db044d6059":{"title":"TOMAR","description":"The origin of Tomar as an important Roman settlement is verified not only by the information from the 3rd-century *Antonin’s Itinerary*, but also by many archaeological finds. It was known then as *Sellium*, on the military road that led from *Olisipo*, Lisbon, to *Bracara Augusta*, Braga, and was integrated into the *Conventus Scallabitanus*. It was also called *Nabância* during the period of occupation by the Suevi about 570, and was then taken by the Visigoths. Conquered by the Muslims, probably in 716, it only attained any real importance after the Reconquest in 1147 and developed rapidly when it became the headquarters of the Military Order of the Knights Templar.  \n  \nThe Master, Gualdim Pais, installed the Order on the hillock on which the Convent of Christ now stands. After the disbanding of the Templars throughout Europe, the successor Military Order of Christ, created by the King of Portugal in 1317, was granted all its property and revenue. The siting of their headquarters here breathed life into the town, which spread down towards the River Nabão and, by the mid-16th century, formed a compact and organised centre between the river banks and the foothills of the castle. The knights-friars lived in the town at this period, though with the reform of the Order in 1529, they took up residence in the monastery and the town was left to labourers, servants, administrators and an important Jewish community. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that the Convent of Christ was to determine the town’s appearance forever more.","extra":{"about":"The origin of Tomar as an important Roman settlement is verified not only by the information from the 3rd-century *Antonin’s Itinerary*, but also by many archaeological finds. It was known then as *Sellium*, on the military road that led from *Olisipo*, Lisbon, to *Bracara Augusta*, Braga, and was integrated into the *Conventus Scallabitanus*. It was also called *Nabância* during the period of occupation by the Suevi about 570, and was then taken by the Visigoths. Conquered by the Muslims, probably in 716, it only attained any real importance after the Reconquest in 1147 and developed rapidly when it became the headquarters of the Military Order of the Knights Templar.  \nThe Master, Gualdim Pais, installed the Order on the hillock on which the Convent of Christ now stands. After the disbanding of the Templars throughout Europe, the successor Military Order of Christ, created by the King of Portugal in 1317, was granted all its property and revenue. The siting of their headquarters here breathed life into the town, which spread down towards the River Nabão and, by the mid-16th century, formed a compact and organised centre between the river banks and the foothills of the castle. The knights-friars lived in the town at this period, though with the reform of the Order in 1529, they took up residence in the monastery and the town was left to labourers, servants, administrators and an important Jewish community. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that the Convent of Christ was to determine the town’s appearance forever more.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"8fa83989-7071-56ea-b8b0-efb5a7400c46":{"title":"BRAGA","description":"Braga, the ancient *Bracara*, was a very important city in the Hispano-Roman period. Named *Augusta* at the time of Caesar, it became the headquarters of the new province of *Gallaecia*, Galicia, in 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla.  \n  \nIt was also one of the main centres of Christianity and had a resident bishop, D. Paterno, in 400. In 448, under Rechiarius, King of the Suevi, the *Bracara conventus*, a smaller unit of a province, became the first Orthodox Christian Kingdom in Europe.  \n  \nTaken by the Arabs, it was under constant attack from Asturia, even before 765, but the area was resettled and developed under Bishop D. Pedro, who governed the diocese from 1070 to 1091, when the first cathedral was constructed to replace the one built before the Suevo-Visigothic period.  \n  \nIn the Middle Ages, the city was poised between royal ownership and that of the archbishops, the latter with the title of Primates of Spain, which they contested, with the archbishops of Toledo.  \n  \nThe 15th century was an era of rapid development, stimulated by the archbishop, D. Fernando da Guerra (1416-1467), with new constructions going up both inside and outside the city walls and constant improvements and additions being made to the cathedral and Episcopal Palace, fountains and gates. The Manueline period was even more spectacular under Archbishop D. Diogo de Sousa (1505-1532), back from Rome and imbued with the Renaissance spirit for splendour and luxury.  \n  \nThe archbishop planned and built new streets and squares, donated fountains, built hospitals, such as the Hospital de São Marcos, shelters for muleteers, a leper hospital, a large Town Hall, churches and monasteries of which he was patron, such as São Jerónimo de Montélios and Vilar de Frades. Not to mention setting up schools and a printing press.  \n  \nThe wealth of the cathedral and the Misericórdia under his administration also made these institutions the richest artistically in the entire Peninsula.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"8ff8b68c-4eee-56c9-8e00-78163837348d":{"title":"Máriapócs","description":""},"9074ed35-1ec7-5ee2-a8ea-88cd6ca92702":{"title":"Sümeg","description":""},"907b6d8b-bc0c-563b-9a8c-bb8cae97637c":{"title":"Rovinj","description":""},"9086b101-ac2e-5419-90f1-538ce32fdb34":{"title":"OPORTO","description":"The historic centre of the city of Oporto has been classified as a World Heritage site, and since the 12th century has been the principal pole of development in the Northern Portugal. The port was enormously important until the beginning of the 20th century, for it was both the entry and exit for people and merchandise, creating within its walls, an active, hard-working population, who earned the area the title of the “capital of work” for the city.  \n  \nIt was from here that generation after generation of Portuguese left to settle in overseas territories, particularly Brazil. The city is linked to expansion for a number of other reasons too, not only because it was the birthplace of Prince Henry the Navigator, but also because of trade. Agricultural products, such as wine, were loaded here, together with manufactured goods, whilst ocean-going ships were built and outfitted, consolidating various industries closely linked to the Voyages. These ranged from modest cooperage to the more complex production of gold and silver objects and statues that were sent to churches in Portuguese territories in the four corners of the world.  \n  \nDevelopment after the 16th century provoked great changes in the city; other buildings, larger and richer, substituted the Manueline. Not only the clergy, but also some bourgeois families were elevated to the nobility and appointed to high positions in public governance. They were responsible for many important buildings, such as chapels in convents and monasteries and even brotherhoods and the Misericórdia charitable organisation itself.  \n  \nWhile not a lot is left of the Manueline art, historical places remain, with the waters of the River Douro testifying to the success or the sorrow of such an adventure.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"9135f18e-4154-541c-8b8f-e63844ebfcec":{"title":"Engelhartszell","description":""},"915a3582-9322-53ad-8d87-3cbe06a7faa9":{"title":"Itinerary 85","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[222,225,236]}},"917a3316-25ac-5faf-a7ac-eb9eed2246d4":{"title":"TORRE DE MONCORVO","description":"The present town of Torre de Moncorvo dates back at least to the 12th century and the beginnings of the Portuguese nationality, but nearby there are villages, such as Santa Cruz, that lay at the origins of the modern town. Its first charter was granted in 1062, confirmed by D. Afonso Henriques between 1128 and 1140. D. Dinis renewed this charter in 1285 and D. Manuel I granted the town a new charter in 1512.  \n  \nThe development of the town was largely due to the cultivation of flax and cereals, as well as to the mining of iron ore. Yet, due to its geographical position, it also soon became an important trading centre. It is, therefore, not surprising to discover that D. João I granted the town the right to hold a free fair, in 1385.  \n  \nDuring the Manueline period, rope that supplied many of the vessels involved in the Discoveries and maritime expansion was manufactured here, with the result that the town, with 300 houses in 1507, soon spread beyond its Mediaeval walls.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"918adf61-9a8a-5d60-9c4f-749b27c81b10":{"title":"Medina","description":""},"9221bc6b-1208-5771-8dac-f0493ede5e91":{"title":"Itinerary 44","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["jo"],"location_ids":[10]}},"924900f0-d804-55e2-9f67-3a0738e7480b":{"title":"Santarém","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Rua Capelo e Ivens, 63, tel: 243 30 44 37.","showOnMonument":true}},"92520a49-8540-5a70-aab7-9c4fc3a8ef85":{"title":"BIZERTE","description":"Bizerte is a maritime town in northern Tunisia, and it lies along the mouth of a canal that links the sea to the lake. It occupies the ancient site of *Hippo Diarrhytus*, a Roman colony, and was named *Binzart* after the Arab Conquest. The Mediaeval town, with its bazaars, its Great Mosque and its baths, was enclosed by walls. Following a period of lying dormant, it experienced a certain amount of prosperity when it became the seat of a small independent principality governed by the Banu al-Ward (444/1053–599/1203). During the late Middle Ages, the town once again went into decline and became, throughout the 10th/16th century, the site on which terrible confrontations took place between the Spanish and the Turks. During the modern era, and particularly during the 11th/17th and 12th/18th centuries, the town profited from the relative stability secured by the Ottoman *Bey*s and *Dey*s. As the seat of the Admiralty, Bizerte had one of the highest rates of Barbaresque piracy, which contributed greatly to its prosperity. The arrival of the Andalusians around 1017/1609 in numerous villages across the Bizertine Sahel and into one of the neighbourhoods of the *medina*, which still to this day carries their name, also had a positive effect on the demographic expansion and on the revival of military, commercial and agricultural activities of the town. Up until the end of the 19th century, Bizerte, enclosed behind town walls, was composed of various distinct units: the *medina*, the *kasbah*, the *qsiba* (a small citadel), the Frank Quarter and the Andalusian Quarter.  \n  \n**The Medina**  \nThe *medina*, which lies to the west of the *kasbah*, was, until the end of the 19th century, encircled by ramparts that were pierced by several gates. Only two sections of these walls, mostly ruins, remain, one of which links the Spanish Fort to the Andalusian Quarter. A study of the sections that remain reveals that each section of these walls were high, about 6 m. long and 3.5 m. thick, and were crowned by a parapet pierced by loopholes.  \n  \nThe Great Mosque which rises up from the *medina* was built on the site of a Mediaeval Mosque in 1060/1650 by the Dey Mohamed Laz. It stands at the centre of the *medina*, on the quays of the old port. The building is constructed on top of a platform, the area beneath which is occupied by five small shops that open out onto the banks of the port.  \n  \nThe minaret, which is distinct in that it has an octagonal shape, is situated on the north side of the courtyard. Supported on a square base, it is crowned by a balcony which is protected through the presence of a canopy. An octagonal lantern rests above the octagonal tower, and is topped by a pyramidal roof. This minaret, though less slender than those of Tunis, is no less original; it too reveals the Ottoman influence on the religious architecture of this town, which once housed one of the principal ports of this period’s Regency.  \n  \nThe Zawiya of Sidi al-Mostari, the Patron Saint of the town, is situated not far from the Great Mosque. Built on a platform below which there are shops, it was constructed on the orders of Murad Bey in 1083/1673. It forms an architectural complex that includes all the regular elements of a *zawiya*\\-*madrasa*, that is to say an ablutions hall, a domed funerary chamber branching into a long hall that leads out onto a beautiful, paved courtyard, surrounded on all four sides by galleries. Several chambers, a *kuttab* and a prayer room branch off these galleries.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"93549f8b-099f-522d-a86b-a7a643c095d0":{"title":"SALÉ","description":"Whilst it only took three years (154/771–156/773) for Spain (al-Andalus) to submit to the Arabs, it took the Euro-Christian Reconquest several centuries, from the Almohad defeat at Las Navas de Tolosa in 608/1212 to the expulsion of Muslims edicts signed by Philip III in 1017/1609, via the capitulation of Granada in 897/1492. A wave of Andalusian immigration towards Morocco is attached to each of these fateful dates. But the one which is of particular interest to the Bu Regreg riverbanks is the most recent one listed (Philip III’s expulsion edicts), which chased the Moriscos out of al-Andalus at the beginning of the 11th/17th century, making the town of Salé a globally renowned name. This town, situated on the right bank of the Bu Regreg, and whose establishment date remains unknown, was probably in the 4th/10th century the capital of the Kingdom of the Beni Ifren. It became, at the end of the 6th/12th century, a lively port town which in the 7th/13th century wetted Spain’s appetite and political ambitions. Thus, taking advantage of the conflict between the Almohads and the Merinids, Alphonse X of Castille pillaged it in 658/1260 on the day of ‘Id al-Fitr, “Feast of the rupture of the youth of Ramadan”, and 14 years then went by before Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub was able to seize it back. This Merinid sovereign then raised a wall to protect the city, and built a *madrasa*, a *zawiya*, a School of Medicine and an aquaduct within the enclosure.  \n  \nThe Merinids were just that: defenders of the arts and humanities. Like their contemporaries, the Kings of Granada, they embellished the principal cities of their kingdom. During that time, Salé became the main port of the Kingdom of Fez, and the most important commercial depot of the west coast, frequented by merchants from the whole of the Christian world: Mediterranean, Flemish and English, all of whom attracted the commercial aptitudes and hankerings of the merchants of Salé, who sold hides, wool, textiles, rugs, ivory, wax and honey and who in return bought fabrics and manufactured items from merchants from Pisa, Catalonia, Genoa and Venice. When the Moriscos (both Muslim and Jewish) were expelled from Spain, entire families from Castille, Catalonia, al-Andalus and Murcia settled on the ribats of Bu Regreg: ancient Salé, actual Salé and new Salé, Rabat. Under the impetus of the Hornacheros, wealthy merchants from the Bajadoz area who were out of touch with the techniques of maritime navigation, they decided to specialise in a new form of Jihad: buccaneering, to which they dedicated themselves wholeheartedly for over half a century, to earn their fortunes as well as to avenge themselves against the Christians who had robbed them of their homeland. The arrival of these Moriscos coincided with fratricide wars between the Sa‘adian Princes, wars which brought the dynasty to an end and which rendered the central political authority very weak. Having stood their ground against Christian Spanish power, by refusing to abandon the Arab-Muslim element of their cultural heritage, they showed themselves, on the other side of the Mediterranean, to be equally resolute against a Moroccan government in a state of decay, against which they refused to abandon the European elements of this same cultural heritage. In the space of 10 years, more than 1,000 ships were captured, and “These Andalusian Sirs, Governors of the Castle and its outbuildings”, as they were referred to by their captives, decided to break themselves off from the authority of the Sultan of Marrakesh. They stopped giving him a tenth of the profits they were making, and set up an autonomous City-State headed by a Governor elected for the period of a year, who was to reinforce the defensive barrier against Europe’s general instinct for war and domination. In tandem with these buccaneering activities, Salé sustained fruitful commercial relationships with various European nations (Spain, France, Holland, Italy), and signed, along with some of these countries’ delegates, non-aggression treaties, or truces that had been carefully negotiated.  \n  \nIn the meantime, the ‘Alawite Dynasty had replaced that of the Sa‘adians, and this “Republic of the Two Riverbanks” ended up being considered by the ‘Alawite shorfas, the country’s new masters, who took over the banks of the Bu Regreg in 1076/1666, as a first-class centre of excess and debauchery. They put the privateers under their supervision, entrusting them occassionally with diplomatic missions, like that undertaken by Ra’is ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Aicha to Louis XIV in 1109/1698.  \n  \nIt is within this period, as noted by Charles-André Julien, that one finds the origins of modern Morocco, a Morocco which would continue to come against the Imperial ambitions of European states who did their utmost to dominate and fragment it. Mulay Isma‘il (1082/1672–1139/1727) put members of the nomadic Udayas tribe in charge of guarding the fortress, and it was their successors who consolidated and fortified it, developing its armoury.  \n  \nAfter having been one of the main centres of commercial trade with foreigners, and having contributed to Morocco’s exposure to the outside world, the port of Bu Regreg saw a decline in its activities with the creation, in 1177/1764, of the great port of Essauira (Mogador). Both Bu Regreg towns gradually turned their backs to the sea, but remained a mandoratory thoroughfare between Fez and Marrakesh.  \n  \nRabat became the Royal City during the reign of Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ibn ‘Abd Allah, who built the Sunna Mosque, opened in 1199/1785. But the plague epidemic, which spread rampantly from 1211/1797 to 1214/1800, decimated over a third of the country’s population, which at the time was estimated at five million, reducing the number of Rabat’s inhabitants to less than 20,000, heralding a new Dark Age. In 1248/1833, Sultan Mulay ‘Abd al-Rahman placed members of the Udayas tribe between Rabat and Témara to create a shield against the fierce tribes of the Zaers.  \n  \nIt was the French occupying forces that chose Rabat as the kingdom’s capital in 1912, so as to establish the seat of their Protectorate at a distance from Fez, Marrakesh and Meknès, which stood as symbols of Morocco’s great Empires. The Kasbah of the Udayas was thus restored and turned into a museum and embellished with an Andalusian garden, and Salé dedicated itself to activities of a more pacifistic nature: religion, and arts and crafts.  \n  \nHowever, the peaceful bourgeois agglomeration of 20,000 persons quickly became the cradle of a new Nationalist movement for independence. The town expanded significantly following the establishment of independence in 1956, and it was this that, in particular, perpetuated the deep imprint of Andalusian Arab-Muslim civilisation, as much in the form of religious as well as government buildings, as in the form of certain noteworthy residences, on both sides of the Bu Regreg River.","extra":{"author":"Kamal Lakhdar"}},"936e663d-f070-555d-8938-5b48ad247c02":{"title":"Itinerary 72","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[42]}},"937c6cbb-6bb8-598d-b6f2-c71534f17c6c":{"title":"Kremsmünster","description":""},"938a149d-4a20-5ba8-9ee0-5bcd13aaa59f":{"title":"São Sebastiaõ","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"93afc2c5-63c1-5930-839e-06f09e83f981":{"title":"Itinerary 78","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[38,45]}},"940a5f1f-8c43-5139-8936-2dfdf09ebd96":{"title":"Porches","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9434fc2d-bf6a-57e1-b885-f61f7b7dde87":{"title":"Madrid","description":""},"94640d52-156a-5b91-a3eb-d888839f39b8":{"title":"Stuttgart","description":""},"95866ba7-a4f6-5105-9177-29822c22607f":{"title":"Mafra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"95890ae2-7248-57f2-a227-cb3a2708b5d9":{"title":"Itinerary 66","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[518]}},"95cc2385-d8ee-551b-a542-d81a8cc64d19":{"title":"Ksar es-Seghir","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Situated 25 km. from Belyunesh. Cast your gaze along the Spanish coast, and in good weather you should be able to see very distinctly the Rock of Gibraltar."}},"963a15fc-ac9c-56e5-bcc8-5de1dcc200a6":{"title":"Al-‘Ayzariyya","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"965b3e98-b613-5063-a674-e935a8025c6c":{"title":"Petra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"96a7a9ec-0476-5e06-a2c4-01e9dd3811ae":{"title":"Bani Isguen","description":""},"96b52a44-1c73-5c98-8aa3-d84123e2e3c2":{"title":"Itinerary 19","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[333],"territory_ids":[5]}},"9763089a-c9d5-527e-a5fa-34bb11d626af":{"title":"Itinerary 17","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[297,310,315,347],"territory_ids":[4]}},"976d26b0-ff1e-5bfa-a604-8d0261ef987f":{"title":"Mazara del Vallo","description":""},"978579a0-3764-5c74-a922-83c504f7dc27":{"title":"Tabuk","description":""},"97eb2052-294e-5762-a90a-1a870dd042d7":{"title":"Itinerary 126","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[409]}},"9803d218-f80c-5d9d-ba9d-7776bc6a8af5":{"title":"DAMASCUS","description":"The Islamic history of Damascus is important as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, heralding the first expansion of Islam outside the Arabian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean region in the 1st/7th century. In Damascus, the Great Umayyad Mosque was built by the caliph al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik in 96/715 and it was the first monumental construct of its kind, proclaiming Damascus as the vibrant capital of a new world order, and setting the standard architecturally for subsequent mosque constructions.  \n  \nWhen the Umayyads were overcome by the ‘Abbasids in 132/750 and the Islamic capital shifted to Baghdad, Damascus became a provincial city for a long time. Not until the advance of the Seljuq Turks in the 5th/11th century did it begin to experience a revival in its regional importance. When Nur al-Din succeeded in taking control of Damascus in 549/1154, the different parts of Syria were strategically united and the status of Damascus as the capital city was established once again. Nur al-Din was zealously devoted to the triumph of Islam and in Damascus he established a robust environment of theological and legal education. The construction of 100 new *madrasas* in Damascus alone reflects his desire to change and re- educate society and revamp its urban structures. These civic developments are recorded by the historian of Damascus Ibn 'Asakir (d. 571/1176), a contemporary of Nur al-Din and a witness to the vivid architectural and religious mark he left on the city. Damascus became a magnet attracting scholars and ulama (teachers) from all across the lands of the Islamic faith. They came from Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), the Maghreb (North Africa) and Egypt as they fled the Crusaders, the *Reconquista*, and the Mongols. They found refuge in Damascus together with a fertile teaching ground.  \n  \nDamascus expanded to Mount Qasyun, some 2 km north of the old city, in what is known as the Salihiyya Quarter, and south along the pilgrimage route in what is known as al-Maydan. Both areas became important religious centres and Salihiyya in particular was famous for its *madrasas*. Salihiyya was founded when Nur al-Din invited a handful of refugee families from Jerusalem to settle along the banks of the River Yazid. These families were of high religious standing and well educated; most famous among them are the Banu ‘Asakir and the Banu Qudama, who settled there in 556/1161 and played crucial roles in Nur al-Din as well Salah al-Din’s campaigns. Salihiyya expanded rapidly as a highly respected neighbourhood and a centre for anti-Crusader propaganda. It was a selfsufficient and independently functioning district, a separate city almost. The ruling elite as patrons, members of the Ayyubid family and their brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, courtiers and freedslaves, all participated in its growth. The Ayyubids practiced an exceptionally generous patronage of writers and scholars. By the end of the Ayyubid reign in 658/1260, the Salihiyya district had become an area of thriving urbanism nestled between the Qasyun slopes of the River Yazid, attracting the best of noble patronage and charitable institution.  \n  \nUnder Nur al-Din and then the Ayyubids, the city walls, *burgs* and gates of Damascus were refortified and the Damascus Citadel completely redressed. The Ayyubids ensured the security for the city to thrive. *Madrasas*, *Dar Hadiths* and mausoleums (*turbas* or *dareehs*) were never too far away from *suqs*, *bimaristans* and *hammams*. Prior to all these institutions, it was the mosque that served – and continues to serve to this day – as a basic centre for education, with larger mosques generally including libraries too. Thus public education is not new to the Muslim world, and the development of *madrasas* can be seen as a continuation of what was already offered in mosques and public libraries. It in is their quantity and specialisation that attention is drawn to the systematic approach applied to the re-education of society.","extra":{"author":"Abd al-Razzaq Moaz, Zena Takieddine"}},"98087b47-c20e-57d8-807c-277f4034c456":{"title":"Bragança","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9893c66f-592e-5071-8fa8-a2f680f58b4c":{"title":"Bitushe","description":""},"98c7ad17-67da-5183-b309-97ed7de4e81a":{"title":"Jerusalem","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"990ed27c-5d36-50ab-939b-66034ba161c2":{"title":"Calheta","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"993034ab-4b19-549e-b9cc-0dddc44f13b3":{"title":"GHAR AL-MELH","description":"Ghar al-Melh is a small coastal town situated half-way between Tunis and Bizerte; its foundation, which dates back to 1047/1638, was decided upon by the Dey Usta Murad for strategic reasons. The city, created around a Portuguese and military compound, was colonised by the Andalusians mostly from Tunis, who were attracted by particularly favourable concessions. Squeezed in-between the mountain and the lake, Ghar al-Melh is located on an exceptional site. Its plan is based on a regular design: two large thoroughfares run across the town from one end to the other. The median thoroughfare crosses the central square, whilst the meridional crosses the small covered suq. The two thoroughfares are linked via smaller perpendicular streets.  \n  \nThe Medina of Ghar al-Melh, which has suffered relatively little from the renovations and reconstructions that have recently taken place, contains several buildings of a certain architectural and archaeological value, including a few old houses, two *hammam*s, the maritime complex, the fortifications and several religious buildings (mosques, *madrasa*s and *zawiya*s).  \n  \nThe Madrasa of Ghar al-Melh, which dates back to the 11th/17th century, is actually known under the name of Mosque of the Madrasa. Of medium height, it is composed of an oratory, an open-top (roofless) courtyard, an ablutions hall, a recently rebuilt minaret and eight rooms. When it was founded, this building was intended for the teaching and accommodation of young, rural men who came to learn and attend classes for several years.  \n  \nThe 11th/17th century Mosque of the *Rahba* is located at the centre of town, bordering the central square, which gave Mosque of the *Rahba* its name. Its small square minaret, rising up in the courtyard of the building that precedes the oratory, dominates the town square and the neighbouring houses.  \n  \n**The Port Complex and its Fortifications**  \nGhar al-Melh is distinct for the importance accorded to its maritime buildings and fortifications. Its naval dockyard, the artificial port to which it belongs, and its three defensive forts, all of which date back to the 11th/17th century, constitute an architectural complex, one of a few that best represent the military architecture of Ottoman Tunisia. In addition, these works were constructed by Morisco engineers and carry the mark of the Andalusian school.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"9949333b-f61a-5981-8b6b-730c70ac86be":{"title":"Bkerki","description":""},"99636532-54d3-561d-8e1b-9c82bfe36c4c":{"title":"Pombal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"997448ad-cec9-519b-8278-34b8aa4d5bf6":{"title":"Soma","description":""},"999a2268-9710-5ed0-8012-19ebff66a973":{"title":"Villalpando","description":""},"99d9db3e-1464-51ab-943f-121b6e7df24c":{"title":"Extremadura","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"99fae180-5cc0-5865-bfd3-68b539909e42":{"title":"Itàla","description":""},"9a0fac77-a5c2-533c-be61-9f2846d68648":{"title":"Schwetzingen","description":""},"9a104cf2-615c-51d1-a33c-3deb81005928":{"title":"Azraq","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9a12b00b-dc42-5a4a-92d4-7c8cc7e04662":{"title":"Balat","description":"","extra":{"info":"Located 20 km. to the south of Balat, the Didyma Apollo Temple (Didim) still preserves its magnificence in spite of being largely in ruins today. The Altınkum beach is just 5 km. from the temple.  \n16 km. north of Balat, on the Balat-Söke main road, the ancient city of Priene charms its visitors with its magnificent location.  \nAnother corner of the region worth visiting is the Dilek Peninsula National Park which functions as a plant and animal reserve and is located 30 km. south of Kuşadası. However, the Büyük Menderes River Delta, part of the National Park, can be visited by turning north at the village of Tuzburgazı; also the old village of Doğanbey will give a taste of Aegean and Mediterranean cultures.","how_to_reach":"Balat is the Turkish name of the ancient city of Miletus. To get from Milas to Miletus you must take the main road D.525 in the direction of Akköy for approximately 55 km. If you are using public transport, go to Söke first and board a dolmush minibus to Balat. İlyas Bey Mosque Complex stands among the magnificent remains of buildings from the ancient world.","showOnMonument":true}},"9a7c0f56-f865-566e-8877-48b08f0721b5":{"title":"Gmunden","description":""},"9ac899da-b170-56dc-abc7-2f5bdd89f7a6":{"title":"SELÇUK","description":"We know that throughout history some cities have changed their locations for socio-economic or natural reasons. Ephesus too changed its location at least three times for various reasons. There are different views as to where the exact location of the ancient city of Ephesus, an important trading port beginning in ancient times, was first settled. Not directly connected to the process of relocation, it is also known that the city changed its name frequently too. The ancient settlement of Ephesus, known as Hagios Theologos in the Middle Ages, took the name Ayasuluğ in the Turkish period and the name Selçuk in 1914. The city, which was re-established towards the end of the 4th century BC, in a narrow valley between Panayır Mountain and Bülbül Mountain, lived in prosperity during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. However, as a result of its harbour filling up with alluvium carried by the Küçük Menderes River, its connection to the sea was cut off and therefore, it lost the special feature of being a city port. In addition to being an important religious and commercial centre (the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was in Ephesus), it is clear that it was an important cultural and artistic centre as well. The large-scale 25,000-person capacity theatre still stands as proof of this. Ephesus is one of the seven churches of Christianity in the Book of Revelation. The spread of Christianity during Saint Paul’s lengthy stay here, the presence of the tomb of Saint John, and the claim that the Virgin Mary lived in Ephesus for a while and died there means that the city holds great importance for Christians. Moreover, the Third Ecumenical Council was held in Ephesus in AD 431 debating the divine and human nature of Christ and concluded with the victory of Monophysitism and Nestorianism’s conviction as heresy. In 449 a synod also gathered here to enforce Monophysitism.  \n  \nIntense building activity took place in Selçuk, one of Aydın Emirate’s important cities that served as the capital of the Emirate between the years 1348-1390. The great majority of the buildings in the city that have survived up to the present day, stem from this period. Mehmed Bey’s son İsa Bey commissioned Selçuk’s most magnificent edifice, İsa Bey Mosque; some western travellers have thought that the building was converted into a mosque from the church of St. John."},"9ace23c5-bff3-507e-bacc-71dafe129e33":{"title":"Castel Gandolfo","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1,2]}},"9b00bbb6-1cd8-5d2b-b9e8-a4a4798c29a7":{"title":"Budapest","description":""},"9b090c54-9b80-55f3-8754-a98add250309":{"title":"Toro","description":""},"9b845428-8fad-515d-b15b-ef0a3a013445":{"title":"Salé","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Salé is 3 km. from Rabat, separated from it by the river Bu Regreg. It is possible to cross the river by ferry."}},"9b87b73d-fd65-5bc3-9c55-470248b003a5":{"title":"Karacabey","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9b989181-85ca-5403-9ad4-8a6e2908beea":{"title":"Frazzanò","description":""},"9bce70ab-11ae-5b53-a559-6a769a41821c":{"title":"Spital am pyhrn","description":""},"9c5014ef-4faf-5e9f-971f-5509ac42e398":{"title":"Itinerary 46","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["jo"],"location_ids":[6,7,31,35]}},"9da9be23-db54-59a3-94b1-e0c8b9ec42ca":{"title":"Lienz","description":""},"9e28559d-36f6-59bc-b865-d45841d69423":{"title":"Itinerary 95","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[180]}},"9e886212-6b1c-5d1d-bde1-7bfa3ef32cbb":{"title":"Beja","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9e9878b3-e01d-5b8d-a16c-68c7b9c71553":{"title":"Jeita","description":""},"9ecaecb4-b8f7-57a1-b9e3-f1aca41cd5f9":{"title":"Jericho","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9f75ebec-8466-58fe-8c7d-bb675954dac2":{"title":"Braga","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9fa1f589-dd1b-5d78-a534-9a288fc52bdd":{"title":"Crevalcore","description":""},"9fab020a-7189-531f-9e0f-7cc1d4a84dcc":{"title":"Vilar Torpim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9fcee625-bec3-5af1-83d3-e640496b0988":{"title":"Rijeka","description":""},"9ff000e8-4f6e-5535-b750-94ac0d439c28":{"title":"CHÉBIKA","description":"Chébika clings to the mountain about halfway up, sitting on a platform which allows it to dominate the oasis and the gorge of its *wadi*. The village was once ancient *ad-Speculum*, a Roman defence outpost on the Tacape–Theveste, Gabès–Tébessa track. Built in stone and earth-coloured clay, it blends into its environment. Chébika has actually been abandoned in favour of banal constructions built on the slope. The fabric of the historic village, like a chessboard, evokes that of Tamerza. The axial road, onto which are grafted the secondary roads, leads up to the market square.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"a12302f0-1769-5eea-94bc-5285e13bf1ff":{"title":"Pinhel","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a15da2ac-4665-509a-9057-ef8af7984bbc":{"title":"Monreale","description":""},"a16d6454-8872-5852-b87b-7cc858d3761e":{"title":"Sperlinga","description":""},"a1c57301-fa70-51ae-9590-7a1f6807f99b":{"title":"Itinerary 73","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[36,41,47,50]}},"a1d6455c-9f8c-5ee6-a19f-ae621ac863da":{"title":"Itinerary 7","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[2]}},"a2166dd0-3bf9-5488-a7cc-c18f73e2a45b":{"title":"Explore Tyrol","description":"Tyrol, situated in the heart of Europe, is home to many prominent works of art, surrounded by the majestic backdrop of the Alps. With this project Museum With No Frontiers returns to the place where its adventure began: the development of a network of 30 thematic itineraries relating to Gothic Art, Baroque Art and the artistic legacy of Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I. Explore Tyrol is a work-in-progress; at present it provides access to monuments from the Baroque period. After completion, visitors will be able to discover 269 monuments and sites.","extra":{"country_ids":["at"],"country_texts":[{"text":"If we walk through the remote side valleys of Tyrol, we come across a wide variety of works of art at every step. The deeply rooted popular faith of the region gave birth to religious testimonies everywhere, mostly embedded in a grandiose alpine landscape. Thanks to the Tyrolean salt mines and the flourishing trade associated with them, noble and bourgeois residences have been built all across the country, often richly decorated with frescos and sumptuously furnished. Between 1490 and 1519, Innsbruck was the residential seat of the first Habsburg Emperor Maximilian, whose monumental tomb in Innsbruck’s Hofkirche (court church) offers a living testimony of Maximilian’s understanding of self-representation.  \n  \nExplore Tyrol – a work-in progress – invites to discover the artistic legacy of three periods: Gothic Art, Baroque and Rococò and Maximilian I. At present it provides access to monuments from the Baroque period. After completion visitors will be able to discover 269 monuments and sites.","langId":"en","countryId":"at"}],"legacy_status":"e"}},"a2439333-c2f2-5d06-bc16-6ea4495f95f5":{"title":"Itinerary 107","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[69,95,126]}},"a26e1cdc-e8e0-50df-a5ff-2cc85e86aaf3":{"title":"ELVAS","description":"The existence of Elvas as a settlement in Islamic times is clearly documented in Islamic sources from the 4th/10th century, but it may have existed well before this. Two linear remains of what were the walls, forming part of the Islamic defensive system at Elvas, testify to the impressive size of this urban centre, described by the geographer al-Idrisi in the 12th century as a *medina* or “city”. Whilst this author was not indifferent to the beauty of the women that he encountered here, other 5th/11th century writers were pleasantly surprised by the richness of the countryside surrounding Elvas. This information is clearly reflected in the many different marks left on the region’s toponymy. At an urban level (with names such as Alcamim, Alcalá and Almocovar), and at a rural level (with names such as Torre do Mouro (the Moor’s tower), Seixo dos Mouros (Moors’ rock), Herdade do Mouro (the Moor’s estate), Horta do Mouro (the Moor’s orchard), Vale do Mouro (the Moor’s Valley), or even Fonte(fountain) de Axá, Poço (well) de Almourim, Alcarapinha, Alpedrede, Alfarófia, etc.).  \n  \nElvas underwent a major building programme under the period of Almohad rule, with works that inevitably transformed the citadel (see Porta do Templo) and the wall of the *medina*. This wall enclosing an area of roughly 10 hectares still retains some evidence of the original dry-mud wall built around most of its perimeter for defensive purposes, and it was further strengthened with L-shaped gateways (which have since disappeared). Amongst today’s remains of the fortifications, attention is drawn to a partly altered polygonal tower, known nowadays as the Arco da Encarnação.  \n  \nBoth in the citadel and the ancient *medina*, the urban layout still consists today of narrow winding streets that evoke memories of an Islamic heritage of several centuries. The Islamic presence in Elvas did not cease when the city was brought under the control of the Portuguese crown. In the 15th century, the community of “*mouros forros*” (emancipated Moors) or Mudejars was the second most important of its kind in the whole of the Alentejo. The Moors of Elvas made a living as craftsmen, whilst also mastering the technology required for tending their crops and maintaining close trading links with the neighbouring kingdom.  \n  \nElvas must also be included in the list of Portuguese places where the epigraphy of Islamic times has clearly left its mark.  \nIn fact, although foundation stones incised with Arabic characters, which until at least the 17th century were still to be found in the walls of the *medina*, have since disappeared a tombstone was recently found in a place that has not been identified with great exactitude. Judging by the type of calligraphy used, however, it probably dates from the mid-6th/12th century.","extra":{"author":"Fernando Branco Correia"}},"a329d19c-f34f-5577-bddd-658a0344fe90":{"title":"Zirc","description":""},"a33c5207-733e-543e-b889-8c84d1803223":{"title":"Dougga","description":""},"a3ae44f0-6c1d-56af-b693-e7cf65231b99":{"title":"Itinerary 26","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[475,483]}},"a3be8190-adf3-563f-90c8-7d2a5c9fe27d":{"title":"Irbid","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Dept. of Antiquities office at Irbid 02-7277066.","how_to_reach":"Is 88 km. north of Amman and can be reached easily from Jerash by car or bus, taxi or service-taxi, the station being near the Roman East-Baths complex. The road goes directly to Irbid through the town of al-Husn.","showOnMonument":true}},"a3d1869d-826d-5517-9287-0db7e35b765d":{"title":"Saida","description":""},"a417f913-533e-5bc2-a1b7-cec17d46b854":{"title":"GUIMARÃES","description":"Guimarães is one of Portugal’s most mythical cities, as it was the birthplace of the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, son of Count Henry of Burgundy and Teresa, daughter of the Emperor of León. He gained independence from his mother, and the Galician warlords who fought by her side, at the Battle of São Mamede in 1128, thus beginning his effective domination over the territory that was to give birth to the Portuguese nation.  \n  \nThe city was important throughout the Middle Ages, being in the centre of fertile agricultural land and close to other large centres of population, particularly the Archdiocese of Braga. Of the various institutions in the city, the Collegiate Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira is of interest, being a favourite of Countess Mumadona, who held sway in this region. One of its priors was João das Regras and one of its patrons was D. João I.  \n  \nThe development of Guimarães is also closely associated with a number of religious orders that were installed here, such as the Dominicans and Franciscans. In the Manueline period, it was remarkable for its urban grid of streets and houses and also for the Ducal Palace belonging to the House of Bragança.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"a41ea48e-e4d3-51b9-b3fc-83b26958a90f":{"title":"Greece","description":""},"a43ba613-8d7c-5b2b-9951-d8e8243baf40":{"title":"CAMINHA","description":"The old town of Caminha stands at the mouth of the River Minho, facing Galicia and the imposing Monte de Santa Tecla, in Spain. It was an important Mediaeval town that, along with many others, prospered greatly during the era of the Discoveries. The small fishing port that already existed in the 10th century had undergone its first real development thanks to the efforts of D. Afonso III in fortifying and settling the frontiers by creating a defensive frontier cordon that also included Melgaço and Valença beyond the river line. The first wall round Caminha dates from this period. D. Dinis granted the town a charter in 1284. By this time, a clear division had been formed between the original village, located at Vilarelhe, and the new town, which was to develop into modern-day Caminha.  \n  \nIn 1507, Duarte D’Armas depicted Caminha as an oval town with a wall and twelve towers as the first line of defence.  \n  \nThe keep, rising from a low *barbican* and begun in the time of D. João I, was very much stronger and was concluded in half of the entire *enceinte*. This part of the wall was studded with dozens of embrasures. Outside the walls, a few dwellings belonging to fishermen are shown, as well as some shipbuilding activities, for, in this particular case, the author drew a caravel undergoing extensive alterations.","extra":{"about":"The old town of Caminha stands at the mouth of the River Minho, facing Galicia and the imposing Monte de Santa Tecla, in Spain. It was an important Mediaeval town that, along with many others, prospered greatly during the era of the Discoveries. The small fishing port that already existed in the 10th century had undergone its first real development thanks to the efforts of D. Afonso III in fortifying and settling the frontiers by creating a defensive frontier cordon that also included Melgaço and Valença beyond the river line. The first wall round Caminha dates from this period. D. Dinis granted the town a charter in 1284. By this time, a clear division had been formed between the original village, located at Vilarelhe, and the new town, which was to develop into modern-day Caminha.  \nIn 1507, Duarte D’Armas depicted Caminha as an oval town with a wall and twelve towers as the first line of defence.  \nThe keep, rising from a low *barbican* and begun in the time of D. João I, was very much stronger and was concluded in half of the entire *enceinte*. This part of the wall was studded with dozens of embrasures. Outside the walls, a few dwellings belonging to fishermen are shown, as well as some shipbuilding activities, for, in this particular case, the author drew a caravel undergoing extensive alterations.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"a477bdb9-31e8-59e3-8f61-9e06181ab35e":{"title":"Longroiva","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a4a70dfe-c3a7-5988-b70c-5bab87d2b075":{"title":"Munich-Nymphenburg","description":""},"a4a75d39-e259-5ed3-8963-9a7055bce8f2":{"title":"SYRACUSE","description":"The Corinthians founded a colony here in the 8th century BC. The urban structure given to it by the Greeks was extremely regular, marked by parallel and orthogonal streets. It had the indisputable primacy among the Sicilian *poleis* and was a truly great power of the Hellenistic Mediterranean, to the extent even of rivalling Athens.  \n  \nBesieged for over two years by the Romans, it fell to their power in 212 BC. They established the base there of the *praetorium* and confirmed it as the capital of Sicily.  \n  \nAfter a barbaric interval, it was reconquered by Belisario in 535, and from 663 to 668 was chosen as the residence of Constans II and Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.  \n  \nIt maintained its primacy among the cities of the island during the Byzantine period. Then the Arabs, having hardly disembarked in 827, and believing that its fall would mean the Conquest of the whole of Sicily, assaulted it in vain for over a year under the command of Asad Ibn al-Furat, but they only won, finally, several years later following a devastating battle.  \n  \nDuring the Arabic era it became the capital of Val di Noto, while its administrative primacy was ceded to Palermo; the Muslims built the Castle of Marieth, mentioned up to the time of the disastrous earthquake of 1544, on the ruins of the royal palace of the *exarch*.  \n  \nIn 1038 the Greek Captain Giorgio Maniace succeeded in the difficult attempt to restore it for a time to the Byzantine domain, counting among his mercenaries a handful of Normans. The latter, from the short occupation of the city and their sallies into south-east Sicily, drew many useful lessons for their undertaking of reconquest, launched about 20 years later against Islam.  \n  \nThey only retook Syracuse in 1086, having put to flight its Amir, Ibn ‘Abbad (Benarvet), a brave warrior at the centre of epic encounters during the period of the Norman Conquest, recounted in the Chronicle of Goffredo Malaterra. Peace having been restored, they restored the bishopric as main authority in the town and began to exploit again the potentials of the mercantile port. Al-Idrisi in about 1150 found there: “*markets, great arteries, caravanserais, spas, superb buildings and vast squares*”.  \n  \nFederico II of Swabia, recognising his central position on the routes of the Mediterranean, seemed to fully foresee his strategic importance in a political design that projected the empire eastwards, and probably his court towards the “*extreme point of Ortigia*”. But the programmes of the emperor were abruptly interrupted by his death in 1250.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"a4b36c4b-0956-5961-b691-9dfe08dd4c62":{"title":"Sanlúcar la Mayor","description":""},"a4f326fd-72be-5c67-8afb-f645b3a38545":{"title":"El-Khemis","description":""},"a4ffa604-f96b-5af6-9e81-52b7985036ed":{"title":"Ma‘arrat al-Nu‘man","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a507611d-e148-5f9e-b868-1cb7b3c68015":{"title":"Vila Nova de Cerveira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a51931d8-6d4d-5677-9600-e20e5a6a6f04":{"title":"Cefalà Diana","description":""},"a5d242f9-2738-5386-8516-0d87a7e54517":{"title":"Itinerary 121","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[4]}},"a5eda8ee-cbec-54c4-8a21-2ad7fbe32e1d":{"title":"Toujane","description":""},"a5f65a64-3dc4-5ec4-90bd-01b4c78a41f2":{"title":"Wilhering","description":""},"a6826fe6-eba4-5f36-8f48-fa2c6a7232f7":{"title":"Sa‘ir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a6a54bb1-b9c8-557a-8fe6-f5515b9e5712":{"title":"Kaltenbrunn im Kaunertal","description":""},"a6ddd072-bada-53d1-8e93-b7e99aa47ac6":{"title":"Tunisia","description":""},"a6ee59d7-67a1-5553-ad60-666721398733":{"title":"Cefalù","description":""},"a70b4fd7-48f1-5919-a3da-b783ce86b1c5":{"title":"Hungary","description":""},"a7250edd-0d99-51f0-a59c-175f897aeb4d":{"title":"Alandroal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a743b6f7-ecc4-5665-83e5-867604ed31a4":{"title":"Zaragoza","description":""},"a776c0ed-ffba-522d-939d-776b98d4f23f":{"title":"Óbidos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a7cbf775-cf58-5896-b435-28a1fc4f7808":{"title":"SANTARÉM","description":"The city of Santarém (previously known as Scalabis, the capital of the Roman *conventus*) dominates the immense plains of the Ribatejo, the former territory of Ballata, which had been referred to and praised by both Roman and Arab chroniclers. The river continuously flooded the land here and the farming techniques used were compared by the chronicler al-Himyari to those used on the mud flats of the River Nile.  \n  \nApparently, Santarém was organised into three quite distinct nuclei. The citadel was certainly protected by a wall and had three gates, continuing as far as the area of São João de Alporão. Close to the River Tagus and around the church dedicated to Saint Irene, the city’s patron saint, there spread the suburb of Alfange and in particular the suburb of Ribeira, which formed the most important nucleus of the Islamic city.  \n  \nDue to the continuation of this important Christian cult, as proved by the very name of the city (Xantarin), a sizeable Mozarab population was to remain, particularly in the riverside areas.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"a8648347-4e9d-5624-bacd-d939658bd5b6":{"title":"BISKRA","description":"Biskra (128 metres above sea level), is located in the southeast of Algiers. The climate is cold in winter, hot and dry in summer. At the foot of pale mountain ranges, Biskra, the “Queen of the Ziban” – with its plains and green oases, its cultural sites that witnessed succeeding civilisations – has long been one of the most popular tourist areas.  \nBiskra is famous for its dates, the Deglet Nour variety being considered the best in the world. The palm plantation extends along the valley and includes thousands of palm and fruit trees. The water is abundant, accessible by artesian wells. Each locality is known for its artisanal activities. The thermal baths known as Hammam Salihine have enjoyed an excellent reputation dating back to Roman colonisation.  \nIbn Khaldoun, who stayed in Biskra in 784 / 1382, asserted that the city dated to 65 / 685, and that it was the capital of the Zab or Ziban, which means oasis. It is built on the site of ancient Vescera, a Roman post. Subjugated by the Aghlabides of Kairouan, Biskra supplanted Tobna, then capital of the eastern Hodna. Under the Hammadids, in the 5th / 11th century, it was autonomous.  \nAl-Bakri describes Biskra’s beauty and prosperity, its ramparts, the lushness of its oasis and the Maghrawa and Sedrata Berber herders who roamed the area. According to the geographer al-Idrissi, the city was fortified in the Almohad era. Under the Hafsids it became the capital of the entire southwestern part of their territory.  \nDuring the Ottoman period, in 948 / 1542, Hassan Agha and Salah Raïs settled there and built a fort. Under French colonisation, in 1844, Biskra was occupied by the French Duke of Aumale.  \nToday Biskra houses the Great Mosque of Sidi M’barek, which dates from the 5th / 11th century; the Nassiriya *zawiya*, famous in the 6th / 12th century; the mausoleum Sidi Abdarrahman and the Khaled el-Abassi Mosque.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"a86663cb-253b-59ee-b179-573e66e59f6f":{"title":"Brixen im Thale","description":""},"a8ef80bf-cf95-561d-9b9e-2b214621e03e":{"title":"Villamuera de la Cueza","description":""},"a9146007-50e5-5104-a6a4-da29d198eafd":{"title":"Alcamo","description":"","extra":{"info":"Thermal Baths of Segesta  \nOn the border between the Comunes of Alcamo and Castellamare, on the banks of the river Caldo, there is a group of springs of sulphuric water that were already known at the time of the Arabic era,which flowed from inside the caves at a temperature of 45o C making a natural sauna.The hot water is channelled through structures of baths and thermal pools, which offer the visitor the chance of some therapeutic medicinal bathing, and which is also freely usable in the few stretches of the river not restricted by cement dykes."}},"a91716a0-a73a-5580-85e9-5bec409dd8d4":{"title":"Itinerary 10","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[303,335],"territory_ids":[6]}},"a9386e25-86e8-59a9-848d-f88f8ba9ab0f":{"title":"Fuwa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a95b0c32-ecfc-5ad4-9db2-9a986f11bca0":{"title":"Montemor-o-Novo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a966d007-2f83-5f97-b87a-5221f821358c":{"title":"BELYUNESH","description":"Belyunesh, an archaeological site, where a village of fishermen and border merchants had rooted itself, was during the Mediaeval times the orchard and water tower of Ceuta, and came under the jurisdiction of the *Qadi* of the Strait’s city.  \n  \nSituated in a deep verdant valley which descends steeply towards the sea, amply watered by the water from its natural sources, it was considered during Mediaeval times to be an idyllic place, sung of by poets such as the famous Qadi ‘Ayad. Dominated by the Jabal Musa, known also as the “Mount of monkeys”, on which stood, so mythologers believed, one of the columns of Hercules (the antique Abyla), and which was covered in a thick forest, the area of Belyunesh served as the hunting ground for the inhabitants of Ceuta, the *Sebti*s. This enchanting corner, which strikes the imagination, is also where the sorceress Circé is said to have held Ulysses prisoner.  \n  \nIn the 5th/11th century, under the reign of petty King Saqut – a contemporary and equal of the Prince of Seville, al-Mu‘tamid Ibn ‘Abbad, whose reign marked out one of the most glorious periods in Ceuta’s history – notables possessed beautiful mansions placed at the centre of gardens in which the most evolved techniques of irrigation were employed. These holiday villas or *munia*s, constructed and ornamented with great care, were in fact agricultural centres which fulfilled the same functions as Roman villas. The valley produced an abundance of fruit, and fine-quality coral could be fished from the waters in the bay which, after being treated in the specialised workshops of Ceuta, were exported to the sub-Saharan continent, in particular to Ghana and the Sudan.  \n  \nThis opulence, which lasted until the end of the 8th/14th century, disappeared completely by the 9th/15th century with the Portuguese occupation of Ceuta. The Portuguese nonetheless failed to exploit Ceuta and its surrounding environment due to the difficulties involved in reaching it. Abandoned, it thus fell into ruin, and was only visited by fishermen.  \n  \nArchaeological excavations, undertaken in recent decades, have enabled certain remains of the town to be discovered and have brought the famous *munia*s to light, with their countryhouse towers and dancing water fountains as described in texts.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"a967a957-2ebf-5eb8-bce9-abd66c6ce8dd":{"title":"Qal‘at Shayzar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a96e0ae6-f1cc-5742-8334-014c6bdb3236":{"title":"MAHDIA","description":"The growing hostility of the *Sunnite* Kairouanese in opposition to the Shi‘ite Doctrine, coupled with the various different rebellions that kept rising up all over the Maghreb, resulted in al-Mahdi’s decision, in 301/914, to seek a suitable site for the foundation of a town-refuge. Furthermore, the *caliph*’s designs on the East – focused on the conquering of Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid “usurpers”, in view of dominating the Muslim world by right – were not inconsistent with the final choice of a site on the eastern shores of Ifriqiya. The site of Mahdia presented ideal guarantees for the security of a dynasty that was heir to an important naval fleet and that dominated a central area of the Mediterranean.  \n  \nBuilt on a spur rising 1,400 m. above sea level, the town was impenetrable if approached by land. Only 25 years after its foundation in 303/916, it was put to a hard test. Indeed, after having devastated the whole of the Ifriqiya, Abu Yazid, the “man on the donkey”, took siege of Mahdia in 329/941. The Fatimid Caliphate was at a hair’s breadth from losing its position of power, and found its saving grace in Mahdia’s defences. Having crushed the revolt, al-Mansur built a new capital at Sabra. Nevertheless, Mahdia continued to be the fleet’s naval base, and the central pivot of Maghrebi maritime commerce. Its port constituted a point of departure for Kairouan in the exportation of oil and textile goods towards the East and Sicily.  \n  \nMahdia rediscovered its role as Capital of a tiny principality following the Hilalian invasions that had forced al-Mu‘izz Ibn Badis to seek refuge there in 448/1057, face-to-face against the assaults perpetrated by Christian fleets. In 479/1087, the Pisans and Genoans became the masters of Mahdia, burning and pillaging the suburb of Zawila. The fratricide struggle between the Zirids and the Hammadites, who took siege of Mahdia in 528/1134, weakened the town’s resistance against the Normans, who succeeded in enslaving it in 542/1148. The town was liberated by ‘Abd al-Mu’min Ibn ‘Ali in 555/1160, during his campaign to reconquer Ifriqiya.  \n  \nThe end of the 6th/12th century proved to be a turbulent one for the population of Mahdia, following the Revolt led by the Town Governor against the central Almohad Authority in 595/1199.  \n  \nIn the 7th/13th century, Mahdia returned to a state of relative prosperity thanks to the development of its trade with Italian towns, and to pirateering, which provoked the exasperated Christians to mount a Crusade against the town in 792/1390. Despite the failure of the expedition, Mahdia had to pay a ransom and a tribute for a further 15 years.  \n  \nIn the 10th/16th century, Mahdia was stage to various conflicts between the Turks and the Spanishs over Western Mediterranean supremacy. The Ra’is Dragut succeeded in seizing Mahdia in 951/1545, and turned it into a Port of Registry for his fleet which spread terror along the Christian coastlines. These misdemeanours provoked a strong reaction from Charles Quint, whose Admiral, André Doria, prevailed in penetrating the town following a memorable siege. In 961/1554, the Spanish abandoned the town, having attacked its maritime ramparts with canon-gun powder. From then on, the town played but a secondary role in the country’s history.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"a97a1028-8888-5d9e-ba4c-f13a4db86b2b":{"title":"Korčula","description":""},"a9aa2baa-d59d-54cb-b60c-99419e458903":{"title":"Dhab‘a","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"aa2699c1-17cc-5201-be21-a2044df69ea0":{"title":"Brno","description":""},"aa2ed067-ceb2-505a-8f02-1ef8031255ee":{"title":"Lagoa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"aa56143c-7c93-5543-9b74-78adaadda4fc":{"title":"Alcalá de Henares","description":""},"aaab286e-9305-59bb-b688-0c21f0593c7a":{"title":"BEÇİN","description":"Built on top of a flat plateau on the edge of the Milas Plain, and 200 m. above, the fortress rises majestically on a weird looking rocky outcrop, like a crown over the head of the modern town. The remains on the top and outskirts of the steep slope to the north have given rise to speculation that this area was used as a necropolis during antiquity. The remains of foundations dating to the Hellenistic period to the east, along with the temple (4th century BC) at the southeast corner of the city walls, are evidence that the fortress existed before the Turkish period.  \n  \nThe town of Beçin was probably a small settlement when it passed into the hands of the Menteşe Beys towards the end of the 13th century. The small dimensions of the Byzantine chapel situated in the ruins of the town supports this thesis. The famous Arab traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited the city in the 1330s, lends further credence to this theory when he writes that it was “a newly founded city with new buildings and *masjid*s”. That the majority of what remains of the ruined city dates back to the Turkish period, is proof that the city developed rapidly during the period. Due to a rapid increase in population and development, the majority of the town’s buildings originate in the 14th century.","extra":{"author":"Rahmi H. Ünal"}},"aab9da67-df4a-5be1-88ef-c90e88783946":{"title":"Oberschleißheim","description":""},"ab36e855-ad5f-5b8b-972b-9eb42bfe59eb":{"title":"ALVITO","description":"Alvito gained importance in the mid-12th century, when it came into the possession of the son-in-law and chancellor of D. Afonso III, D. Estêvão Anes. In 1279, it was transferred to the Order of the Most Holy Trinity (*Santíssima Trindade*), which did much to develop the region. By the end of the 14th century, it was already an important town, thanks to the contributions of various donors, and particularly so in the 15th century when the second Baron of Alvito, D. Diogo Lobo da Silveira, built his palace there.  \n  \nThe town was granted a charter by D. Manuel I, in 1516.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ab457bec-c8f5-543b-8dc0-ce406454c54c":{"title":"Rott Am Inn","description":""},"ab75fc10-5655-5709-a596-496d9625501c":{"title":"St. Florian","description":""},"abe7fc1d-9f6e-5e96-9cff-a6fa3fa3d0d5":{"title":"SINES","description":"The Roman occupation of Sines is documented, but it only became important as a fishing port during the Islamic period.  \n  \nThe Knights Templar recaptured the town, which came definitively under the Portuguese Crown in 1217, in the time of D. Sancho II. During the Middle Ages, it lived in the shadow of the Order of Santiago and was the residence of the Da Gama family, which produced Vasco da Gama, the commander of the first fleet to find the sea route between Portugal and India. D. Manuel I granted the town a new charter in 1512.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ac1682a6-8962-5601-ad17-e0bccebfcd60":{"title":"Itinerary 29","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[462,464,467,473,487,497]}},"ac32fd13-5caa-5b10-b821-629a1edf4ac6":{"title":"Lamego","description":"The city was important in distant times, at least from the Visigothic period in the 7th century onwards, for coins were minted here in the reign of Sisebuto. When the Muslims began to take over the Peninsula in 713, Lamego was occupied soon afterwards and was only definitively reconquered by the army of Fernando the Great, Emperor of León, in 1057. In 1071, it became the see of the Diocese.  \nThe development of Lamego in Mediaeval times was, in a first phase, due to Egas Moniz, who lived nearby in Britiande and was tutor to the first Portuguese King, D. Afonso Henriques. In 1191, D. Sancho I granted the town its first charter in an attempt to attract a fixed population to this, a depressed area.  \nUntil the 19th century, the town was never very large and any social life was related to the cathedral.  \nThe 12th-century castle stands on a frontier hill. It was frequently restored in the Middle Ages and further work, mainly consolidation, was carried out in Manueline times, giving it the look that it has retained to this day.","extra":{"prepared_by":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo","showOnMonument":true}},"ac45321f-3cf5-5584-923f-06ea34ad4155":{"title":"Artena","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"ac4bb5c8-cabf-5e7f-a3bf-ab39449edb03":{"title":"Castelo Rodrigo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ac507c4c-d15a-5b7d-9dcc-36541c6d751d":{"title":"Al-Badiya","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ac5752bb-2ae7-54fe-b28f-2dbcb058b27e":{"title":"Lisboa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"acad19da-1459-524b-ac74-3bd66e0ad049":{"title":"Madrigal de las Altas Torres","description":""},"ad074b25-9cc4-520a-8714-ff041c8623e5":{"title":"Germany","description":""},"ad4ebc6f-612d-5cc9-89bf-96f9794605b4":{"title":"Rajhrad","description":""},"ad5deb87-622b-579d-a106-19abf17d5e56":{"title":"Campofelice di Roccella","description":""},"adc76208-536e-51b2-ae8b-1df26ad1c1d6":{"title":"Aydin","description":""},"adf50ef9-91f4-55b1-89b8-c3cad645ab45":{"title":"Piódão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ae37cd83-0dc1-5150-900c-0de4dddaa46a":{"title":"Zagreb","description":""},"ae5c7e3e-3dc2-59c5-9dc5-36da77eab43c":{"title":"Qsar Aouadide","description":""},"ae965108-4458-52b3-ba58-2aeb2867ac0d":{"title":"Porto","description":""},"aeb6263b-cb4d-5927-80f3-e1d0eac262c3":{"title":"Latium","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3,4],"territory_level":"1"}},"aed1d0b8-0373-54c0-998b-abf3bce6ec44":{"title":"Itinerary 80","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tr"],"location_ids":[209,210,214,230]}},"af6f8510-f882-596c-aa52-8181555526dd":{"title":"Angra do Heroísmo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"afd07a22-1d0d-5685-a304-0186063fc28c":{"title":"Itinerary 77","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[40]}},"b09f9f67-a86e-57eb-baed-0a2002b2cd44":{"title":"Ghawr al-Safi (Zoar)","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Lies 170 km. south of Amman in a village called Safi, 2 km. north of the phosphate mining town. The site can be reached from the Dead Sea following the Araba route heading south for about 60 km. Visitors from Amman are advised to follow the Dead Sea road from Na‘ur and continue south to Ghawr al-Safi. The best transport is by private car. The site can be visited during the day and the entrance is free.","showOnMonument":true}},"b0d7a46e-dd7b-54b0-9b12-fc3712165d33":{"title":"Castelo Branco","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b1274cbe-dcd8-50c0-94f7-7e57224602cf":{"title":"Vidigueira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b23fbc21-9065-52ee-9ecd-ff654328c6ee":{"title":"Crato","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b29d260f-442a-59b3-8590-4fb204f47e7f":{"title":"Belmonte de Perejiles","description":""},"b305bb73-74da-5b24-820b-89a7fe76e906":{"title":"MİLAS","description":"Known as Mylasa during Antiquity, Milas was the Carian capital in ancient times; however, Halicarnassus (present day Bodrum) assumed this title during the reign of Caria’s Persian Satrap Mausolus (4th century BC). Due to the good relations he established with the Persians, Mausolus was able to rule without hindrance. Upon his death, his wife had a monumental grave (mausoleum) constructed for his burial: one of the Seven Wonders of the World, only traces of whose foundations are visible today.  \n  \nMylasa continued to be important during the Hellenistic period due to the proximity of the religious centre Labranda (13 km. to the east), and later, during the Roman period, it served as an administrative centre. Not very much is known about Milas during the Byzantine period. We do know, however, that the city regained its importance with the founding of the Menteşe Emirate."},"b310eff3-ab99-5b91-90fc-9dc8c19f4491":{"title":"Mudawwara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b363da64-c52e-5115-985a-b8e962f4f62b":{"title":"Noszvaj","description":""},"b392ded9-370f-58fe-aaa1-43d63679c331":{"title":"Tire","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b3b415da-371d-5df2-9769-e7f43bb87fc5":{"title":"Douiret","description":""},"b41493fa-ec4b-5f49-9991-010d1687aa75":{"title":"Saudi Arabia","description":""},"b426a06d-a0df-5f7a-b620-3dade95b08c1":{"title":"Itinerary 40","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[124,139,156]}},"b42c1410-2751-5eab-8e8d-7914f6471bf4":{"title":"Minerbio","description":""},"b43f7d30-ab5b-5801-8816-9d02c3942836":{"title":"KSAR ES-SEGHIR","description":"Situated not far from the Spanish coast, facing Tarifa on the opposite side, this site, placed deep within a bay, by the mouth of a river, offered a safe shelter for ships. This is why a fortress was erected there in 89/708–90/709, at the start of the campaign of Islamisation, under the orders of Azziani. It was named *Ksar Masmuda*. However it was equally known as *Ksar al-Awwal*, “First Castle”, and as *Ksar al-Majaz* “Passageway Castle” during the era of the Almoravids, after having fallen to the port of *Marsa Musa*, west of Ceuta, a port used exclusively for the embarkation of Muslim troops heading for Spain. In about 588/1192, the Almohads rebuilt and embellished it, re-christening it *Ksar Es-Seghir*. They established shipyards there and transformed it into an important industrial centre by moving in numerous artisans, weavers, carpenters and gunsmiths.  \n  \nBy keeping Ceuta as their commercial centre, they turned *Ksar Es-Seghir* into their military centre, through which Muslim troops came and went to and from the Iberian Peninsula.  \n  \nIn the 8th/14th century, the Merinids built a circular enclosure around the town, which one can still follow traces of today, and erected public and private buildings. The second port after Ceuta to have been conquered by the Portuguese in 862/1458, it remained under their rule until 956/1549. The Portuguese reinforced the enclosure wall and built a fortified hideout linked to the sea via a long channel, *Curaça*. They transformed Muslim monuments into churches, and adapted the public buildings to suit their needs.  \n  \nAfter its Portuguese evacuation, the site served, in the beginning of the 11th/17th century, as a debarkation port for the Moriscos thrown out of al-Andalus.  \n  \nExcavations undertaken in the 1970s revealed Portuguese remains as well as certain sections of monuments dating from the Merinid era. A significant collection of both Muslim and Portuguese objects were discovered there.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"b523ae39-9bb9-5499-a589-afcc12afb694":{"title":"Jerez del Marquesado","description":""},"b56332cc-9423-5e37-9e54-e67c34a6f258":{"title":"Mount of Olives","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b5cdf490-2a66-5a8a-8615-912ace476df7":{"title":"Emilia-Romagna","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"b61e581c-6f65-51e6-87a2-07473182756d":{"title":"Bejaya","description":""},"b678c759-e01f-581f-904e-2bbb69e496b3":{"title":"Arraiolos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b6d561c8-5e75-50b4-8121-b4b4b6e0fd80":{"title":"Mittenwald","description":""},"b7f46ba6-55f4-536e-a2e1-36df2844d9aa":{"title":"Tordesillas","description":""},"b81caf79-175b-5c03-95f6-c05290f93479":{"title":"Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"b81ee3dd-b7cf-5eee-b238-5ebfe1f88c17":{"title":"Itinerary 122","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[3]}},"b851bd5a-801a-5687-8244-3088dfb66618":{"title":"Segesta (Calatafimi)","description":""},"b890cd47-170b-545a-92bf-e3126a246bc8":{"title":"Teruel","description":""},"b8e173fa-3a23-581d-8c95-c98dcaa436c1":{"title":"Al-‘Ubbad","description":""},"b9594d06-3271-5291-9d50-2a254ab31847":{"title":"Vomp-Fiecht","description":""},"b96ca566-49ac-52dc-a011-7b65de3461cf":{"title":"Avô","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b9a93341-72a8-5f9f-b102-fa9930bbcf2b":{"title":"Trški Vrh","description":""},"b9c17b5d-beb6-5dbc-9940-c8848adae070":{"title":"CASTRO MARIM","description":"This settlement came into the Portuguese orbit in 1242, during the reign of D. Afonso III, who granted it a charter, later confirmed by D. Dinis, in 1282 and by D. Manuel I, in 1504.  \n  \nIn 1313, D. Dinis made this the headquarters of the Order of Christ, when it took over the land and powers of the extinct Order of the Knights Templars in Portugal, and the Order remained here until 1334. In the Manueline era, it was the main centre for the defence of the River Guadiana and of considerable importance in supplying the Portuguese strongholds in North Africa.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"b9f9c1e6-e988-5d4d-8fdc-d50701602035":{"title":"Biskra","description":""},"ba74c92d-510d-5f0b-952e-1b317521c8d9":{"title":"Andalucía","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"ba7d8d55-c367-5fe2-bfab-fdb3c1139f2d":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - SY","description":""},"ba858aac-ede1-5da2-8ccb-eb538daf3e53":{"title":"Amusco","description":""},"bb0fbe9e-ef5b-5f22-91b4-f60d7ee6bf5a":{"title":"Itinerary 89","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["sy"],"location_ids":[184]}},"bb6f4207-cef3-5c63-add9-0f12af03f817":{"title":"Landsberg am Lech","description":""},"bb727c30-2b5f-50ed-87c7-d402d37de87d":{"title":"Szirák","description":""},"bc46b68a-1c87-5bdf-901c-68b2c26d107f":{"title":"Safita","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"bc9640a6-0c95-58bb-b6fb-b975a7413fec":{"title":"Itinerary 54","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[405,432,433,437,441,443],"territory_ids":[10]}},"bcc96c58-daa1-5b83-868b-a9074b0e44d7":{"title":"Bjelovar","description":""},"bcd7f5e6-668e-5ad6-bf6c-b4fc7330e164":{"title":"Itinerary 63","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["ma"],"location_ids":[508]}},"bce21b35-0f6d-5527-b6e4-a87e456b994d":{"title":"VILA DO CONDE","description":"The city was originally a hill fort overlooking the River Ave and the lower area later became the site of a Roman villa, a large agricultural complex. In the first document that refers to Vila do Conde, dated 953, the most heavily populated area corresponds to the upper area. By the mid-13th century, the town had more than 50 pinnaces for fishing and transporting goods, the basis of the local economy, along with salt and salted fish.  \n  \nAt the beginning of the 14th century, the town became the domain of D. Afonso Sanches, the natural son of D. Dinis and his wife, D. Teresa Martins, daughter of the Count of Barcelos.  \n  \nWith expansion into the Atlantic, followed by the Indian Ocean, the maritime activities of the port were of prime importance, and in this context there was considerable restoration and construction work carried out during the Manueline period, when many houses were built near the mouth of the river. D. Manuel I granted the town a charter on 10th September 1516, giving it autonomy from the seigniorial rights of the nuns of Santa Clara.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"bd320ebc-80b5-58fe-9e48-124ef1219c6a":{"title":"Rattenberg","description":""},"be254aa3-f17b-5f51-9816-49b24380fec7":{"title":"Siracusa","description":""},"be6060b2-6b82-5173-b81d-8a6871b07453":{"title":"Qatar","description":""},"beb08fe4-fe7c-538a-9834-670318b535b4":{"title":"Satriano di Lucania","description":""},"bef5dbed-cd5e-5f0f-954c-e79b34057edd":{"title":"Szombathely","description":""},"bf4d5519-9d62-5f46-ae72-263b636ca477":{"title":"Fulpmes","description":""},"bf70258d-f38f-5b16-902f-4f853a53b78f":{"title":"Munich","description":""},"c03adb9d-b0e0-559a-be6e-ebcfe7944006":{"title":"Les Ksours","description":""},"c07de289-e078-55a9-bcc9-a9332b123263":{"title":"Umm Qays (Gadara)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c083b0b9-795e-57d4-a33c-6df3aebebe2d":{"title":"Imola","description":""},"c084dd48-b2eb-5c52-bae9-e706786e0884":{"title":"Tlemcen","description":""},"c0c5cbde-6749-540c-8701-e014896fdf55":{"title":"Mértola","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Largo Vasco da Gama, tel: 286 61 25 73.","showOnMonument":true}},"c152317c-2770-5eb7-8fc1-3a9e72ef4cc9":{"title":"Haffouz","description":""},"c1592bfa-a2a2-5720-b31d-d2ef72f9f034":{"title":"Itinerary 114","description":"","extra":{"location_ids":[409]}},"c17b72cd-43e1-51a4-a646-b884b39ecc4e":{"title":"Alcoutim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c1a540ef-96d4-549b-aa51-a54c071643f6":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - TR","description":""},"c1b2957f-2e43-5680-b954-2496c30d598c":{"title":"Al-Kef","description":""},"c1cdd130-711c-52d1-b8ed-bb23fcd96ba2":{"title":"Debar","description":""},"c223a18c-9957-58ed-9629-257cc0787d52":{"title":"Itinerary 101","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[75,89,93,127,136,143,148,160]}},"c2570fa4-c21d-5f15-b4c2-85f6b41eea66":{"title":"Sabugal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c270b0e9-ce7a-5cf9-9ffc-4db3133c2563":{"title":"JÉDEIDA","description":"Amongst the four bridges erected over the Medjerda by the Andalusians, two function also as dams: the Jédeida Bridge and the al-Battan Bridge near Tébourba. The latter’s name comes from the Spanish “*batanar*” which means “to press or tread upon”, “to give a dressing to a piece of cloth”; this name is due to the mill press that is used for the fabrication of Fez hats (*sheshiya*s). These two bridges provided the water for the *sheshiya* presses and irrigated the plains of the river by raising the height of the river to the required level.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"c2b50e78-afa7-5e66-979f-1871eb513ead":{"title":"Pella","description":""},"c3f94560-2a0e-507b-a975-f9e313d07e53":{"title":"Vicari","description":"","extra":{"info":"The “Serre” of Ciminna  \nAlong the road to Vicari there is countryside characterised by the presence of macrocrystalline chalk outcropping on the surface and rocks in the form of intriguing ruins emerging in a territory where small cultivated fields of wheat and oats, almonds and olives alternate, as well as beans, tomatoes and vines. The most scenographic and oustanding part of this land, in the municipal district of Ciminna called “*serre*” (sierras), is a natural reserve where, above all in spring and in the autumn, it is possible to observe the spectacular flowering of garrigue and a large variety of species of migratory fauna."}},"c40b9903-5d2e-5877-8c73-0638c59ed4e0":{"title":"Eben-Maurach","description":""},"c4513d86-2e35-52a4-b6d0-52caf31b62c0":{"title":"Itinerary 116","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[2]}},"c461e6f7-a6b8-56fa-a354-a62a03c180a2":{"title":"Itinerary 8","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[282,331,343],"territory_ids":[6]}},"c48e0ec5-caae-58dc-8e4c-09e70bdc7dc0":{"title":"Itinerary 58","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[421,425,427,428,447],"territory_ids":[10]}},"c4b08c01-0d14-5057-8e84-955b062eaf93":{"title":"Ghardaïa","description":""},"c4bfd3b6-9aa2-501c-a9e4-e2901fcca61c":{"title":"Ottobeuren","description":""},"c55715c7-c955-52de-b90c-9419cb3d7305":{"title":"Tata","description":""},"c6174877-d8dc-5b3d-a817-921bb0ea7657":{"title":"Styria","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"c65278e2-4679-54e8-b11f-f905208f95b6":{"title":"SFAX","description":"Sfax is situated where the Sahel and South Tunisia meet, on the shores of a calm harbour facing the Eastern Mediterranean. Its location grants it an enormous advantage in terms of ready maritime and continental influence, whilst its orientation is turned more markedly towards the countries of Africa and the Levant than towards those of the East. With an advantageous cabability of contact with the East via both sea and land, coupled with a spirit of pure dynamism, Sfax was able to become Tunisia’s Gate of the Levant, political-economic circumstances permitting, such as in Thyna during the Roman era. Responding to the aims and needs of their town, the *Sharfis*, prestigious inhabitants of Sfax, established a collection of harbour charts in the 10th/16th century for the sailors and the merchants who desired to venture out as far as the Black Sea. Two examples from this collection can be found, one in Oxford, the other in the Paris National Library.  \n  \nThe commercial activity between Sfax and the Levant, upheld by intense caravan traffic, developed throughout the 12th/18th century. Its commercial pulse led to the creation of *funduq*s and *suq*s which are spread along the edge of the town’s main thoroughfare. This thoroughfare links the southern gate, Bab al-Jebli, to the northern gate, Bab al-Diwan. The former, which Charles Lallemand called the Gate of the Fields, was composed of a hallway of fair depth, which led into the square in which the caravans were stationed. Bab al-Diwan, elbow-shaped in form, led directly into the mooring. Although it became isolated through the development of the suburb of namely Christians during the 12th–13th/second half of the 18th century, it remained a lively place where money-changers, merchants, porters, fishermen and beasts of burden travelling towards the port collided and mixed with intense movement.  \n  \nThe accumulation of capital provided favourable conditions for the development of agriculture and crafts as well as for urban growth. Outside the ramparts, the zone of gardens encircles the city. The number of *burj*s, summer residences, increases. Within the town, public and private monuments are: rebuilt – the *funduq* of the Blacksmiths; enlarged – the Great Mosque, the Mosque of Sidi Boushwaisha; restored and embellished – the Dar Jalluli and the Sidi bel-Hassen Mausoleum. The ramparts themselves are the object of particular attention.  \n  \nSfax, whilst continuing to use the same constructionmaterials and its own architectural traditions, enriched its monuments, without exaggeration, using sculpted *kadhal*, painted wood and *faience* tiles produced in al-Andalus and Turkey. The architecture of Sfax, sober and well-balanced, reflects the taste which characterises the life of this town.  \n  \nViewed from an aeroplane, Sfax looks like an immense agglomeration, flat and squeezed in within the fabric of a spider’s web. The fortified town, or *medina*, rectangular in form, stands out at the centre. Sfax limited itself for over 10 centuries to the boundaries of this historical centre, which was cushioned by a surrounding area of green gardens, the *jnan*s.  \n  \nIn Arabic, the name “Sfax”, *Safaqus*, derives according to popular belief from *Safa* – the name of the equerry of the Aghlabid Prince, founder of Sfax, and from *qus* – to cut. *“Cut the hide of the beef in fine strips”* the master would order. The strips were used to outline the edges of the town, like Carthage with Elyssa before. In reality, *Safaqus* is a Berber word which means gulf, belt, just like its name “Taphrura” or “Taparura” during the Roman era, a centre of commerce which was supplanted by Sfax. Through the attribution of one of these two names, Sfax and “Taphrura”, it became a protected town.  \n  \nIn the 2nd–3rd/ beginning of the 9th century, Sfax remained a small agglomeration of merchants and fishermen farmers, huddled around a *ribat*. It made its entry into the history books with the construction of its ramparts and its Great Mosque towards the middle of the 3rd/9th century, under the reign of Ahmed Ibn al-Aghlab. The property developer was ‘Ali Ibn Aslam al-Jibiniani, a client of the Aghlabid Princes, masters of Ifriqiya. A small village 30 km. from Sfax was named after his grandson, Sidi Abu Ishaq, a great *sufi*. His mausoleum, visible from the main road, is distinguished by its numerous domes.  \n  \nFrom the 3rd/9th to the 7th/13th century, Sfax was a great market selling its oils to Italy, the Maghreb, Egypt and Syria. Its olive groves were described by Arab chroniclers as “unique” and “delicious”. During this time, Sfax was also famed for its weaving, including a certain “princely moiré, made from the byssus of sea oysters”. Meanwhile, it was not at all an era of calm and peace. During the 5th/11th and 6th/12th centuries, Sfax underwent again and again the challenge posed by the Hilalian invasion, and the trials of an ephemeral independence (455/1063–492/1099) under Hammu Ibn Malil, and the torment of a Norman Occupation (543/1149–555/1160). The resistance put up against this occupation, lead by Abu al-Hassan al-Feriani and his son ‘Umar, left its mark in the collective memory. One of their descendants, Sidi Abu Bakr al-Feriani, remains at rest in a small mausoleum in the northern part of town, several meters from the ramparts, at the foot of the Sidi al-Lakhmi Mosque.  \n  \nThe Norman Occupation marked a turning point in Sfax’s history. Its Jewish population – who played an active role in its Eastern commerce – sensing that the balance in the Mediterranean was about to tip over in favour of the Normans, left the town to move to Sicily.  \n  \nFollowing the long dynastic wars that shook Ifriqiya, as well as epidemics and the resulting economic and demographic recessions, Sfax was in a state of collapse. In the middle of the 8th/14th century, its population was down to 400 households. The Sfaxians were, according to Leo the African, weavers, fishermen and sea merchants.  \n  \nAlthough small in number, they remained active, voyaging as far as the Black Sea.  \n  \nDuring the 11th/17th century, Sfax experienced the beginnings of a general recovery. Becoming more active within the Mediterranean, it got involved in wars of disagreement and contest with Malta. The Shaykh ‘Ali al-Nuri (1052/1643–1117/1706), a knowledgeable educator who was also in the trading business as a silent partner, led and organised the struggle against the cavaliers of Malta. He is still to this day considered to be the man responsible for the Sfaxian renaissance.  \n  \nIn the 12th/18th century, Sfax went through a boom. Its commerce with the Levant reinforced its role as a distribution market. Between 1198/1784 and 1201/1787, it was bombarded by Venice on several occasions. At the heart of these events, occurring all along the Tunisian coastline following the defensive intervention by the *Bey* of Tunis Hammuda Pasha, was the breaking of a “nolis” contract by the captain of a Venetian boat which the Sfaxians had engaged for a Sfax–Alexandria journey. From the 12th/18th century onwards, Sfax moved progressively from its status as a small town to becoming the second most important town in the country. It relied on its own dynamism in order to further and structure its economy, thanks to constant, sustained work, thrift and the investment of its people. This enabled it to become a regional capital, the Port of the Steppe and of the South, renowned throughout the Mediterranean to be very active. In 1239/1824 Christians and Jews began to settle in Sfax. The town’s commerce thus turned increasingly towards the West. In 1881, in spite of savage resistance against the French Occupation, it capitulated and was submitted to a heavy war indemnity. The sacrifices endured by the town momentarily suffocated its economic vitality. Under the Protectorate, it expanded on the outside of the ramparts. Its olive groves underwent a renewed boom. Its development did not stop once Independence was gained. Today, Sfax is sacrificing its gardens and its agglomeration is growing at their expense. However, a historic area remains: the *medina*. This historic centre is the beating heart of the greater Sfax. A clear projection of 11 centuries of life and of civilisation, Sfax both preserves its past and steps beyond it.","extra":{"author":"Ali Zouari"}},"c7c1884d-9809-5005-92e8-5998576d6010":{"title":"Castro Marim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c7c4f2a5-8279-5069-a88c-751b28e22224":{"title":"Tripoli","description":""},"c7df068b-604c-59a7-952a-c2135701ca8f":{"title":"Santoyo","description":""},"c82b6e1e-f8fc-580c-b228-40f392fb16a0":{"title":"Uzunköprü","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c855fb09-7cb7-5375-8b64-9a13781150b6":{"title":"Salir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c9534b27-073e-5d65-b2ee-587211e29d56":{"title":"Trapani","description":""},"c99d204a-5690-5a5d-9c77-595cdc5b9638":{"title":"Gafsa","description":""},"ca14e927-19ca-5203-99d6-dfaa2ff88009":{"title":"Qal‘at Ja‘bar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ca1fc68c-1ad9-564c-a57d-7649dd5fd05f":{"title":"Catania","description":""},"ca536bf6-2109-5d6d-9c68-1974711baf91":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - TN","description":""},"ca6d8612-aa85-53c0-8b51-77fc5498d7aa":{"title":"Ponta do Sol","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ca7dfcf9-cde3-5aa2-9bef-05320f7f23ad":{"title":"Córdoba","description":""},"ca7fe0c9-a2dc-52fb-8eb6-e7bac567b5fd":{"title":"LISBON","description":"At the end of the 6th/12th century, Lisbon was clearly already the largest urban centre in Gharb al-Andalus. If we add the 15 hectares of space inside the city walls to the two residential quarters of Alfama and west Lisbon beyond the walls, its urban area amounted to approximately 30 hectares. Taking into account the dense settlement throughout the suburbs and along the riverbank, it is quite likely that there was a population of some 20-25,000 inhabitants concentrated in this area.  \n  \nAs was the case in other similar city-ports, two main centres can be clearly identified around which the population grew. At the highest point of the hill there stood the citadel, a residential palace for an elite of courtiers; by the riverside, there was a profuse accumulation of fishermen, artisans and traders, who together formed the lower city. Their merging together into one large body was already confirmed by the end of the 4th-b. 5th/b.11th century. The palace where the *alcaide* or governor resided was on the hilltop (the present-day residential quarter of Santa Cruz) together with other residences of the palace officers.  \n  \nLeaving the *medina* by the western side, in the area close to the main mosque, one would have entered another urban labyrinth spreading sharply down the hillside to an inlet from the sea, which served as the city’s harbour. On its sandy beaches, carpenters and caulkers could be seen building and repairing boats.  \n  \nOne of the Muslim cemeteries spread out eastwards, on the site where the Monastery of São Vicente was built after the Christian conquest, undoubtedly flanking and overlapping with other ancient Palaeo-Christian burial grounds. Also in the eastern part of the city, but closer to the river, were the shops of the gold- and silversmiths and the silk and brocade merchants. These were the *qaysariyya*, where customs duties were also charged.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"ca810e93-d0f1-576f-bbd2-0233723e6bb3":{"title":"Sousse","description":""},"caabf348-94a2-5dde-984c-7eefb5071c70":{"title":"GABÈS","description":"It was most likely to have been the Phoenicians who founded the town of Tacape, in the Small Syrte, a town known today as Gabès, a veritable gateway to the Tunisian south-east, on a site which without doubt was occupied by the Libycs, as the ancient inhabitants of the land were called. Very quickly, this city trading-post grew in commercial and military importance, gained through its advantageous position of being on the axis of heavy maritime and Saharan traffic. Up until the 13th/19th century, the caravan routes from Timbuctoo and Agadès to Niger went through Ghadamès, which is in present-day Libya, in order to reach Gabès.  \n  \nIn the middle of the 7th century, Tapaces, a town first integrated into Roman Africa and then into the Byzantine Empire, became Qabis, an Arab-Muslim city supported by the central power established in Kairouan. Under the Aghlabids in the 3rd/9th century, and the Fatimids in the 4th/10th century, it lived through a period of political stability which generated a brilliant civilisation, marked in particular by the number and splendour of its monuments. The texts regarding this subject are inexhaustible. The geographer Ibn Hawqal speaks in the 4th/10th century of a city belted in by ramparts surrounded by a ditch, possessing several *suq*s. In the 8th/14th century, the traveller al-Tijani added that Gabès was surrounded by a rampart made of large bonded stones, built by the ancients, and counted a great number of suburbs, where most of the *suq*s were situated. The texts also speak, in a laudatory manner, of the monuments that were erected, such as the Great Mosque, the citadel, the *kasbah*, the *caravanserai*s and the famous beacon which informed caravans coming in from the East of their arrival into the town.  \n  \nHowever, a long period of trouble settled over the town, beginning in the 5th/11th century following the weakening of Zirid power and the concurrent arrival of Bedouins from Upper Egypt, affecting both its urban organisation and social life. It would only lift itself up and out of these troubles under the Muradites several centuries later, a dynasty of Turkish origin from the 11th/17th century.  \n  \nIn terms of its past, Gabès, this very prosperous town, which Ibn Khaldun had described as a maritime metropolis, has faded into the obscurity of history because, mysteriously, nothing remains of the monuments that were so greatly praised by Arab chroniclers and travellers. Legend therefore takes over from where history left off. Collective memory reports that in those days, when order and security ruled, beasts of burden were trusted to carry vegetables and fruits to the town’s market without needing to be accompanied, after which they returned to the palm grove carrying the revenue of their sales in their saddle bags. One day, however, the money they were carrying was stolen, and, made to suffer under God’s wrath, the town was completely destroyed from its foundations up, and its ruins were used to build the new neighbourhoods of Gabès. Where history regains its position from myth, it tells us that in the 10th/16th century the inhabitants abandoned their homes to go and live on the edges of the palm grove, thus creating a new urban centre from the fabric borrowed from Arab-Muslim urban planning: Jara, Menzel and Chénini.  \n  \nThe timid redress of the situation during the 11th/17th century, resulting from relative stability, is marked by the renovation or construction of several monuments, in a style that is both noble and sober. The Muradite architecture of Gabès is distinguished by an austerity born out of a return to the use of large boulders of freestone which adorn the facades, and by the discreet arrangement of architectural elements composed of vaults, domes and curbed and horseshoe arches, often supported by second-hand columns and capitals, in a scansion that alternates curved and straight lines.","extra":{"author":"Naceur Baklouti"}},"cb8ec515-f103-5516-96f7-db0e7ac64674":{"title":"SALEMI","description":"It owes its present name to the Arabs who called it, according to some scholars, *salam* (peace, health), according to others, *Sulayman*, in honour of the eponymous hero who fell during the conquest, son of Asad Ibn al-Furat, lieutenant of the Islamic militia.  \n  \nThe Normans conferred military and economic privileges on it, and in the first half of the 12th century, al-Idrisi, recalling it by the name of *al-Sanam*, describes it as “*a hamlet, very large and populated … with a real riot of trees and gardens, with abundant spring water and with well-being spread everywhere around.*”  \n  \nThe role in the strategy of fortification required by Federico II was fundamental, to the extent that for the whole of the 14th century, it was several times the protagonist in the Angevine-Aragonese conflict and in the feudal contest between the Chiaramonte and Ventimiglia families.  \n  \nThe centre was badly damaged as a result of the earthquake of the Valley of the Belice in 1968.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"cba672ee-4685-57e3-a926-f3cab0c2eeae":{"title":"Explore Ariccia","description":"Arriving in Ariccia from the monumental bridge on the Via Appia Nuova, we are welcomed by the splendid urban complex created by Gianlorenzo Bernini consisting of the Piazza di Corte framed by Chigi Palace and the Church of Assunta. From the windows of the palace we catch a glimpse of the wonderful wood of the local goddess, Diana Nemorensis, whose cult accounts for the numerous Roman remains along the stretch of the Via Appia Antica that crosses the territory of Ariccia.","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"legacy_status":"e"}},"cbc88a5b-d10f-5a43-be04-3f373fe4efb9":{"title":"Cervera de la Cañada","description":""},"cbcc640b-1111-5b58-aae2-6bce55c32d3b":{"title":"Milas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cbea4655-bc00-5663-9891-a198624d29aa":{"title":"Guimarães","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cc4d4463-078c-5835-8e98-12aaae0a91a4":{"title":"NEDROMA","description":"Nedroma, capital of the Traras mountain range, is a small town nestled in a lovely hollow at the foot of a mountain. It was formerly a Berber village called Fillaoucene, named after the mountain (elevation: about 1150 metres). The city would have been called Nedroma beginning in the 3rd / 9th century. The illustrious travellers who crossed it, such as Ibn Khaldoun, Leon the African and al-Idrissi, frequently described its high walls, gardens and orchards that produced all varieties of fruit due to the abundance of water.  \n  \nNedroma was the birthplace of Abdelmoumen, first king of the Almohad Dynasty, which supplanted the Almoravid Empire. The Almohads reigned over Andalusia and the Maghreb from 541 / 1147 to 667 / 1269.  \n  \nAbdelmoumen ibn Ali, born into the Koumia tribe, of which the Nedroma are one branch, directed three major campaigns that led to the unification of the Maghreb. At that time the region’s first land registry was created, dated 554 / 1159.  \n  \nNedroma carefully preserved its glorious history upon being named capital of the empire, as did Tlemcen. A few sections of its ramparts and crenellated towers are still visible. The nine mosques are well worth a visit, especially the Great Mosque and the Sidi Bouali Mosque. In Nedroma, as in Tlemcen, Andalusian arts are particularly evident and remarkable, both in architecture and music.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"cc7501fb-2361-538f-a07c-be37ba432b28":{"title":"Alter do Chão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cc844894-9bdb-5af4-a849-7b21f161d9c6":{"title":"Meknès","description":""},"ccb7daf4-d43e-5988-af17-cb5904160e77":{"title":"Golegã","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cd6cc20a-49f5-5cf6-aaf1-567336615e3b":{"title":"Turkey","description":""},"cec95c97-90ef-5a08-8fe3-a8e9446e9687":{"title":"Itinerary 36","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[55,94,95,105,176]}},"cedc37ee-5181-5ca9-a062-a68230abb8ea":{"title":"Itinerary 74","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[43,44,46,48,49,51,53]}},"cf181cd8-b893-56d4-a917-49c5dca9a0b8":{"title":"Qal‘at Marqab","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cffb940e-be4a-5045-b09a-27c2bea86a84":{"title":"Béja (Tunisia)","description":""},"d02f828a-94b1-5f27-847f-12d5e5626d15":{"title":"Roma","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"d0b41a5d-d264-504b-9f78-766f8cc804bc":{"title":"Támara de Campos","description":""},"d0d38f59-2000-58ee-a453-1fd3c36e19a1":{"title":"Cairo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d0df87ca-66b0-5efe-9bef-cf2d1708166d":{"title":"Itinerary 50","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[408,429,434],"territory_ids":[10]}},"d158e22c-280c-5211-835e-baae5fa844da":{"title":"Štrigova","description":""},"d1ac9515-5eba-5a2a-a77d-80af790ef4e8":{"title":"Doğubeyazit","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d1d218dc-ec8f-509d-a884-ab514bdbd6f5":{"title":"Nedroma","description":""},"d1d7b464-5800-5b7e-bf25-b7395cb1bf2b":{"title":"Itinerary 38","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[59,79,86,162]}},"d1fba6a5-a3be-564f-9744-c6527c7a39f2":{"title":"Egypt","description":""},"d24a9da7-ba71-5502-b316-1dfdf1bb21bb":{"title":"CALATAYUD","description":"The city of Calatayud was founded by the Muslims about 5 km upstream of the River Jalón, on the site of the Ibero-Roman ruins of the ancient city of Bilbilis. Although tradition holds that the founding of Calatayud occurred at the time of the Muslim conquest, in around 862, we have no information about the reconstruction carried out by the *emir* from Córdoba, Muhammad I in his main castle, to use it as a base for the military control of the rebellious Banu Qasi of Saragossa. In 1120, only two years after Saragossa, the city came under Christian domination, and the resettlers installed themselves at the foot of the five promontories overlooked by the great Muslim castle from the 9th and 10th centuries. The medieval centuries saw the building of numerous parishes in the Mudéjar style, some of which have disappeared, such as the Churches of San Martín and San Pedro Mártir, this latter demolished in 1856. In spite of such unfortunate losses, the itinerary through the city still allows a glimpse at the splendour of its Mudéjar past.","extra":{"author":"Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualís"}},"d255f485-08a7-5f8d-93e4-cb56e088ca61":{"title":"ÉVORA","description":"The history of Évora dates back to Roman times, as can be seen by the Temple of Diana, and it was also important in the Middle Ages when the city was shared with the Arabs, Hispano-Romans,Visigoths and Jews.  \n  \nThe old settlement was conquered from the Lusitanians by Decimus Junius Brutus, and, at the time of Julius Caesar, received the title *Liberalitas*. It was dependent on Mérida and was an important crossroads on the Roman road, with imposing monuments on the *Acropolis* and in the *Forum*.  \n  \nAt the end of the Roman Empire, the city was occupied first by the Visigoths and then by the Muslims, who formed an Arab elite, between 713 and 1165, the time of the Christian Reconquest. As Évora was the largest city between Lisbon and the Algarve, a number of Kings such as D. Afonso III, D. Dinis and D. Afonso IV chose to spend time there.Towards the end of the 14th century, the Lord High Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira maintained his main residence in Évora for 26 years. D. João II also showed a particular fondness for the city, living in Évora through some of the most dramatic moments of his reign.  \n  \nA formidable wall that was dotted with towers encircled the town and defended the different quarters where Muslim, Jewish and Christian inhabitants peacefully co-existed.This wall had to be increased in size, so that it could encompass the new residential areas and religious institutions. In Manueline times, the city was remarkable for the beauty of its buildings and the wealth of its inhabitants, both lay and ecclesiastical.  \n  \nGreat churches such as the Cathedral, the largest of Portuguese Mediaeval sees, the huge Monastery of São Francisco or the modest Chapel of São Brás, were all girdled by the walls and have provided the city with a heritage of exceptional interest, along with the Muslim and Jewish Quarters and the Praça do Giraldo.  \n  \nThe remains of these glory days, and other more recent ones, are so remarkable that UNESCO has placed the city on its World Heritage list.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"d279bee3-f6b6-5f26-ba6d-68f7ae36fe97":{"title":"Alger, l'enceinte fortifiée","description":""},"d28d4b04-fdb0-5fe2-abea-37ee71851414":{"title":"Azurara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d28ea8f6-3c9a-5669-bef5-3ab93ae9baf7":{"title":"Zagarolo","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"d29b63a2-70f0-53dc-932a-80c6b27cd16a":{"title":"Konya","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d2fbe4a8-2143-5e45-9a90-d5109a3be62c":{"title":"Aznalcázar","description":""},"d345369e-7a9c-5c5e-b55d-ba007ba20c00":{"title":"Kunín","description":""},"d40e8ef4-4f29-5385-8aa9-7b8a217a82d8":{"title":"TAMERZA","description":"Tamerza clings to the sides of a gigantic canyon through which flow abundant streams of water vital to this mountain oasis. Its agriculture, and of late its tourism, depend on them.  \n  \nThe site of Tamerza, so well protected by nature, is that of old *ad-Turres*, a site of defence built by the Romans, which became an episcopal seat in the Byzantine era. The history of Tamerza during the Muslim period is unattainable. Nevertheless, the restrained dimensions of this village-oasis, its structure and its monuments allow us to say that it lived for its defensive role. The main street, axial in form, bends further towards the east and ends as a covered passageway, a dark *sabat*, onto which are grafted a maze of pathways that end through dispersing themselves into the mountain. This design was aimed at luring the enemy into surprise to ambush him.  \n  \nAbandoned in favour of a new village, Tamerza increasingly fell into ruin. The Sidi Tuati Mausoleum demonstrates that Tamerza possessed its own architectural objects of interest, such as the Great Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Sidi al-‘Abid, which is situated at the far eastern end of the village’s axial street.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"d422ad3b-fdba-5e4a-bb6e-045b63f63553":{"title":"CATANIA","description":"According to Thucydides, the first inhabited nucleus was founded in 729 BC by a colony of Chalcidians on a hill that became the acropolis of a later city. In around 263 BC, it passed under the rule of the Romans who engaged in an intensive development as an important commercial centre. With the imperial decline, there began a period of devastation for the ancient city, only controlled by the Byzantine Conquest (535) and the institution of the bishopric.  \n  \nThe Muslims only took it with a powerful offensive launched in 882, following a long period of bloodthirsty raids in the territory. However, in fact, they were the means of the transformation, which made the present agrarian countryside, with the importation of new types of cultivation, the application of profitable methods of irrigation and the creation of a strong texture of road connections, possible.  \n  \nIn 1071, it was conquered by the Normans who, to force the city to capitulate, had expressly constructed the Castle of Paternò from where to launch destructive raids. The bishopric was re-established in 1091, endowing it with vast possessions and thence the urban lordship.  \n  \nAl-Idrisi in the middle of the 12th century described it as having “*much frequented markets, splendid houses, large and small mosques, baths and* caravansarais”.  \n  \nOnly Federico II of Swabia drastically altered the bishop’s temporal powers; on the other hand, he was to symbolically oppose the Castello Ursino to the Cathedral. Between 1669 and 1693 the city was devastated first by an eruption of lava and later by a terrible earthquake. Today’s inhabited area was rebuilt thanks to a new urban project, under lieutenant Duke of Camastra, Giuseppe Lanza.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"d42b57bc-4031-551c-abf0-8e2ae613cbf9":{"title":"Madaba","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Office of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities 05-543376, located in the Burnt Palace area and Dept. of Antiquities office at Madaba 05-544056 or 05-544189.","how_to_reach":"Lies 30 km. southwest of Amman. Buses for Madaba and beyond depart from Wehdat, Raghadan and Abdaly bus stations. The route is along the Airport Highway. An alternative attractive road goes through Na‘ur and Hesban.","showOnMonument":true}},"d43e148a-b4da-5321-8531-c985d4bf377a":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - PA","description":""},"d48a5f13-4a3e-5fb9-8c0e-e2177bef4699":{"title":"Forza d'Agrò","description":""},"d49e0c70-9c02-5637-91d1-f6ba535f895f":{"title":"Ferreirim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d4b55cef-bb8c-54f9-9879-f488ca7ef5e5":{"title":"Itinerary 23","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[461,468,471,477,490,491]}},"d50bf51c-5cdc-549b-98c1-79acfa30652d":{"title":"Crac des Chevaliers","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d514f152-2cf9-5dd3-9a61-d80a9a5782a4":{"title":"Torre de Moncorvo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d5239884-cbf1-5717-9b2f-841a2e8c7c7c":{"title":"VILA NOVA DE FOZ CÔA","description":"Vila Nova de Foz Côa was granted a town charter in 1299, in the time of D. Dinis. The definitive acquisition of this area from Castile encouraged settlement and development, castles were built, and administrative and ecclesiastical reorganisation carried out. The catalyst for much of this development was provided by a large, active Jewish community, which settled near the castle.  \n  \nAlthough it was some distance from the sea, one of the most important economic activities of the town was the production of rope. In the first quarter of the 16th century, Foz Côa had 44 families living within the walls and 108 families living outside the walls. The walls that defined the urban grid were destroyed in the 19th century and along with them, some of the most remarkable material remains of the Middle Ages and the Manueline era.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"d5508e1b-c7ec-546a-a61e-75d849f44655":{"title":"Tangier","description":""},"d5980b14-163a-5a92-9654-477f32a924b8":{"title":"HONAINE","description":"Although the city of Tlemcen is admirably situated as an east-west and north-south crossroads, it might have remained isolated without Honaine, its natural port and promontory on the seacoast.  \n  \nA Phoenician and later a Roman trading post, Honaine became a Berber port village sheltered by Cape Nouha. It played a commercial, and likely a political, role in providing the country’s interior with access to the Mediterranean. It established itself as the port of Tlemcen Province, the endpoint of the gold road that made possible the great success and prestige of the Zyanid dynasty.  \n  \nThe city is noted by many historians for its fortress and 6th- / 12th-century walls, which opened with a monumental gate, Bab al-Bahr (Gate of the Sea), and which were surmounted by a path encircling the citadel. Al-Bakri (5th / 11th century) refers to it as a “good anchorage heavily frequented by ships”. The city also had a *hammam* (public bath) and a mosque.  \n  \nThe path is still visible and the gate has been restored, but there is practically nothing left of the *hammam* and the Abu al-Hassan Mosque.  \n  \nDevastated by the Spanish in 940 / 1534, Honaine formerly had famous ramparts dominated by seven square towers, and doors whose floral and diamond-shaped ornamentation can scarcely be discerned anymore.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"d658deb8-46ec-5350-a6e2-3cf1269e3acf":{"title":"Itinerary 115","description":"","extra":{"location_ids":[409]}},"d6ab60cf-a0bc-5bf7-879b-abd534567e75":{"title":"Lorvão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d6c557f0-0188-5df4-9485-2098d96b74e9":{"title":"Itinerary 112","description":"","extra":{"location_ids":[68,137,140,149,173]}},"d72d7f6c-5efd-5faa-8482-7776b7e05887":{"title":"TÉBOURBA","description":"Tébourba is another Morisco centre and is located near the ancient site of Thuburbo Majus, 35 km. from Tunis, on the left bank of the Medjerda. It is surrounded by gardens, natural beauty and vast olive orchards as well as other plantations. The cultivation of olives on this site went through great developments thanks to the settlement of the Moriscos. The *medina* is based on a regular enough plan: the roads cross each other at right-angles, eight of which converged towards the great rectangular square which constitutes the main element of the urban structure. This layout is evidence of well thought-out urban planning; the town was built by Morisco immigrants around 1018/1610. The central square, surrounded by mosques, *funduq*s and shops, is an element of urban planning that originates from Spain.  \n  \nThe population’s attachment to its origins remained strong during the 17th and 18th centuries, as was vouched by Ximenes, the religious Spaniard who visited the town in the 1724; he reveals to us that a section of the population preserved the use of the Spanish language, after more than a century of having settled there: *“Following their arrival from Spain, they established schools in our language”*, he writes.  \n  \nThe *medina* of Tébourba possesses three neighbourhood oratories and a Great Mosque that dates from the 11th/17th century. It also contains various *zawiya*s erected at different times. One of the oldest, that of Sidi Thabet, goes back as far as the middle of the 11th/17th century; it was renovated, according to an inscription, in 1112/1701.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"d7495e66-fc72-5a73-a0ac-485c333d8598":{"title":"GAFSA","description":"Gafsa, descendant of the Roman *Capsa*, gave its name to a civilisation that flowered in this region during Neolithic times. Situated at a crossroads of natural passageways, it was able to transport men between the Tell and the Sahara, as well as commanding the Maghrebi caravans, which had come through the Tébessa and Jérid, and that were en route to Egypt via Gabès. Great and powerful during the 2nd century, and well protected by its ramparts, Gafsa was promoted to town status, and then to that of a colony.  \n  \nThe Byzantines endowed it with strong fortifications and made it a capital of Byzantium. Conquered for good by the Arabs in 78/698, it retained its appearance of an antique town, as well as traces of its Latinisation and Christianisation, for over two centuries.  \n  \nThe Arab chroniclers at the height of the Middle Ages were unanimous in their proclamation that its ramparts, built of stone, were solid and well-preserved, and that its alleyways were paved. Al-Bakri, in the 5th/11th century, tells us more precisely that Gafsa *“was built on marble porticoes whose arcades had been blocked up with strong barriers made of rubble”*. The *Kitab al-Istibsar*, the author of which is unknown, adds that Gafsa portrays the name *haniyya*, doubtless because of the arcades, *hanaya*, which it possessed.  \n  \nGafsa remained, up until around the 6th/12th century, a dynamic and prosperous town. This was because of its agricultural and crafts production, as well as its caravan activity. Its oasis, its fields and its cultivated lands, *mazru‘at* – which were irrigated by the currents of water, the *wadi*s, which were fed by two sources, *al-’Ayn al-Kabira* and *al-Tarmid*, which sprung up from inside the town, and by the *wadi* Bayyash – produced, according to chroniclers, dates as large as pigeon eggs, olives, figs, apples, grapes, pistachios and other fruits. The pistachios *“as big as almonds, and better than those of* Bled al-Sham”, Syria, were sold in every region of Ifriqiya and were exported to al-Andalus, Sijilmassa and Egypt. Even more eulogistic, the *Kitab al-Istibsar* describes with precision its sources of water and its oasis *“across which are dotted 18*manzils *known as* qura’s: *hamlets”*. This oasis was surrounded by a rampart known as *Sur al-Ghaba*, which was pierced by four gates, *Abwab al-Durub*, which were surmounted by inhabited towers. *“In Gafsa”*, it adds, *“blankets, shawls, wool turbans, finely pottered utensils that sparkled in their whiteness, works of glass and exceptional utensils and other gilded goods”*. *“Its inhabitants”*, it concludes, *“are well-off ”*. Nevertheless Gafsa, which according to all these witness accounts was wealthy, was certainly less so than Tozeur. The tax paid by Gafsa, which according to al-Bakri amounted to 50,000 *dinars*, was only one quarter of that paid by Tozeur.  \n  \nGafsa was to be put harshly to the test by episodic events of brutality that related to its political choices. Feeling itself to be sheltered by the distances that separated it from the central power, whilst feeling attached to its old traditions of loyalty to Kairouan and of obedience to the Abbasids, Gafsa opened its doors to dissidents or declared itself independent, under the impulses of powerful families, every time the central government displayed a sign of weakness. It suffered severe reprisals as a result of this attitude.  \n  \nFollowing the collapse of Zirid power, Gafsa declared itself independent under the banner of the Banu Rand in 566/1171, which lasted until the Almohad Caliph Abu Ya‘qub flushed them out in 575/1180. In 580/1185, Gafsa opened it doors to the Mallorcan Banu Ghaniya in their fight against the Almohads. Al-Mansur punished the town in 582/1187 by razing its ramparts to the ground and by reducing its landowners to share-cropper settlers on their own land. In 795/1393, whilst retaliating against a new Revolt, Abu al-‘Abbas utterly destroyed its palm groves. During moments of respite from the fighting, Gafsa’s walls were rebuilt, but were once again destroyed at the beginning of the 9th/15th century. It was then given a new *kasbah*, only one section of which, however, remains.  \n  \nHaving been challenged severely, Gafsa had, by the 7th/13th century, already lost its energy and drive. Al-Hamawi, writing in the 7th/13th century, whilst reiterating his predecessors in terms of its agricultural production, remarked that it was a small town. Leo the African, in the 10th/16th century, whilst recalling that the town had been repopulated, nevertheless noted the poverty of its buildings, its inhabitants and the unhealthiness of its environment.  \n  \nCaught up in the events that were inherent to the instabilities of the Ottoman era, and a victim of fiscal exactions, Gafsa fell even further into decline. The town and its monuments were affected even more during the colonial era by additions and transformations. Compact in size, the town has retained from its ancient Roman and Mediaeval splendours only the basins into which water was collected, incorrectly called Roman swimming pools, as well as columns and capitals scattered around in houses and places of worship, and several mosques.  \n  \nThe Great Mosque of Gafsa is outlying, contrary to the normal town-planning of *medina*s which accords the Great Mosque a central position. It is situated in the southern part of town, next to ramparts that no longer exist. The decision to place the Great Mosque next to the ramparts, on an elevated area, accorded it the control and defensive role of a fortress, like a *ribat*. In the Jérid, this was also the case with the Mosque Sidi Mezhud in Nefta and the Mosque of al-‘Ayyasha.  \n  \nThe original mosque, probably Aghlabid in origin, underwent several building extensions, the most important of which took place in the 9th/15th century. It encompassed the passageway that separated the ramparts from the constructions on the interior. This move allowed for a corner of the ramparts to be conserved; it was incorporated into the mosque and actually forms its southern side. This extension is perceptible, because its bays do not share the same direction as those of the ancient part.  \n  \nA small mausoleum, attached to the eastfacing facade, is obscurely attributed to Sidi Sahib al-Waqt, known as the Master of the Hours. Was he the person who, employing the sundial, was responsible for determining the hours at which one was called to prayer?  \n  \nThe minaret, which is a clumsy imitation of Hafsid minarets, is of no historic interest. It is a replacement of the original ancient minaret following the First World War, which seemed, according to one surviving photograph, to have been octagonal in section and to have probably dated from the Muradite era.  \n  \nMeanwhile, the Ottoman era bequeathed several beautiful houses to us: Dar al-Smawi, Dar al-Longu, Dar al-Qarwi … Similar to those in Tunis, in Sfax and in Kairouan, they are all endowed with a *driba*, a patio, and painted ceilings. These houses prove that Gafsa, as an intermediary town, was influenced by immigrant families.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"d7afbc00-831c-5e6e-941f-aef9ecd3213b":{"title":"IRBID","description":"The second largest city of Jordan, Irbid lies northwest of Amman near the Syrian borders. It is close to *Tell* al-Rameith, ancient Ramoth Gilead, on the east and famous for its antiquities dating back to the early Iron Age. The ancient *Tell* of Irbid is to the north of the modern city, where tombs from the early Bronze, late Bronze II and early Iron Age were excavated. It rises to about 578 m. above sea level and measured originally about 500 x 400 m. There was a strong three-courses wide defence wall built with large basalt boulders, in about 2000 BC. The water system of the city, which included an underground channel, dates back to this period and was adapted to modern use.  \n  \nIrbid has been identified with Abila, a city of the *Decapolis* (see The *Decapolis* in the Umayyad Period), but the only historical reference to the site is in Eusebius’ *Onomasticon* in which he mentiones the town in the early 4th century (314-15). The Byzantine writer locates Abila in *Palestina Secunda*, at the borders of ancient Judaea and in the territory of Pella.  \n  \nIrbid became famous in the Umayyad period under the name of Arbed, its Arabic name, together with Bayt Ras, because it was where Yazid II lived and died in 105/724.  \n  \n**Bayt Ras**, just north of Irbid, was linked with this ancient city. It was better known than Irbid, since it was identified first with Capitolias, another city of the *Decapolis*. The city is not as old as Irbid, but has better preserved ruins from the Graeco-Roman periods. One of the most impressive remains is the water conduit, which was cut out of the rock and empties into a large reservoir. The remains of a Byzantine church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, were discovered when a modern mosque was built on that spot. The Umayyad *Caliph* Yazid II settled in Bayt Ras where recent excavations uncovered a vaulted *suq* (market) from the Islamic period near the modern mosque. A tomb of the late Roman period has well- preserved wall paintings depicting the Trojan War and the victory of Achilles over Hector. One panel represents the creation of man by Prometheus.","extra":{"author":"Fawzi Zayadine"}},"d7f9830b-5aba-531a-92ba-fa626ab6c67b":{"title":"Benediktbeuern","description":""},"d806a00f-b124-57f8-b6df-2db7f703a01f":{"title":"Itinerary 59","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[403,404,417,436,446],"territory_ids":[10]}},"d8ba4563-4e7f-5b67-8ea6-eb1e8d1b63c0":{"title":"AGRIGENTO","description":"The settlement was founded in around 580 BC by a group of Rhodian colonists from Gela, in a land inhabited from prehistoric times. The town passed through a first period of splendour under the rule of the tyrant, Teron, in about 490 BC following the victory at Imera over the Carthaginians. The latter returned to devastate it in 409 BC and Timoleont founded it once again only 70 years after its tragic destruction. It passed under the dominion of Rome in 210 BC.  \n  \nThe decline of the Roman Empire provoked a considerable demographic contraction held only by one out of 13 Suffragan Bishops of Syracuse during the Byzantine era, giving a determined impetus to the castling of the village on the hill of *Girgenti*.  \n  \nIn 828 the Arabs conquered it; and it was they, who, according to some chroniclers of the subject, began the construction of many mosques. Various Berber tribes were stationed at *Kerkent*, sufficient to recognise it as their capital, and in 937 the same tribes in alliance with the Byzantines became protagonists of a revolt against the Fatimids and their fiscal regime, suffering a bloodcurdling repression. The geographer Yaqut, at the end of the 10th century, refers to it as a simple *balad* (village).  \n  \nIn 1087 the Normans took it, and once more established the bishopric, with vast possessions. Al-Idrisi exalted the role of the commercial port and affirmed: “*Its palaces are greater in height than those in any other city and are a true seduction for those who admire them*”. The town’s economic importance was thus confirmed by reason of its natural links with North Africa. And, for the same reason, it was dramatically chosen as the centre of the collecting of the last Sicilians faithful to Islam and rebellious to Federico II of Swabia, who organised their final expulsion from the island.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"d8cb6778-6f88-53c6-bb7a-6f41f5336c5f":{"title":"Fez","description":""},"d8cbd45f-5828-571e-a34f-8a82719cc28e":{"title":"Enfidha","description":""},"d96f3eef-acdb-5c81-8cfe-31d4407de491":{"title":"Tozeur","description":""},"d97c3c59-a834-50c4-90ad-702cd389999b":{"title":"Itinerary 35","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[61,65,83,90,104,118,125,145,159]}},"d9bf94b5-ad47-5f84-b75f-1d65b759bc86":{"title":"Stöttwang","description":""},"da4d183b-4cd6-52c5-ae71-8416d186d0e8":{"title":"Götzens","description":""},"da53d428-7852-5eba-b7a9-852af882c062":{"title":"Idanha-a-Velha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"dae14424-5de2-5aaf-8cbc-9aa78afff9fb":{"title":"Kutina","description":""},"dafc39e4-ee1d-521d-bf45-b02a3bf27169":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - MA","description":""},"db17ac8b-1973-5062-bf07-79af6b397ce0":{"title":"Tarfaya","description":""},"db9624d0-7bee-5296-aa1b-8467e091b880":{"title":"Umm al-Rasas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"dd345e0c-63f6-53a1-ac68-67e25b6113b7":{"title":"BRAGANÇA","description":"Like most settlements in the Trás-os-Montes region, Bragança seems to have already been settled in the Prehistoric period, certainly since Neolithic, if not Palaeolithic times. This does not mean that there was an important community, but that there were some family groups or small populations. In the Bragança area, the Hill-Fort of Castro de Avelãs, perhaps lying in the original position of the Mediaeval town, seems to have been the most important.  \n  \nDue to its strategic, and primarily military importance, but also in order to control traffic between the young Kingdom of Portugal and the neighbouring Kingdom of León and Castile, D. Dinis granted the town its first charter in 1187, a charter that was successively renewed, firstly by D. Afonso III, in 1253, and later by D. Manuel I, in 1514.  \n  \nDuring the first dynasty, development was partially due to the annual fair, initiated by D. Afonso III, in 1272, and the free fair started by D. Fernando in 1383, which lasted a month. The fact of the matter was that it was extremely difficult to attract people to this area, far from the coast, with a harsh climate and a rather delicate geographical position. It was also very close to the frontier and was one of the first areas of confrontation whenever Peninsular governments had a disagreement. Nevertheless, agricultural activity and cattle breeding were significant, as was trade with Castile.  \n  \nIn 1442, on the creation of the House of the Dukes of Bragança, the town, later made a city, came into the possession of D. Afonso, the first duke, until it returned to the Crown, when the eighth duke ascended the throne as D. João IV, in 1640.  \n  \nAs in all the frontier towns and villages, the Manueline peace provided a considerable increase in economic activities and a subsequent growth in population, largely of Jewish origin, so that, by 1530, it numbered 2,000 inhabitants.","extra":{"about":"Like most settlements in the Trás-os-Montes region, Bragança seems to have already been settled in the Prehistoric period, certainly since Neolithic, if not Palaeolithic times. This does not mean that there was an important community, but that there were some family groups or small populations. In the Bragança area, the Hill-Fort of Castro de Avelãs, perhaps lying in the original position of the Mediaeval town, seems to have been the most important.  \nDue to its strategic, and primarily military importance, but also in order to control traffic between the young Kingdom of Portugal and the neighbouring Kingdom of León and Castile, D. Dinis granted the town its first charter in 1187, a charter that was successively renewed, firstly by D. Afonso III, in 1253, and later by D. Manuel I, in 1514.  \nDuring the first dynasty, development was partially due to the annual fair, initiated by D. Afonso III, in 1272, and the free fair started by D. Fernando in 1383, which lasted a month. The fact of the matter was that it was extremely difficult to attract people to this area, far from the coast, with a harsh climate and a rather delicate geographical position. It was also very close to the frontier and was one of the first areas of confrontation whenever Peninsular governments had a disagreement. Nevertheless, agricultural activity and cattle breeding were significant, as was trade with Castile.  \nIn 1442, on the creation of the House of the Dukes of Bragança, the town, later made a city, came into the possession of D. Afonso, the first duke, until it returned to the Crown, when the eighth duke ascended the throne as D. João IV, in 1640.  \nAs in all the frontier towns and villages, the Manueline peace provided a considerable increase in economic activities and a subsequent growth in population, largely of Jewish origin, so that, by 1530, it numbered 2,000 inhabitants.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ddcada42-a5e0-58da-b634-91adf72f9e2f":{"title":"Augsburg","description":""},"de5eccfc-5ce8-528c-ab39-5a11694fc911":{"title":"VILA FRANCA DO CAMPO","description":"Vila Franca do Campo was the capital of the Island of São Miguel until 1522, when it was completely destroyed by an earthquake that killed most of its inhabitants. The houses were rebuilt in the same places, as were the churches and chapels.  \n  \nIn the following centuries, the town developed and has fine examples of Mannerist and Baroque architecture. The Parish Church, dedicated to St Michael, is all that remains from the early years of the 16th century.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"df3ffe4e-8add-523d-9e52-42be047d1aea":{"title":"DÉGUÈCHE","description":"Déguèche is a derivation of the term *Taqyus*, which was applied to four townships or *qsur*s, fortified by ramparts. These are: Déguèche, Ouled Majid, Kriz and Sdeda.*“These qsurs are so close to one another”*, states the *Kitab al-Istibsar*, *“that their inhabitants can all talk to one another from their own home”*.  \n  \nAl-Idrissi cites Taqyus as a town situated between al-Hamma and Gafsa, *“a beautiful town”*, he says,*“well populated. It produces henna, cumin, caraway seeds, and various vegetables. Its palm trees bear excellent fruits”*. Its excellentquality dates are today still the most popular in Tunisia, and the most wanted for export. Old Déguèche is, together with al-Hamma, one of the rare oases where stone instead of brick is used in construction. The stone is extracted from neighbouring quarries.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"df456054-3704-53d9-bd53-94118978f707":{"title":"Batrun","description":""},"df625b80-3be3-5e95-9647-f08611b61fc4":{"title":"Navalmoralejo","description":""},"df8086c3-a1f0-52d7-b102-4abb418f99e1":{"title":"La Calahorra","description":""},"df8de2dc-6e2a-5fc3-8a3c-3a0eb453cafb":{"title":"BURSA","description":"Bursa, situated on the slopes of Uludağ (Mysian Olympus), with its abundant water supply and fertile plains, has attracted settlers throughout history. An important city of the ancient kingdom of Bithynia, Prusa (today’s Bursa) contains evidence of all of the Anatolian civilisations starting from the middle of the first millennium BC. The Anatolian Seljuq State, which was founded in 1075 and had its first centre at İznik (ancient Nicea), established sovereignty over Bursa during its foundation period, even if only for a short time. Once the Seljuqs moved their centre to Konya, having been defeated by the armies of the First Crusade in 1097, they were unable to maintain constant possession of the Marmara region. In 1113 the Seljuq troops once again took the shores of the Marmara including Bursa but, as before, they were unable to secure their hold on the region.  \n  \nWhile various emirates were being established in West Anatolia towards the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century, a Turcoman Bey named Ertuğrul (d.1281) and his son Osman (r. 1281-1324) were attempting to settle the region of ancient Bithynia. Osman’s heroes, reminiscent of European knights of the Middle Ages, engaged in battles with small Byzantine landowners; these battles were full of honour and romanticism for both sides. Nevertheless, after the establishment of Ottoman dominance over the region, both communities lived in peace for hundreds of years.  \n  \nFounded by Osman Gazi in 1299, the Emirate captured Prusa, one of the most important towns of the Byzantine Empire, in the year 1326 during the reign of Orhan Gazi (1324-1362). This city, whose name among the people was transformed into Bursa, became the centre of the newly founded Ottoman State.  \n  \nIn a short time many *han*s were constructed in Bursa, a developed commercial and industrial centre. The city became famous as a weaving- and silkproduction centre in particular.  \n  \nThe Ottoman sultans who ruled from the beginning of the14th century until the middle of the 15th century were Orhan Gazi (1324-1362; also known as Orhan Bey), Murad I (1362-1389; also known as Hüdavendigar), Bayezid I (1389-1402; also known as Yıldırım), Mehmed I (1413-1421; also known as Çelebi), and Murad II (1421-1451), all of whom improved the city by having various religious and public buildings constructed.  \n  \nAt the time of the founding of the state, the Ottoman sultans were broadminded men who lived in a simple manner. After he took Bursa, Orhan Gazi sent a gift of alcoholic drink to Geyikli Baba, a heterodox religious figure who had joined the conquest of Bursa. Sultan Bayezid I was also a sultan who used alcohol; according to legend, when he asked Emir Sultan, a religious leader, whether or not he liked the newly built Great Mosque, Emir Sultan replied: “The mosque has one deficiency: there should be taverns on all four sides so that there’s a pretext for you to come”.  \n  \nBursa is also a city of *türbe*s: the first six Ottoman Sultans are buried in *türbe*s here. Of these, the *türbe* of Sultan Mehmed I is a dazzling architectural work with its tiles and architecture.  \n  \nBursa is famous for its *hammam*s, spas, and fountains. The Ottomans tried to make its social services available to all the citizens, regardless of differences in religion and language. For example, after Orhan Gazi captured Bursa, he had pipes installed to bring water to the Jewish quarter of the city."},"dfb49d32-8946-5435-b2c9-ca5b53c1d63c":{"title":"BOSRA","description":"Throughout the ages, Bosra remained a major city in the Hauran region that stretches to the south of Damascus between the Jabal al-Druze in the east and the Golan Heights in the west. Bosra secured its wealth by the fertile agricultural lands that had long served as the granary for the Bilad al-Sham. The Nabateans transferred their capital from Petra to Bosra in the first century AD and, after the Roman conquest in 106 AD, it became the capital of the *Provincia Arabia*. With the triumph of Islam over the region in 13/634, life continued within the Antique city; very few alterations to the infrastructure were undertaken. The only evidence of early Islamic building activity is the two reused inscriptions in the Great Mosque dating to the 2nd/8th century. The religious and economic status of Bosra grew due to its status as an attractive market and trade centre, as well as the southernmost outpost of Damascus and the last major halt on the pilgrimage route, between Syria and the holy cities in the Hijaz. The pilgrimage caravans would halt in Bosra and arrange their provisions before entering the desert. According to the medieval traveller and historian Ibn Battuta, the city of Bosra was where the Prophet Muhammad’s caravan would stop to do trade on behalf of his wife, Khadija, who was a renowned merchant in Mecca. Mabrak al-Naqa holds the imprints of the Prophet’s kneeling she-camel, and the site revered as material evidence of the Prophet’s visit. The biography (*Sira*) of the Prophet, sites Bosra as the place where the Christian monk Bahira who resided in the Basilica of the city, foretold Muhammad his future prophecy.  \nThe redevelopment of medieval Bosra started with the Seljuq conquest of Damascus and the surrounding territories in 468/1076. Initial alterations were undertaken at the citadel by Shams al-Daula Gumushtagin, who was the son of the Seljuq ruler of Damascus, Taj al Daula Tutush (r. 471–88/1078–95). Mostly, the redevelopments are ascribed to the Turkish general Amin al-Daula Gumushtagin (d. 541/1146), commissioner of Bosra under the Burid ruler of Damascus. He rebuilt the Great Mosque and founded the Khidr Mosque and the Madrasa next to the Shrine of Mabrak al-Naqa.  \n  \nA major change in building politics occurred in the Ayyubid period under al-Adil Abu Bakr (592–615/1196–1218). He undertook enormous refortification efforts throughout Syria and Egypt as a protective measure against the Crusaders. At his death the fiefdom of Bosra passed on to his son, al-Salih Isma‘il (615 44/1218–46), whose rule is considered to represent Islamic Bosra’s heyday. He renovated the Great Mosque and improved the infrastructure of the city by reactivating the huge pre Islamic water reservoir, Birkat al-Hajj. His sumptuous residence, constructed within the citadel walls, included a mosque erected on top of the stage of the Roman theatre, a covered water cistern in the *orchestra* and a *hammam* in the eastern peristyle. On top of the cistern, vaulted halls served as storerooms and an arsenal. Alas, these structures were removed during several stages of restoration works between 1946 and 1970, leaving no testimony to the primetime of medieval Bosra. After the Mongol raid of 658/1260, the city never regained its previous splendour.","extra":{"author":"Verena Daiber"}},"dfc5ac5d-9027-5084-bf20-a50d996edd0f":{"title":"Itinerary 2","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[459,460,485,492,493,494,495]}},"e0312c29-beea-5a65-8015-23ea8e9a70ac":{"title":"Itinerary 102","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[97,108,161,167,179]}},"e03f9673-2b39-5d3f-ad1a-969dadf616e7":{"title":"Badajoz","description":""},"e0532781-a50b-52e3-ba6c-a2d60e4f50ba":{"title":"Cisneros","description":""},"e0671599-63c4-5019-82a3-e413565aac3b":{"title":"Fuentes de Nava","description":""},"e0c4fc28-0eee-5420-a270-c8b492320838":{"title":"TIMIMOUN","description":"Several hotels and campsites welcome tourists, many during end-of-year holidays, and especially during the celebration of the Mawlid Ennabaoui, or birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. A visit on this occasion would provide an opportunity to enjoy local ritual celebrations and to discover the *Ahellil* music of Berber-speaking Algeria.  \n  \nThe current urban centre of colonial-era Timimoun is of no particular interest except for its red clay Sudanese-inspired buildings, especially the old *ksar* (fort) surrounded by adobe walls that overlooks the palm grove.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"e11cd69d-c625-58b6-8db2-bd99ef00bfc5":{"title":"Garmisch-Partenkirchen","description":""},"e1634cea-df29-5d6c-a784-f9856e0279d4":{"title":"Mogadouro","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e18d029b-00a6-5480-8431-c7a6441bd076":{"title":"Syria","description":""},"e18ef05e-b84e-566c-8ecd-e0b59eb808b7":{"title":"Belec","description":""},"e1a186b7-7f6f-5e97-8a74-88d22e7cc95f":{"title":"Soure","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e1e9766a-577f-5532-9bc2-6d303c63bdcb":{"title":"Sfax","description":""},"e280de38-3a65-5d9c-b885-ebc04a1ea4d3":{"title":"Gerena","description":""},"e29467d0-a04f-55f2-8519-c05649f7eda2":{"title":"Alvor","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e2af7f0b-9b0e-50ed-8a07-86d9f6ad72fc":{"title":"THE MARSA","description":"Leo the African described The Marsa, at the beginning of the 10th/16th century, as *“an ancient, small town, built on the shores of the sea. It is where the Port of Carthage once stood. It was once upon a time ruined, and remained as such for a long time. However, today it is inhabited by fishermen, farmers and laundrymen. Royal palaces and properties in which the present king habitually spends his summers are located close by”*. This relates to the three palaces known as *al-‘Abdelliya*, which were first occupied by the Hafsids, then the Muradites followed by the Husaynites. At the beginning of the 13th/19th century, Mahmoud Bey (1229/1814–1239/1824) built the Dar al-Taj not far from the ‘Abdelliya. It was then enlarged and modernised by the Bey Mohamed in the middle of the 13th/19th century. An urban centre was to grow up around this beylical palace, a development that was described by Charles Lallement at the end of the 19th century. *“After crossing the palace courtyard”, writes he, “one reaches a street bordered by the outbuildings. These are then followed by private houses and funduqs overrun by Jews. Another street to the right leads to the sea (…). The main street spills out into a square which has nothing remarkable about it save for a strange café, the Café of the Source of the Poplar* (safsaf). *This café provides entertainment through having a well in the middle, the mill of which is turned by a dromedary …”*.  \n  \nThe example of the sovereigns was followed by ministers and dignitaries, and soon the gardens of the *burj*s were spreading out to the hills of Gammarth. The consuls, namely those from France and Britain, benefited from the privilege of having summer residences in the neighbourhood of the *bey*s. Today, under the effect of urbanisation, only certain residences remain, separated from their orchards (Dar al-Sa‘ada, Seniet Ben ‘Achur, Seniet Isma‘il Bey …). As for the Dar al-Taj, it was demolished in the 1960s, together with the urban cluster that surrounded it. The only buildings to be spared were the Hafsid Mosque, which was restored at the end of the 19th century, the Safsaf café, and several later buildings. Small squares and car parks link this old centre to the most recent neighbourhood, that which has risen around the station and the al-Hafsi Café.","extra":{"author":"Jamila Binous"}},"e2d56931-7db4-5aca-a684-9c530c88f886":{"title":"Székesfehérvár","description":""},"e2eb5b83-7ed8-5eaf-b35c-0ffae3f002b3":{"title":"Freising","description":""},"e31521ea-3186-5750-9fff-393c42ad0d1b":{"title":"MOGADOURO","description":"Mogadouro became important on the regional scene after it received a charter from D. Afonso III in the 13th century. Despite the fact that the parish depended on the Diocese of Zamora, a commendary of the Knights Templar was set up here, and, with the extinction of the Order by the Pope, it was transferred to the Order of Christ at the initiative of D. Dinis. It was during this period that the town developed, and improvements were carried out on the castle and the town walls.  \n  \nIn the 15th century, the town was dominated by the Távoras, one of the most powerful families in the country, who built a residence within the walls. Franciscan friars also built a monastery here, which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in the 19th century.  \n  \nAs occurred with all the commendaries of the Order of Christ, Mogadouro was greatly improved following a visit paid to the town by D. Manuel I, the Administrator of the Order, in 1510.","extra":{"about":"Mogadouro became important on the regional scene after it received a charter from D. Afonso III in the 13th century. Despite the fact that the parish depended on the Diocese of Zamora, a commendary of the Knights Templar was set up here, and, with the extinction of the Order by the Pope, it was transferred to the Order of Christ at the initiative of D. Dinis. It was during this period that the town developed, and improvements were carried out on the castle and the town walls.  \nIn the 15th century, the town was dominated by the Távoras, one of the most powerful families in the country, who built a residence within the walls. Franciscan friars also built a monastery here, which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in the 19th century.  \nAs occurred with all the commendaries of the Order of Christ, Mogadouro was greatly improved following a visit paid to the town by D. Manuel I, the Administrator of the Order, in 1510.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"e3437a46-c0bf-5c98-99a9-5ce4e574046a":{"title":"Alger, les fortifications extérieures","description":""},"e4332fff-bdcb-53dc-896f-2771800bfbb4":{"title":"Tomar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e4babafc-53b4-58b5-bbf5-b5b999652a6d":{"title":"Lanhelas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e50728b3-b13c-5f03-8ab0-78bc0457d93d":{"title":"Payas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e538afe8-a3f7-560e-be0a-e272939bc1fd":{"title":"Itinerary 30","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[463,465,466,476,480,481,482,488,489,496]}},"e5613ef2-b5b3-5a63-8a54-1f2ae47ad6f9":{"title":"Itinerary 37","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[76,120,128,129,153]}},"e5ec8c7c-a6d5-56cd-a3d9-bd7663f3fe6e":{"title":"Svatý Kopeček","description":""},"e6204bc6-89f8-5517-9ebd-0912a2f435e4":{"title":"Raqqa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e64885c7-90e7-573b-866c-3befd8fa0b85":{"title":"Itinerary 34","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[72,89,112,114,135]}},"e661b2b7-0748-54a8-99bf-bd8ecc4e67fd":{"title":"Veles","description":""},"e6f95744-d846-5e23-bc66-92ba08aeea76":{"title":"Ucanha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e705a044-49be-5c86-acc8-1246af35142a":{"title":"Raposeira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e71244d9-ca70-5c12-ba0d-a7c1613dd190":{"title":"Marialva","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e72c7514-2393-5ace-8d6d-3000d7d3f69d":{"title":"Itinerary 70","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"location_ids":[42]}},"e72f3846-018d-5598-a2e8-37b6c911534c":{"title":"Tébourba","description":""},"e7333b7a-4895-5eaa-a807-a99546fff054":{"title":"LAGOS","description":"Dating back to the Roman era, at least, Lagos was an important centre during the Islamic period, but attained its peak during the period of the Discoveries. Prince Henry the Navigator was a frequent visitor, and D. Sebastião also sailed from the port on his ill-fated voyage to Alcácer-Quibir, from where he never returned.  \n  \nIn the 15th century, Lagos was a Portuguese naval research centre, and an obligatory departure and arrival point for Atlantic shipping. The fleet sailed from the port to conquer Ceuta, and Gil Eanes embarked here on the voyage during which he rounded Cape Bojador for the first time. On the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, in 1460, Lisbon took the lead in maritime navigation and trade, and within three years, the post for trading with Arguim was established in the capital.  \n  \nLagos continued, however, to supply fortresses in North Africa, leading D. Manuel I to order the reconstruction of its defensive walls.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"e7800e29-74eb-5ae6-912e-690a6884c2b5":{"title":"Qal‘at Salah al-Din","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e7d1671d-a104-568a-9a9f-536fd7d526d7":{"title":"Morata de Jiloca","description":""},"e82c3a39-d922-5271-a11c-484065a2da85":{"title":"Tabaqat Fihl (Pella)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e837b96d-51d2-5a56-8e09-9f571f25febf":{"title":"Stams","description":""},"e879339a-7191-5920-ba0a-33e924daf3d4":{"title":"Vila Nova de Foz Cõa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e98eb687-b015-56c3-a22f-75e306925168":{"title":"Selçuk","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e9c64785-2332-51b6-9290-9358fe28b17f":{"title":"Itinerary 136","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"location_ids":[240,247,249,250,253,254,535,536,537]}},"e9de60c5-70a0-5caa-8a56-f855e4d95703":{"title":"Szentgotthárd","description":""},"ea258110-4420-5e60-80af-8c98014e7758":{"title":"Matosinhos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ea2f20eb-c16d-5b0a-ba44-49dc17648225":{"title":"Olmedo","description":""},"ea2f3066-4700-52c3-bad7-e847b6040af1":{"title":"Agrigento","description":"","extra":{"info":"The Stairs of the Turks (La Scala dei Turchi)  \nGoing towards Agrigento, one crosses a valley characterised by a thick group of Saracen olive trees, that is to say “*that olive tree*” as Leonardo Sciacia writes, “*with a twisted trunk, of dark cracks; as though being tortured and almost hearing the groans*”. Leaving the main state road for the road to Porto Empedocle, on the eastern side towards the sea, between the provincial road and the beach, there is a continuous wall of chalk hills, named the “Stairs of the Turks” on account of its singular configuration. These hills provide a grandiose phenomenon of the erosion caused by water and the atmospheric agents, which dig deep ditches between the white marly slopes; the cliff is punctuated by small and attractive inlets. Popular legend links this point to the pirate raids of the 15th and 16th centuries."}},"ea549fce-5a4f-5e0f-b22d-3c04e828e1d9":{"title":"Gormaz","description":""},"ea66069e-07f3-5e7c-b2ec-99017d856002":{"title":"Aci Castello","description":""},"eaac8961-6afb-5403-a85c-b5bf43669273":{"title":"Monastir","description":""},"ead0db21-e152-55fa-be73-54cb2f8f40e4":{"title":"Elbigenalp","description":""},"ead22cdb-3af6-54e4-b807-c275d854b718":{"title":"Damascus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"eadb3505-da7f-5559-bfb2-8613950c824c":{"title":"Paternò","description":""},"eaddd627-9484-588e-a1d5-d73dd5ab5572":{"title":"Itinerary 27","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[474,479,486]}},"eb01170e-205c-5495-b0d9-1cf58404bca5":{"title":"Itinerary 134","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"location_ids":[243,251,527,528,529,530]}},"eb36df4c-dd06-5c6f-8057-6025dd315857":{"title":"Maria-Steinbach","description":""},"eb5af3cd-3b8e-5316-bac4-7ac2694f4cc6":{"title":"FAHS (ALGERIAN COUNTRYSIDE)","description":"The Fahs, or countryside, of Algiers corresponds geographically to the rolling hills of the Sahel region, which includes the hill of Algiers. It encompassed the communes Bir-Khadem, Hussein-Dey, Dely-Ibrahim, Bouzaréah, Birmandreis, el-Biar, Cheraga, and was part of Dar al-Soltane, directly under the authority of the *dey* (provincial governor).  \n  \nThe proximity of Algiers and the fertility of the land made it a major crop-growing region. The land was well maintained and irrigated thanks to numerous hydraulic works made possible by the abundant water: wells, cisterns, water wheels, springs and pipes, and numerous aqueducts built by the Andalusians upon their arrival in the region.  \n  \nFood production was abundant and varied, including fig trees, vines, citrus fruits and vegetables. Many descriptions testify to the region’s fecundity. Thus the Spanish monk Diego Haëdo wrote in 1020 / 1612 about the area: “As soon as one goes out into the countryside the view is pleasantly enhanced by the sight of many vineyards and gardens surrounding the city. On all sides we see only orange and lemon trees, cedars and trees of all kinds, and also a large quantity of flowers, especially roses that bloom all year round among the most diverse vegetable plants”.  \n  \nThe cultivation of plants for industrial use, such as flax, hemp or mulberry trees, cannot be ruled out; in 1032 / 1623, there were 3,000 weavers, 600 silkworm breeders and 600 cloth weavers. All these crops were in demand by the markets in Algiers.  \n  \nOutside of agricultural reasons, more and more wealthy families settled in the hills beginning in the 11th / 17th century. The profitable economic situation that resulted from piracy enriched privateers, traders and the military, thus creating a merchant middle class. These rich families built summer residences to escape the density of Algiers’ growing urban population. Diego Haëdo estimated the number of these villas at nearly 1,000. Luxury was not sacrificed to function in these official summer palaces equipped with reception rooms and ceremonial lounges. The *dey* himself had a residence there.  \n  \nHowever, it is difficult to precisely date the occupation of the Algiers countryside. Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of rural estates dating back to the Roman city of Icosium. No doubt they were only fields or small farms before inhabitants of the city imagined building country residences there.  \n  \nFrom an architectural point of view these houses follow the same principles of construction as those of city houses. However, there are two types of architecture. The first was the direct transposition of the urban model adapted to the rural environment: entrances were more numerous and wider (apparently there was no fear of seeming indiscreet), allowing for the enjoyment of the countryside and gardens that were absent in the medina. Also noteworthy is the reduction of the *sqifa*, or anteroom, rendered unnecessary by the garden, which acted as a buffer to the outdoors. The entryway was highlighted by a vestibule comprising a porch with columns in front of the door.  \n  \nIn the second type of architecture the classical orderly arrangement around the patio was broken by a free arrangement of open pavilions that connected through courtyards lined with complementary structures, as in the Bardo villa in Algiers. On the upper floor, the porch in front of the door took on larger square dimensions, becoming a true room with windows on all sides, transforming it into a place for viewing the surrounding countryside.  \n  \nOne can imagine how travellers might have admired these vast mansions comfortably nestled in their lush settings. French politician Theodore of Quatrebarbes (1803–71) described the landscape he saw: “White houses surrounded by orchards, olive trees, huge fig trees, cypresses, pomegranates, vines of rare beauty announce the wealth of the inhabitants and the fertility of the soil. Here and there, among the trees, are whitewashed domes with small chapels: these are the tombs of pious Muslims who wished, according to the Prophet’s principle, that after their death the weary traveler might rest under the fig tree that shades their ashes, and gather its fruit in peace.”  \n  \nThese houses speak not only of the existence of a wealthy class whose standard of living approached that of the ruling class, but also of workers of various trades engaged in the construction and maintenance of these homes: masons, builders, slaves, and others. Many workers were captives in service to the owners of these houses, where their fates may have been different from captives in the medina.  \n  \nThe profusion and quality of the materials used in the decor attest to sophisticated artisanal techniques: stucco, marble, woodwork, ironwork and ceramics all contributed to the development of an Islamic art specific to the region. Ceramics, columns and capitals were imported from Tunisia and Italy, but the woodwork, painted and sculpted ceilings, and furnishings appear to have been made by traditional local techniques, evidence of the sophistication achieved in these beautiful mansions of the Algiers countryside.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"eb77a944-ef14-5e92-8214-8217fdc11fd5":{"title":"Itinerary 20","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[289,290,295,306,327],"territory_ids":[5]}},"eba60ed4-707e-53be-892c-484b399bba54":{"title":"Itinerary 109","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[67,86,96,107,142,146,156,162]}},"ebb5581c-b7f7-5682-881e-d527fe4d520d":{"title":"Milotice","description":""},"ebe00cf0-2621-533f-ba29-72f99688e2ec":{"title":"CEFALÙ","description":"In the 4th century BC, Diodorus Siculus called it *Kephaloidion*, later shortened to *Kefalion*, which for some scholars means, “head” referring to the rocky promontory (the so-called Rocca), which overlooks it. For others it could refer to the term *kefalos*, that is the spring of sweet water, which flows down to the sea. In 254 BC the Romans conquered Cefalú, and during the Byzantine period one of the 13 Suffragan Bishops of the Metropolitan Church of Syracuse settled there.  \n  \nThe Muslims tried to conquer it: after a first assault carried out in vain in 837, there followed a decisive attempt, in 858, which signalled the commitment to the fall of Enna, and of the offensive against Val Demone. During the Islamic era it took the name of *Safludi*.  \n  \nIn 1063 Count Ruggero sacked it, together with Brugato and Golisano, to enrich the provisions needed for the advance of his conquest. With the founding once again of the bishop’s seat (1131), the Normans later created the conditions to give it economic power and artistic splendour. Al-Idrisi defined it as a “*fortress granted of all the prerogatives of a city, with markets, spas and mills*”, while later Ibn Jubayr found it still populated with many Muslims maintaining that the Christians often took refuge on the rock to escape from sudden attacks by the Muslim fleet.","extra":{"author":"Scientific Committee"}},"ebe4f8fd-a03e-5998-9fdf-008a71a34c31":{"title":"Sambuca di Sicilia","description":""},"ebfa1c43-8ad2-5522-a54a-0db5c2c48e88":{"title":"Pieve di Cento","description":""},"ec3745fa-655d-586d-8239-7f4391989cf0":{"title":"Sciacca","description":""},"ecb04545-3b09-5d83-8ba2-b02e1345154e":{"title":"SIDI BOU SAID","description":"This area of retreat, which dominates the Gulf of Carthage, previously called the Gulf of Tunis, would have been occupied by a fortress, in the 3rd/9th century, which would have stood on the site of the actual fort we see today. Like the *ribat*s, this site was guarded by *murabitun*s. Abu Sa‘id al-Baji was in the habit of spending pious periods in retreat on this headland, where he was buried in 628/1231. The area around his tomb was chosen as a burial site on which a necropolis was built, remains of which can still be seen today. At the beginning of the 12th/18th century, the Bey Husayn Ibn ‘Ali organised the building of a mosque featuring a monumental entrance with a grand staircase. This entrance is today the “café des Nattes”, also called *Qahwa al-‘Aliya* (the high Café). Mahmoud Bey (1229/1814–1239/1824) built his summer residence there, privileging Sidi-Bou-Saïd as the holiday destination for the notables of Tunis. Here, hardly any *burj*s are surrounded by vast parks. This is probably due to the accidental character of the relief of the land, or to the desire to be the closest to Saint Sidi Bu Sa‘id to benefit best from his “baraka” and from his protection. The houses are built in a continuous line, each one standing shoulder to shoulder with the next, very much in accordance with the urban plan of *medina*s. The village is situated along a steep axis, starting at the point at which the road to Tunis and the road to the Marsa meet, and ending at the point occupied by the mosque. Daily trading, which today has adopted the form of touristic bazaars, took place along this main road which the villagers call “*suq*”. A second pole of attraction was created in the 1870s, around the Sidi Cheb‘an Zawiya; Sidi Cheb‘an was another mystic, musician and fine poet. Extensions and changes to the place came to a head with the opening of a cafe that faces the Gulf of Tunis, against the backdrop of the Jabal Bu Kornin. Since the beginning of the 20th century, numerous artists and foreign aesthetes, seduced by the beauty of the place, set up their home on this hill. The most famous amongst them was the Baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger. It was he who introduced the blue known as “the blue of Sidi-Bou-Saïd”, as well as in 1915 inciting Naceur Bey to promulgate a decree protecting the village.","extra":{"author":"Jamila Binous"}},"ecbd0758-1ef8-5462-ae11-1e1433740762":{"title":"Maqam of Nabi Salih","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ecf03144-6d92-5272-98cf-0821fc022d46":{"title":"ALCÁCER DO SAL","description":"Alcácer do Sal was the old Roman settlement of *Salácia*, a name derived from the production of salt, which was its principal source of income, and also important in a regional context. Taken from the Moors in 1158, who retook the town shortly afterwards, only in 1271 did it become part of the land of the Portuguese Crown and was then granted to the Order of Santiago. With the advent of the great voyages of the Portuguese Discoveries, the economy thrived and an important middle class was formed, as salt became even more important for the conservation of provisions. D. Manuel I, who granted Alcácer do Sal a new charter in 1516, married Maria of Castile, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, in the Igreja do Espirito Santo in the town, in 1501.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ecfb4321-5c90-581f-b580-7d7243738e4c":{"title":"PONTA DELGADA","description":"The Island of São Miguel, or the “Green Island” as it is known, is the largest in the archipelago, with an area of almost 760 sq. km., oblong in shape and measuring 65 km. in length and 12 km in width. The scenery is particularly breathtaking with high peaks and lakes in the craters of extinct volcanoes, as well as a diverse array of flora.  \n  \nThe island was discovered between 1426 and 1439, the year when colonisation began. The main town is Ponta Delgada, although there are other cities and towns remarkable for their artistic heritage, such as Ribeira Grande and Vila Franca de Campo, in relation to, primarily, the Baroque period. Earthquakes, however, such as that in 1522, and the comparative fragility of early constructions, have meant that little has survived from these early times other than two churches and a few items in various museums.  \n  \nThe oldest references to Masters of Works date back to 1507, when the *fidalgos*, the gentry, in Ribeira Grande signed a contract with a Biscayan Master, João de la Pena to build a local church, which unfortunately did not last very long, and had to be rebuilt. Fernão Álvares, a Portuguese, who lived in São Miguel from 1514 and spent almost all his life in the Azores, built a stone bridge in the town in 1520.  \n  \nBuilding flourished during the Manueline period due to the rapid economic and social development. There did not seem to be any one architectural language, but rather a diversity corresponding to the different origins of these master craftsmen and, obviously, the extremely long time that the Late Gothic period lasted. The strongly structured vaulting has a complexity of ribs that is not to be found elsewhere, and can only be put down to the constant earth tremors. Whatever the reason, this was one of the high points in the history of architecture in the Azores and one of the peaks of both the Portuguese and European Late Gothic style.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ed54e4b6-6c3c-5fea-afc5-96f55abcf6da":{"title":"TAVIRA","description":"Even today, Tavira remains as one of the most beautiful cities in the Algarve, although in Islamic times, its settlement would have been restricted to the small hill on the right bank of the River Gilão. From the walls built in this period, all that now remains are some cubic turrets and the odd fragment of the perimeter wall, which is not always easily identifiable.  \n  \nIn a city whose valuable heritage is largely symbolised by its bridge and pyramidlike roofs, there are a number of features to be seen still from the Islamic period. From the topographical point of view, it seems clear that the town mentioned by al-Idrisi and Yaqut as being a village, would have been somewhat more than that. The five-acre area, rebuilt in Christian times, testifies to a period of economic power that has since been confirmed by recent archaeological discoveries.  \n  \nNowadays, it is difficult to identify Islamic Tavira, particularly at its highest points, since both time and human settlements have inevitably caused a number of alterations. On the site where a small citadel once stood, a garden has now been planted, whilst the former mosque has since been replaced by the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo.  \n  \nClose to the river, not far from where the town hall now stands, there once would have been the city port, where both fishermen and traders would have lived in quarters built downstream from the bridge and alongside the sandy beaches where their boats would have been moored.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"ed87816e-61e0-5b3d-9f31-0d49b14a60b2":{"title":"Itinerary 53","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[434],"territory_ids":[10]}},"edc3f9f1-c4c9-5cbb-abff-f4cfb15d91d5":{"title":"Palermo","description":""},"edf98cd6-60f1-5ef0-aa4d-390695a7f125":{"title":"Purga Lepoglavska","description":""},"ee24c08d-c6f1-5f20-bda0-de65252be8b3":{"title":"Explore Portugal - PT","description":""},"ee374e2e-9d6c-5f62-9cbf-2e4a7816966e":{"title":"Rometta","description":""},"ee54d824-0098-55af-a792-e3ce5659cc1c":{"title":"Çanakkale","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ee59c343-eac9-536f-835d-f0468f3d641e":{"title":"Hyderabad","description":""},"eef3370e-de72-5659-a390-ae4e90dccb60":{"title":"SERPA-VILA BRANCA","description":"Castile and Portugal both fortified this important frontier town, until it passed definitively into the hands of the latter country, in the 13th century. It was occupied by the Moors and only began to develop in the 15th century, particularly during the Manueline period, with the restoration of the castle and the construction of many new houses and various religious and welfare institutions.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ef2170b4-44f3-55c9-a772-f8c10437c844":{"title":"Santiago do Cacém","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ef84f5a2-aaf7-5433-be8a-b1a400bb6ff4":{"title":"Celorico da Beira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f01ab22e-07f7-5f03-a961-5ffd62150699":{"title":"Batalha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f0298bc2-6aae-56a9-b4f4-62304255aaba":{"title":"Aveiro","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f053c12a-1ed6-5432-a592-cc62df013159":{"title":"Doha","description":""},"f1079cc2-e142-5dd2-b3fc-b2c9faafb48f":{"title":"Palestinian Authority","description":""},"f1622cbf-4a6e-54a2-a586-b4769274d194":{"title":"MAZARA DEL VALLO","description":"An ancient Phoenician Port that later passed under Roman domination, on the fall of the empire between the 5th and 6th centuries, it was heavily devastated by vandals but recovered its important role as a commercial centre in the Byzantine period.  \n  \nIn 827, the Arabs chose it as their landing place to undertake their military occupation of Sicily, arriving at a place called by the chroniclers of the time *Ra’s al-Ballut*. They selected Mazara as their capital and stronghold at the time of their conquest, continuing in its aims for more than two centuries, despite unexpected reversals in the initial phase, constraining the Muslims to withdraw within the city walls. They repopulated and rebuilt it, imposing on the city centre the characteristic ramification of courtyards and blind alleyways. Protected by its quadrangular, circuitous wall, and valued as a privileged stopping place for people and merchandise coming from nearby Africa, the city became the capital of Val di Mazara, one of the three territorial circumscriptions into which the whole island was divided, together with Val Demone and Val di Noto.  \n  \nIts frontier status led it to be among the last cities of the island to yield to the Norman Conquest. In fact, after a first capitulation in 1073, there followed a momentary recapture by the Arabs who were finally defeated in 1075 in an epic battle led by Count Ruggiero against Mokarta, Commander of the Islamic troops. The importance of the centre was summarised in the extraordinary description by al-Idrisi who wrote: “*Splendid and excellent city which lacks nothing, and has no equal or similar, if the magnificence of the houses and living conditions are considered; and if the elegance of its appearance and of the buildings are also considered, it is non plus ultra. No other place has gathered so many beautiful things as are gathered here; it has high strong walls, well finished and clean palaces; wide streets, large roads, market places full of merchandise and manufactured goods; most beautiful baths, spacious shops, orchards and gardens with choice plants. Merchants and travellers come from everywhere; and they export what they have in their markets. Its vast district includes grand hamlets and farms. The river Wadi al Magnum, the Mazaro, where ships are loaded and boats remain for the winter, runs along the foot of the walls*” (tr. M. Amari, 1854-1868).","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"f1718c2e-9895-5ad7-a5fc-809e8406b8fd":{"title":"Adrano","description":""},"f17dd6b4-3ee4-51a2-bbec-82ad575fe77d":{"title":"Alexandria","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f1f5a93a-4ac3-54da-bf46-34f877468a6a":{"title":"Barcelos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f2041be2-a6f7-5d56-9fac-61c737451f3a":{"title":"Volders","description":""},"f232fcc0-23d7-54ce-8bd2-3eca74c8f4cb":{"title":"Itinerary 110","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[57,58,133,151,155,157]}},"f234beec-04c9-5376-adb8-34f63d73c8ad":{"title":"Al-Qanatir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f28cdfeb-09f6-5926-aaa9-27497c90a43b":{"title":"Caccamo","description":""},"f2f0c8c6-4b3e-5c4d-8be8-2ee0dcd936e9":{"title":"VISEU","description":"Grão Vasco is the most famous of Portuguese painters, whom legend has surrounded with a mythical and timeless aura. According to the available historical information, he appears to have lived and had a flourishing workshop in Viseu for some 40 years, at least from 1501 to 1543. Commissions from rich and powerful patrons who carried out reforms in cathedrals, churches and monasteries in the Beira and Alto Douro regions, enabled him to produce exceptional retable paintings.  \n  \nIn the first 30 years of the century, the vigorous figurative realism of the Flemish style marked his production, just as it did the work of the cosmopolitan painters in Lisbon, with whom Grão Vasco maintained close relations. About 1530, however, the work of Vasco Fernandes began to display Italian Renaissance values. This was due largely to the influence of his patron, the illustrious humanist D. Miguel da Silva, who had been Portuguese Ambassador to the Papal Court, before he became Bishop of Viseu in 1526, and was one of the leading figures behind the introduction of the Renaissance into Portuguese art. The Bishop commissioned great retables for the cathedral, namely the famous *St Peter*, and also for the Chapel of the Bishop’s Quinta de Fontelo, before he left to live in Rome permanently in 1540.  \n  \nVasco Fernandes reveals his sensitivity and vision of the world in the expressive character of form, in his poetic or dramatic strength, in the mystery of light, the intensity of colours and the simple outlines of figures or distant landscapes. In recognition of his technical ability and his remarkable expressive resources he was commissioned, in 1535, to paint the four retables for the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz in Coimbra. The only remaining panel of this series is that of the exceptional *Pentecost*, which currently hangs in the Sacristy there and is signed in the Latin style, “*Velascus*”.","extra":{"about":"Grão Vasco is the most famous of Portuguese painters, whom legend has surrounded with a mythical and timeless aura. According to the available historical information, he appears to have lived and had a flourishing workshop in Viseu for some 40 years, at least from 1501 to 1543. Commissions from rich and powerful patrons who carried out reforms in cathedrals, churches and monasteries in the Beira and Alto Douro regions, enabled him to produce exceptional retable paintings.  \nIn the first 30 years of the century, the vigorous figurative realism of the Flemish style marked his production, just as it did the work of the cosmopolitan painters in Lisbon, with whom Grão Vasco maintained close relations. About 1530, however, the work of Vasco Fernandes began to display Italian Renaissance values. This was due largely to the influence of his patron, the illustrious humanist D. Miguel da Silva, who had been Portuguese Ambassador to the Papal Court, before he became Bishop of Viseu in 1526, and was one of the leading figures behind the introduction of the Renaissance into Portuguese art. The Bishop commissioned great retables for the cathedral, namely the famous *St Peter*, and also for the Chapel of the Bishop’s Quinta de Fontelo, before he left to live in Rome permanently in 1540.  \nVasco Fernandes reveals his sensitivity and vision of the world in the expressive character of form, in his poetic or dramatic strength, in the mystery of light, the intensity of colours and the simple outlines of figures or distant landscapes. In recognition of his technical ability and his remarkable expressive resources he was commissioned, in 1535, to paint the four retables for the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz in Coimbra. The only remaining panel of this series is that of the exceptional *Pentecost*, which currently hangs in the Sacristy there and is signed in the Latin style, “*Velascus*”.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f34ffc51-e989-5b9f-ac90-9c452c9124ee":{"title":"Mogorče","description":""},"f401563c-05e5-5f0b-8e9c-ec25ea4fdddf":{"title":"Adrar","description":""},"f43282bd-0c71-5248-b1db-b6b024fbda23":{"title":"Castelo de Vide","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f4a6cbd5-a989-5619-86b7-2ad822f8c3f4":{"title":"SANTIAGO DO CACÉM","description":"The origin of the town is linked to the development of the nearby Roman city of Miróbriga, the ruins of which bear witness to this once highly important regional centre. The historic centre of the town became important during the Islamic period when an imposing castle was built. The first Reconquest took place in 1157 at the time of D. Afonso Henriques, but the town only became a definitive possession of the Portuguese Crown in 1217.  \n  \nLike all the towns in the region, its development was due to the Order of Santiago. It was one of the principal commanderies and was granted a new charter by D. Manuel I in 1512.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f4d147df-944d-54a9-ba87-8cd15e42cefd":{"title":"Jédeida","description":""},"f4fdf466-f2d5-5d74-aa3d-925a99d6cf15":{"title":"Spain","description":""},"f500cefd-c771-509f-a278-4b51b68cb1f2":{"title":"Sebastia","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f55ac9f8-e534-55af-9a6c-b22c42d39002":{"title":"MEDJEZ AL-BAB","description":"Medjez al-Bab is a small town, renowned for being Andalusian, that is situated on the right bank of the Medjerda, between Tébourba and Testour. In 1271/1855, according to a fiscal register, the town included 38 persons of Andalusian origin out of 100 inhabitants. After 1881, the small town that had become a rural colonial centre was transformed completely.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"f5a5951a-9ea4-575d-8559-ea2c306926e9":{"title":"Sagres","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f5c94f20-278c-5517-b88a-42013fbcd069":{"title":"Slavkov","description":""},"f5f336ec-1c2f-5850-8503-96dc48af2c12":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean - DZ","description":""},"f5fe78dc-f363-5fb7-a9c3-58913f0bc018":{"title":"Constantine","description":""},"f634b7fc-cfb5-5285-bc01-a7ee35b70118":{"title":"Zafra","description":""},"f636f3e9-225f-501e-8d84-789aea4f80ae":{"title":"Benacazón","description":""},"f659f49f-838c-5874-8fad-69c77993dcb4":{"title":"Tunis, Belvedere","description":""},"f65ffcc6-3c33-53fd-b7c3-ccbd5fa9a285":{"title":"Ajlun","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f6b637a6-fd19-51bf-b68f-c830be2d40cb":{"title":"İznik","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"İznik is reached from Bursa via a main road about 76 km. long. All the works on this itinerary are located in the city of İznik. Except for Kırkkızlar Türbe, which is a little outside the city centre, you can reach all the monuments on foot. For orientation: the town centre surrounded by two superb rings of walls has two main streets; one in a north-south direction, from Istanbul Gate to Yenişehir Gate; and the other in an east-west direction, from Lefke Gate to Göl Gate, respectively; at the junction, in the centre, is Ayasofya, the church where the First and the Seventh Ecumenical Councils were held.","showOnMonument":true}},"f71ed2b8-532e-5730-9155-69ed88c485bd":{"title":"Coca","description":""},"f7669e1b-4dda-533c-9849-71fb8268c6ec":{"title":"Salt","description":""},"f7968ef3-f59e-5fea-95fe-5f1189e55dde":{"title":"Baños de la Encina","description":""},"f79b06ee-ca1e-5f75-a911-977fc3ec77b3":{"title":"Jaroměřice u Jevíčka","description":""},"f7c2c1ad-5000-55b0-b949-9c212a87f767":{"title":"Hebron (al-Khalil)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f82177bc-01e2-52ae-b16e-800af33271cb":{"title":"Aragón","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"f888c18c-8312-518d-89cb-7123a69f2133":{"title":"Harissa","description":""},"f89ec308-489f-5883-8587-730d2e6fd6d3":{"title":"ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO","description":"Angra, situated by the sea on the South Coast, and made the see of a new Diocese in 1534, developed in the form of a rational, right-angled grid, in which the blocks of houses were built in a solid bourgeois style, with shops and workshops on the ground floor. An enormous defensive complex was naturally set up to protect the city, and other vulnerable parts of the island. At the same time, a number of religious Orders also built churches, monasteries and convents, and, in the 17th century, the Society of Jesus constructed one of its largest overseas colleges. As the historian Gaspar Frutuoso wrote at the end of the 16th century, *“Angra \\[was\\] the universal port of call to the west known throughout the world as the heart of all the islands”*. At that time, it had a population of between 5,000-6,000 inhabitants.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f95aac8e-4613-549e-9c18-3ec1ef534344":{"title":"MONTEMOR-O-NOVO","description":"Like many towns and cities in the Alentejo province,Montemor-o-Novo originated from a Roman settlement, occupied and enlarged by the Goths and the Moors. D. Afonso Henriques conquered it in 1160, or thereabouts, and it remained part of the new kingdom for some time, before being granted a charter by D. Sancho I, in 1203.The town developed during the Middle Ages, various kings staying in the area and the Cortes Gerais, the General Assembly of the Kingdom, being held there in 1477 and 1481.  \n  \nIn January 1497, in the castle, D. Manuel I gave Vasco da Gama command of the first fleet of ships that left for India.The King definitively united Montemor-o-Novo to the Crown in 1498, and granted the town a new charter in 1503. It still preserves an important group of Mediaeval constructions and others dating from the 16th century. Where Late Gothic structures exist, they probably date from the time of D. João III, such as the Convento de Santo António, the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Saudação, the Hospital do Espírito Santo and even the Igreja da Misericórdia.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f9fe98d5-2553-5ae2-856b-1f9af3091e1c":{"title":"Krushevo","description":""},"fa39a796-fd88-5ca0-8337-01b827b866cc":{"title":"Itinerary 55","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[416,426,440,444],"territory_ids":[10]}},"fa95345a-2f10-57fc-a1ee-47f331c3f886":{"title":"Ega","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fac3ca49-7953-5363-b7bf-ae0096eaedc9":{"title":"Sidi Bou Said","description":""},"fb36c4d3-69e1-5f6b-a02d-63ed1f28678b":{"title":"Tunis, Marsa","description":""},"fbc2cb78-d275-5c02-a7cd-8b8734c925c6":{"title":"Itinerary 31","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["tn"],"location_ids":[470,478]}},"fbcf92a2-5bad-573b-bb31-f9d2d3a2b6de":{"title":"Mehdia","description":"No other site in the Atlantic coast of Morocco incited as much desire as did the estuary of the Sebou, which in fact dominates the ruins of the *kasbah* of Mehdia. It became, during the centuries, the thoroughfare of populations and nations who surged into Moroccan cities, thus becoming the stage for the country’s important historical events.  \nThe first locality established, in the Middle Ages, close to the mouth of the river was called *Marsa al-Ma‘mora*. It was founded at the end of the 4th/10th century, and, in the 6th/12th century, the Almohad Monarch ‘Abd al-Mumen established a shipyard there.  \nDuring the 5th/11th century, *al-Ma‘mora* was a small but active commercial centre frequented by European merchants. Having become, by the beginning of the 6th/12th century, one of the main centres of North African piracy, it turned itself into an autonomous Republic. The Spanish stormed the fort in 1022/1614, and built a fortress on the hill overlooking the mouth of the river, whose main enclosure constructions constitute the backbone of the perimeter of Mehdia’s *kasbah*. After 67 years of occupation, the fortress was finally conquered by Mulay Isma‘il in 1092/1681. Liberated, it took the name of al-Mehdia, and the name Ma‘mora was restricted to describing the large forest of oak trees to the north-east of Salé.  \nMulay Isma‘il restored the enclosure, inserting a monumental elbow-shaped gate. He erected a large palace with all its outbuildings and established shipyards and warehouses along the river. How to reach: From Asilah, take the motorway up to Kenitra. From there, take the exit marked sortie Centre-Ville, then drive towards Mehdia, 12 km. from Kenitra. After a further 8 km., take a left in the direction of the kasbah, which is marked by a signpost. It is necessary to go via the guard for the site to be opened.","extra":{"how_to_reach":"From Asilah, take the motorway up to Kenitra. From there, take the exit marked sortie Centre-Ville, then drive towards Mehdia, 12 km. from Kenitra. After a further 8 km., take a left in the direction of the kasbah, which is marked by a signpost. It is necessary to go via the guard for the site to be opened."}},"fc2d5113-417f-58ce-a496-e257ed8b86ec":{"title":"Itinerary 21","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["es"],"location_ids":[308,311,312,313,314],"territory_ids":[5]}},"fc6b6af2-c309-5c42-9422-0d9a3ae64c02":{"title":"Steingaden-Wies","description":""},"fd350980-e5e7-54df-977d-d5f6b51ed582":{"title":"Oporto","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fd9b0897-0823-59fd-b83f-aa02c5823754":{"title":"Sesimbra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fe0b2c08-d329-56a3-9335-4ab840ef1f36":{"title":"Pápa","description":""},"fe387d67-4239-5459-b998-303f7cbdc6a7":{"title":"Vila Viçosa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fe47e0d3-4965-52ff-94e7-f4ec3598a70d":{"title":"Caronia","description":""},"fe83aac0-f953-5a33-b637-369e609d0601":{"title":"Itinerary 41","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"location_ids":[62,146]}},"feb49d2c-78be-5d99-ba33-f99e6c94e78e":{"title":"Sasso Marconi","description":""},"fef161e0-ac23-5710-8e02-a6db33267c60":{"title":"Qal‘at Misyaf","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ff1757c0-f1c9-57c4-a14f-90c483bea111":{"title":"Qatrana","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ff2d3e48-94b4-5c6e-9963-a5475d2508ba":{"title":"Sielenbach","description":""},"ff598419-46cc-5fe0-b07a-9387f2654e26":{"title":"Zaghwan","description":""},"ff7e8cd5-ac06-5ac9-8629-89a353440bed":{"title":"Bayern-Süd","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"ffb4a696-bd47-50d4-a570-df505c2b4db1":{"title":"Itinerary 117","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["eg"],"location_ids":[2]}},"ffba57e8-407e-5393-a2e6-f925b0c5e42c":{"title":"Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou","description":""},"ffbce6aa-a2c6-5af6-8867-b443a36e5889":{"title":"Ponta Delgada","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ffea8eaa-d5b6-5227-ac5a-413e7376d129":{"title":"Itinerary 135","description":"","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"location_ids":[241,538,539,540]}}}
+{"003d08dc-6215-5320-a8d3-88161baeb779":{"title":"Explore Baroque","description":"In the Baroque era, splendour became the dominant principle of European art In the Baroque era, splendour became the dominant principle of European art and as a consequence there was an incredibly rich explosion of the arts. The nobility and the church constantly tried to outdo each other in displaying the reign of earthly or heavenly powers while the rising bourgeoisie wished to demonstrate its new status. Well-known masterpieces and hidden treasures invite you to explore the exuberance of Baroque art and architecture and their cultural environment.","extra":{"country_ids":["cz","hu","hr","at","de","it","pt"],"country_texts":[{"text":"The Counter-Reformation brought forward a veritable boom in Austrian construction. New ‘houses of God’ were erected everywhere as a sign of a re-strengthened Christianity. Numerous new churches and monasteries emerged with magnificent fresco cycles, but Gothic churches were also commonly furnished with Baroque paintings. This animated, expressive style had its origins in Italy, where it blossomed into a luxuriant display of splendour and emotion. Stucco works are essential decorative elements, which were produced mainly by southern German artists (namely from Wessobrunn), from fruit garlands in the early Baroque to graceful rocailles during the late Baroque period. Frescoes range from small colourful pieces to huge pastose designs spanning across vaults as with illusionistic motifs.  \n  \nGardens along with the connected castle now represent so-called *Gesamtkunstwerke* (total works of art), and the newly developed medium of the opera shows refined stage machinery ranging from water arts and horse ballets to fireworks. The largest palace in Tyrol, the imperial Hofburg, was refashioned in the late Baroque style and termed by Maria Theresa as the “little Schönbrunn of the Alps”. The most notable monasteries of the region, Wilten & Stams, were refurbished into Baroque.","langId":"en","countryId":"at"},{"text":"Southern Bavaria unites the southern parts of Upper Bavaria and Lower Swabia. In the Baroque era, these regions were the scene of some intense building activity – so much that even today the monuments from this time make their mark on the landscape. Not only are there many splendorous monasteries and palaces with rich furnishings, but everywhere one finds the onion-shaped spires of village churches built or rebuilt in Baroque style, typical of the countryside. Over the course of the 18th century the gracious and elegant French styles of Régence and Rococo, originating from profane noble or courtly buildings, came to influence Southern German ecclesiastical architecture, leading to those miracles dubbed ‘Rococo churches’. A typical feature of Rococo style is the popular, enchanting, friendly, indeed sometimes childishly naive character of the painted and sculpted depictions, often enriched with a touch of humour – one needs only to look at the countless playful small angels found in so many churches to find such flourishes.","langId":"en","countryId":"de"},{"text":"The appearance of Baroque in Croatia coincided with the cessation of the Ottoman invasion at the beginning of the 17th century and simultaneous ecclesiastical renewal after the Council of Trent. Perhaps to a greater extent than in other European countries, Baroque in Croatia manifests the duality of stylistic influences of the Central European and Mediterranean cultural and artistic circles. It is a consequence of the historical integration of the two central Croatian regions – continental Croatia and coastal Croatia – into two dominant political and cultural options of the 17th and 18th centuries: the Habsburg Monarchy and the Venetian Republic. That general dichotomy has its exceptions: the expansion of the Central European cultural circle on the Croatian coast and Habsburg estates in Istria and Kvarner, as well as the phenomenon of the Republic of Dubrovnik, a free city-state in south-eastern Croatia, oriented towards Rome and southern Italy. The most prominent clients in both regions – Jesuits, Franciscans, dioceses and nobility – turn mainly to foreign architects, sculptors and painters, but also to notable domestic authors who had their workshops in larger towns. During both Baroque centuries, we can trace two simultaneous phenomena - an increase in artistic standards, promoted by works of foreign masters and educated domestic artists, and a provincial variant of Baroque in the creations of local authors. Particularly in sculpture and painting the first category combines quality artworks of various provenances, and the second includes works of often reproductive character. Nevertheless, they both fit perfectly into the narrative of the Baroque in the vast area of its spread.","langId":"en","countryId":"hr"},{"text":"The Ottoman occupation of the middle part of Hungary from the 1540s cut short, stopped or altered the continuity of arts and architecture influenced by Western European ideas. However, the Baroque arrived in the early 17th century to those parts that were not occupied by the Turks (North and a part of West Hungary) as can be seen in the compelling Baroque rebuilding of Sopron after a devastating fire in 1676. The new style and its accompanying ideals would spread across the whole of the country gradually after the reconquering wars at the end of the 17th century. These circumstances led to entire Baroque cityscapes built over empty sites or atop cities destroyed in war like Buda, Győr or Eger. The nobility was eager to commission country and town palaces in the new style with gardens built following the Baroque schemes and the emerging bourgeoisie also erected their town home following the ideas of the Baroque. Among the main promoters was the Catholic Church, mainly the Jesuit order. Grandiose churches and colleges were built to serve new demands to show rich decorations and the perspective and theatrical effects that were already used in the Western part of Europe. On city squares, Baroque statues were erected to glorify the Christian Faith and Religion or to commemorate important events. Alongside the activities of foreign artists and architects (mainly from Italy or German-speaking countries) in Hungary, local masters also took over the new fashion. From the middle of the 18th century arrived the fashion of the Rococo and a Neoclassical Late-Baroque as well.","langId":"en","countryId":"hu"},{"text":"By the early 17th century, the arts of the Baroque began to flourish in papal Rome, thanks to the contribution of artists such as Caravaggio and Bernini, Lanfranco, Pietro da Cortona and Borromini. Popes and cardinals promoted a majestic and emotional art celebrating the power of the Roman Catholic Church by means of public undertakings: piazzas, bridges, fountains, churches, altarpieces, chapels, all characterized by grandiose architectures, dynamic spaces, flowing curves, rich colours and luxurious materials. Noble families competed with the popes in commissioning outstanding palaces and villas, as well as frescoes, paintings and statues often depicting profane mythological subjects. Not only Rome but also its environs witnessed the spread of the splendour of the Baroque art: for example Frascati, Grottaferrata and Castel Gandolfo, where the popes and their families had villas and gardens built. Bologna was the other important city of the Papal State: cradle of the naturalism of the Carracci, Bologna shows a peculiar declination of the Baroque language, more classical and restrained, through its noble palaces, churches, villas and theatres within the city and in its surroundings.","langId":"en","countryId":"it"},{"text":"Portuguese monuments collection aims to introduce the visitor to the extremely rich variety of Baroque heritage in Portugal. Taking advantage of the financial resources provided by Brazilian gold shipments from 1695 till the second half of the 18th century, King João V, as well as mainly the religious orders and the aristocracy were enabled to commission a wide array of civil, military and religious monumental ensembles and artistic masterpieces, displayed throughout the whole country, from Minho to Algarve, Madeira and Azores.  \nIn addition to exhibiting the splendour of both royal and religious power, these works of art convey the peculiar Portuguese interpretation of Baroque that blends the ‘exoticism’ of its culture, originated by the encounter with other civilizations from Brazil to the Far East, together with the richness of its typical artistic language, whose main features are the gilded wood and the *azulejos* panels.","langId":"en","countryId":"pt"}],"legacy_status":"e"}},"003e5b56-f530-5f59-88f9-8fbf91faecd0":{"title":"Medjez al-Bab","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"A very pretty country road links Tébourba to Medjez al-Bab."}},"0158a83f-59d6-510f-9afc-daf15123521d":{"title":"Fertőrákos","description":""},"01a72572-7c98-58e6-a882-419c02a02266":{"title":"Naro","description":""},"01a7fa99-c5d0-5d91-9ed4-e4777a00cdf8":{"title":"Sicily","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"01d7cd33-8edf-57c3-9518-fe5d050a2487":{"title":"Juromenha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"01ee875c-c376-5883-bea9-b652d274bb33":{"title":"The Umayyads and their Christian Subjects","description":"The 6th and early 1st/7th centuries were filled with a remarkable upsurge in the construc­tion of churches in Jordan. Most of these churches survived remarkably well the military campaigns of the around 10/630's, which brought the Arab-Muslims into Syria. Archaeological research in the last 15 years has shown that no less than 56 churches in Jordan continue to be used well until the f. h. 2nd/mid-8th entury and after, and no fewer than eight churches were built or repaved with coloured mosaics in the Umayyad period (41/661-132/750).  \n  \nOne factor making for continuity was Christian city, which was the singular and important element in maintaining the cohesion and solidarity of the inhabitants of towns and villages. Each community preserved its own laws and customs as well as keeping its leaders.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;jo;II;en;1","country_ids":["jo"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[10,23,24,33,9,32]}},"0234880b-5c93-5316-a337-8a874f90c139":{"title":"The Pilgrimage Road between Jerusalem and Hebron","description":"Throughout the ages, Jerusalem and Hebron have been interconnected as a result of their religious, political, social and scientific interaction, and for being generally under the same administrative system. In the Ayyubid period, the post of Inspector to the two holy *haram*s of Jerusalem and Hebron was appointed, emulating the post in Mecca and Medina. Having developed during the Mamluk period, this position became an integral and highly respected religious post.  \n  \nThis itinerary will follow the mountainous road that stretches for a disance of 40 km. and connects Jerusalem to Hebron. Many pilgrims have taken this road since time immemorial, as did the *caliphs* and sultans who visited these holy sites, and all the trade caravans on their way from Syria to Egypt and vice versa.  \n  \nOn our way from Jerusalem to Hebron we will visit some of the sites that played a vital role in shaping the Islamic history of Palestine.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;VII;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[37,54,39,52]}},"03041cac-bc26-50c6-bb29-1cbf70e7a431":{"title":"Mayorga de Campos","description":""},"031a8efe-b569-559c-b989-57c3d06db8e2":{"title":"Royal Art in the Norman Age: Institutional Architecture","description":"Interpretations of the great works of the Norman period produced in Sicily between the 9th and 10th centuries are extremely articulate. Introduction of elements of Arabic art during the effective period of enforced Islamisation of Sicily had been preceded with a long series of exchanges (and of clashes) with the cultures of the island's populations; in architecture, Islamic art which at that time availed itself of Greco-Roman and Persian influences, had found a strong Byzantine presence with significant elements of earlier times.  \n  \nAfter an initial period of permanence in the regulations and in the artistic ways in the respective areas of cultural origin, whether the Norman Dynasty or the senior Siculo-Greek dignitaries of the new Kingdom of Sicily jointly promoted the artistic, scientific and cultural blossoming already initiated in Sicily (from 969) by the same Fatimids, giving birth to the richest artistic development of the age, characterised by the autonomous Siculo-Norman decline in a now mature Islamic *Koine.*","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;III;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[434,429],"territory_ids":[10]}},"032f3f58-03c0-53ab-9be7-790f181b740d":{"title":"Pill","description":""},"0389ce75-0a3a-59f2-b6ba-11e64c930bc7":{"title":"Portugal","description":""},"03b3a424-14db-52ff-9fe3-d5e93c75d95c":{"title":"Ohrid","description":""},"03c282d2-2529-53b9-8191-1923525a897d":{"title":"Mili San Pietro","description":""},"03eecabf-7157-585a-8c6f-5d2a80f63f06":{"title":"Füssen","description":""},"03f23c73-2f9d-5036-8bdb-fb64a80dfc17":{"title":"The Lock of the Sea","description":"For many centuries, the Çanakkale and Istanbul (Bosphorus) Straits have been a major source of conflict between nations. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Anatolian shores of the Strait were under the sovereignty of the Karasi Emirate. When the Ottomans destroyed the Karasi Emirate around the middle of 14th century, they gained control over the shores of the area. At the same time, the Ottomans gained a base in Gelibolu, on the other side of the Çanakkale Strait in return for helping John VI Cantacuzenus, who at the time was struggling to acquire the Byzantine throne (1354). From this date on the Ottomans rapidly acquired all of Thrace. Gelibolu became a much-frequented place for people passing from Anatolia to Thrace. Built on the Gelibolu-Edirne route, Uzunköprü, literally the Long Bridge, is one of the longest bridges of Thrace. This bridge indicates the importance given to the trade and conquest routes that tied Anatolia and Europe together in the first half of 15th century.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tr;VII;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[215,219,221,235]}},"0473902c-7c75-5876-a28e-5f6ba1f9785e":{"title":"Dießen am Ammersee","description":""},"04ccb49e-f528-53af-b3f9-96f284b3c348":{"title":"Manouba","description":""},"04f3ab8b-147f-5b79-92a6-ac6fbfa6ecbe":{"title":"Jordan","description":""},"050a4d37-a00a-5f10-bc74-4cb2e6f4b1df":{"title":"Qal‘at Najm","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"05438199-93c9-5813-8c5d-aba9171a78cf":{"title":"Cheleiros","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"05626e33-ed57-5b08-b8db-4fbe27dbfda5":{"title":"Montemor-o-Velho","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"05bbf4ed-a2a6-525f-a94d-40149015441f":{"title":"Kalba","description":""},"060325ec-c169-5e92-a75b-3d44e193a207":{"title":"Ermita de Gelo","description":""},"061deddc-2558-5418-90ad-d40fb5deeb2e":{"title":"Guarda","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"06373f8f-cb0e-5013-97ed-7a0ea76e58fc":{"title":"TAFESSERA","description":"A village in the Beni Snous Valley, Tafessera is one of the oldest settlements in the region. Around the very old medina, which has kept its earliest Berber structures, traces of the Roman Empire in vestiges of the chapel of Kouiyet Errom Fortress have been dated to the time of St. Augustine (AD 354–430).  \n  \nKouiyet Errom, literally small Christian fort, is today the main mosque of the village. The walls surrounding it make a strong first impression. It attracts numerous visitors and the curious from the entire region, as does the *madrasa* (theological school).  \n  \nApart from an old spring, now dry but still the subject of an ancient cult, the uniqueness of the village lies in the prehistoric underground caves that date back millennia. The composition of rocks in the region, mainly karst limestone, contributed to the formation of underground corridors, caves, fissures and natural grottos that provided Tafessera, like other villages in the valley, with hidden natural dwelling places and numerous tunnels leading to other villages.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"0639a6ac-d3f2-5b7e-a92a-73a222171d1d":{"title":"Tavira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"06789a70-a661-5792-a0d1-1ffdef4176b7":{"title":"Istanbul","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"06c84e27-3e2e-5127-9bed-bd9a07f05a45":{"title":"Deir Mimas","description":""},"06e8335d-8fa7-5962-ba1c-393323f80132":{"title":"MIRANDA DO DOURO","description":"The history of Miranda do Douro goes back to the time of the first King D. Afonso Henriques, who set up an enclosure of shelters to encourage settlers, in a harsh, remote area where there was only a small hamlet. There was little success at first and it was only in the time of D. Dinis, in 1286, that the settlement was raised to town status. Its position on the frontier with the neighbouring kingdom encouraged trade and local craftsmanship and eventually the town was made the see of the diocese in 1545.  \n  \nThe Manueline era, a time of peaceful association with Castile, was one of great prosperity and a large number of both Portuguese and Spanish Jews, converted or not, settled here. New houses and churches were built, as well as public buildings, such as the Customs House, and naturally the defences were completely overhauled and renovated. This led to a polarisation between Miranda and Bragança and a healthy dispute between primacies, privileges and development. A large part of the city’s Manueline heritage disappeared with the explosion of the gun powder store at the Castle on 8th May 1762.","extra":{"about":"The history of Miranda do Douro goes back to the time of the first King D. Afonso Henriques, who set up an enclosure of shelters to encourage settlers, in a harsh, remote area where there was only a small hamlet. There was little success at first and it was only in the time of D. Dinis, in 1286, that the settlement was raised to town status. Its position on the frontier with the neighbouring kingdom encouraged trade and local craftsmanship and eventually the town was made the see of the diocese in 1545.  \nThe Manueline era, a time of peaceful association with Castile, was one of great prosperity and a large number of both Portuguese and Spanish Jews, converted or not, settled here. New houses and churches were built, as well as public buildings, such as the Customs House, and naturally the defences were completely overhauled and renovated. This led to a polarisation between Miranda and Bragança and a healthy dispute between primacies, privileges and development. A large part of the city’s Manueline heritage disappeared with the explosion of the gun powder store at the Castle on 8th May 1762.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"074f3a81-f025-5a64-a7e5-121461cd5f9c":{"title":"Marvão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"08089950-bdc5-5b48-979f-8d7d6177eae0":{"title":"Lucknow","description":""},"0823f17a-c5d2-5ae0-91a8-79d6655e19ab":{"title":"Szentendre","description":""},"0877a703-c6c0-58e9-9c72-3be7cf96070f":{"title":"Setúbal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"09172371-9546-5403-ac47-30dc619130e1":{"title":"Villa Comunale e Ville di inizio ‘900","description":"","extra":{"duration":"un’ora","country_ids":["it"],"location_ids":[409]}},"09a80d2d-7b45-5f82-bc7a-2cd35940101c":{"title":"Salemi","description":""},"09d0867b-d346-58d8-84b9-1d6d6198b83d":{"title":"Birkenstein","description":""},"09fa1084-8f65-525f-9601-b9e3eb78f434":{"title":"Calera de León","description":""},"0a254bc5-fbcc-52b3-971f-3e0c57e15603":{"title":"Skopje","description":""},"0a2f55a6-72f8-5441-95a5-32024a7825b8":{"title":"MONTEMOR-O-VELHO","description":"The history of the town has been documented since Roman times, but the fortress became important only at the time of the Muslim Occupation when, along with Coimbra, it was an important point on the route of the River Mondego. Taken by the Christians in 878, but lost again, it was eventually conquered by Fernando the Great, Emperor of León, in 1064.  \n  \nOver the years, the Castle was enlarged and developed at the top of the hill that dominates the countryside, making it the centre of this rich agricultural land and a highly important focal point for the *Mozarab* community. Integrated into the county of Portucalense, it was granted its first charter in 1095 by D. Raimundo, the son-in-law of the Emperor of León and the Governor of Coimbra at that time. Eventually it passed into the hands of the daughters of D. Sancho I of Portugal, D. Teresa and D. Sancha.  \n  \nThe royal residence built in the castle was a favourite with the kings of the first dynasty. It was here that D. Afonso IV gave the order for the murder of Inês de Castro, in one of the most tragic and beautiful love stories that poets such as Camões and António Ferreira have never tired of telling. Another resident was the Duke of Coimbra, D. Pedro, one of the sons of D. João I and regent during the minority of D. Afonso V, an enthusiast for overseas discoveries and expansion.  \n  \nAn outstanding figure in Manueline times was Diogo de Azambuja, a *fidalgo* (nobleman) who served three kings and established Portuguese sovereignty in São Jorge de Mina, Safi, Mogador and Aguz.  \nThe town was granted a new charter by D. Manuel I in 1517.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"0a3cf446-1f8a-5060-947f-b9f9d081bc70":{"title":"Testimonies of the Arabic Age","description":"The temporal span in which Palermo became involved in the matter of the spread of Islam ranged from 831 to 1072. Two dramatic events marked the beginning and the end of the period. The first started the slow process of overcoming the situation of a peripheric city-emporium, or the trading centre of the Byzantine empire, followed by its transformation into the main city of the Siqilliya. The second event marks the passage of the state of amiral metropolis to the role of capital of the Norman county and then, to the prestigious seat of the crown of the Kingdom of Sicily.  \n  \nSubstantial elements from the Islamic period survive, however, in the historical centre of Palermo. There are remains at the Palazzo Reale and in the nearby complex of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, where a mosque was found. Equally interesting are the remains of a hypostyle room near the Loggia dell'Incoronazione. A special itinerary follows the streets and markets of the ancient Arab Quarters of Palermo.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;it;II;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[434,418],"territory_ids":[10]}},"0a53b7e6-987b-539a-8cf3-ce0de5234b90":{"title":"Pécel","description":""},"0b38d418-f1a9-5714-bfaa-59fe0e884513":{"title":"SAN MARCO D'ALUNZIO","description":"Situated on a rocky point towering over the gorges of two deep riverbeds, today’s inhabitants are heirs to the Greco-Roman City of *Alontion*\\-*Haluntium*.  \n  \nIn the 6th century a community of Lacedemonians refounded the City of Demona or Demenna, which, during the long rule by Islam, stood as a true defensive redoubt of a vast territorial area where the Byzantine culture was deep-rooted. In fact, according to the historian Ibn al-‘Atir, his coreligionists tried in vain to execute a first assault on the city in 901, and it was only in the following year that they succeeded to put the inhabitants to flight. But the tenacious Byzantines took it once again forcing the Fatimid Amir Ibn Abi Khinzir, in 910, to move the army against the territories of Demenna once again, until definitively defeating it. In the light of its strategic importance it gave name to the entire Val Demone.  \n  \nTowards the end of the 10th century, the geographer al-Muqaddasi recalls Damannas, assimilating it with Taormina as a kind of settlement.  \n  \nIn 1061, Roberto il Guiscardo founded the first Norman castle in Sicily there, dedicating it to San Marco (St Mark) and displacing the memory of the ancient Demenna. On the death of the Great Count (1101), his widow Adelasia with her sons Simone and Ruggero (future King of Sicily), up to 1112, chose the small town as the seat of the court, proving to be a munificent benefactress of the Basilian monasticism, very widespread in this area. Al-Idrisi describes the place as prosperous, with a flourishing silk industry and with a shipyard on the coast for the construction of vessels from the wood felled in the rich woodlands of the interior.  \n  \nRecently, appreciating the evidence gathered from this richly inaugural palimpsest, the Museum of the Byzantine and Norman Culture and Figurative Arts was established, rich in didactic evidence and precious sculptural, pictorial and numismatic exhibits.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"0b619152-45f1-58c2-b6e8-c5d938734e18":{"title":"India","description":""},"0b749b42-839f-5c66-8827-514a884c872f":{"title":"Croatia","description":""},"0bbcf3df-f36f-5ffb-86c7-4122496dcbdf":{"title":"Leisach","description":""},"0c535e33-48f4-59a4-89a4-4af3958d19af":{"title":"EDİRNE","description":"Edirne was first founded by the Thracians and named Orestia. In the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138), it was given City status and took the name Hadrianople. The city developed as it reaped the blessings and advantages of the prosperous Roman Era.  \n  \nWhen the Roman Empire was divided in 395, Hadrianople was left to the East Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Raids from the Balkans frequently threatened and destroyed the city.  \n  \nAfter the Turks took the city, its name was corrupted to Edirne."},"0c79321e-b40e-59ca-a149-62bc2b15a4e1":{"title":"VILA NOVA DE CERVEIRA","description":"D. Dinis decided to create a fishing village of about 100 people here in 1320 and, in the following year, the king granted the settlement a charter, renewed by D. Manuel I in 1512. One of the founder’s main concerns was to build a walled redoubt or castle, and this project was carried out immediately afterwards. It still retained its 15th-century structure when Duarte D’Armas drew it, depicting a number of houses and churches already spreading beyond the town walls.  \n  \nCerveira was not only an important village because of its links with fishing and trading, but also for military activities on a coast that was frequently attacked by pirates.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"0cd07cdc-84e2-5270-8ab8-ef6779e48e5a":{"title":"Vilgertshofen","description":""},"0ce3896a-15d6-571b-b699-177ebbf0b47b":{"title":"Zelená Hora","description":""},"0d643b35-f553-5970-96f4-90ea1842f1be":{"title":"Guadalupe","description":""},"0da64b2a-6e43-5cfa-897d-85679b18285a":{"title":"Fürstenfeldbruck","description":""},"0df89da8-c99f-50e9-8cf7-8a71c63aa564":{"title":"Loulé","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"0ed84a92-6bb5-53f6-a8c7-802bc1389849":{"title":"Zell am Ziller","description":""},"0edf480a-5b03-5950-9554-5eafd89f63f1":{"title":"ZAFRA","description":"Situated in a broad valley in the south of the province of Badajoz, Zafra is a town that conserves interesting traces of the patronage of the House of Feria, which is why it was declared a Complex of Historical-Artistic Interest in 1965.  \n  \nIt seems that Zafra was originally an Islamic foundation, which enjoyed a strategic situation on three ancient roadways, and that Fernando III definitively reconquered it in 1241; and from that date on it flourished in commerce and crafts. It was the property of various nobles until 1394, at which time don Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa handed it over along with other villages that belonged to the province of Badajoz, although some years later Figueroa set up his household there. The Suárez de Figueroa family controlled the town’s destiny, first on the part of the properties there and later as part of the estates of the County and Duchy of Feria. When it became the centre of a great estate, Zafra benefited from the construction of important buildings such as the Alcázar, the walls, different convents, hospitals and other public spaces, a great number of which were the work of a Mudéjar workforce. In the 17th century, the Duchy of Feria was joined in marriage to the Marquisate of Priego; then, in the 18th century, to the Duchy of Medinaceli.","extra":{"author":"María Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"0f81c3b9-80c2-5ff5-83a7-87b8562d66e6":{"title":"Daily Life and Liturgy: Home, Kitchen and Choir","description":"The Mudejar style was not only used for religious architecture as might be supposed from the many buildings of this type that are preserved in Spain. The same simple materials, bricks, cob-walls, wood and plaster, all of which were materials used in the construction of churches and convents, were also used in the construction of different kinds of civil and military architecture too. The development of this utilitarian architecture was greatly influenced by several considerations: the need to economise on materials and to be able to obtain the necessary supplies from those available locally; to avoid costly transportation and expensive specialised workers, such as stonemasons.  \n  \nThis same humble vocation explains how Mudejar art and architecture was used also to satisfy the needs of the lower economic strata of the population and left its mark on objects of everyday use in the late Medieval and early Renaissance periods.  \n  \nDaily life in the house was very similar to that in the convents or palaces and fortunately the history of these day-to-day tasks can be followed perfectly thanks to the many objects that have been preserved.","extra":{"duration":"Half day","et_title":"IAM;es;I;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[316],"territory_ids":[9]}},"10158c91-6b29-5330-be5f-1978504c536f":{"title":"Biscayans in Northern Portugal","description":"Northern Portugal played a highly important role in Portuguese expansion. Prince Henry the Navigator recruited many of the men who took part in the first overseas expedition, in 1415, in Oporto. The city also supplied many of the provisions for the fleet, and Prince Henry himself was born in the riverside area known as Ribeira, in Oporto. The fact that the inhabitants had handed over all their meat and been left with only the *tripas* or innards of the animals is said to account for one of the best known of Portuguese traditional dishes: tripe or *tripas à moda do Porto*.  \n  \nThese maritime peoples, trading since the 12th century, exporting agricultural products to Flanders and to Britain, and importing cargoes from there or from the Bay of Biscay, suddenly found their businesses taking off. Northern ports and towns such as Gaia, Vila do Conde, Caminha, Viana do Lima and Valença were suddenly more prosperous and this was reflected in pious works and simple pageantry.  \n  \nMen who sailed the seas and those who tilled the land took an equal part in the overseas adventure. For every man who embarked, two or three had to stay and prepare for their journeys both outbound and homewards. They made rope, sails and casks, helped widows and cared for orphans, whose salt tears were evoked by the 20th-century poet Fernando Pessoa.  \n  \nThis prosperity was reflected in the architecture, but, due to the close relationship with Galicia and Biscay, the master builders who erected churches, chapels, houses, bridges and Town Halls mostly came from these areas. Even works commissioned by D. Manuel I, in 1505, when he travelled through the region on the way to Santiago de Compostela, spoke the aesthetic languages of the north, Galico-Portuguese or Basque. It was an architecture that ignored political frontiers and extended without a break to the other side of the River Minho, and the same can be said of painting, sculpture, gold and silver and the other arts.  \n  \nJoão de Castilho worked on the Parish Church of Vila do Conde, and, a little further inland, in Guimarães, Braga and Barcelos, the presence of these master builders is still evident in the churches and cathedrals today.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[131,73,172,103,77,74],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;V;en;1"}},"103b7595-efae-55a9-86d3-2fd2a1c37ece":{"title":"BALAT","description":"The ancient city of Miletus, upon which Balat was founded, was one of the most important cities of the Ionian region. In those days, the city was located on a peninsula in the area where Büyük Menderes River (ancient Meandre) poured into the sea; however, today the city is nine km. from the sea because alluvium carried by the river has filled in the region. Laid out according to the famous city planner Hippodamus’ grid plan, the city became rich with the colonies it founded on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas and thereby became a chief site in the Ionian world. Although the city had once been home to the famous philosophers Thales, Anaximenes, and Anaximander (7th-5th century BC), and architects like Hippodamus (5th century BC) and Isidorus (who built Ayasofya in Istanbul in the 6th century AD), it only managed to preserve its importance up to the Roman period. After that it began to lose its popularity, once trade came to a halt as its harbours filled up with alluvium and became swamps. From this point on, it searched in vain for its magnificent days of the past. During the Byzantine period, a fortress was constructed on the hilltop where the theatre was located. In fact, the name Balat comes from the Turkish interpretation of the Greek name “Palatia” meaning palace.  \n  \nAt the beginning of the 1390s, the Menteşe Emirate was annexed to Ottoman territory. However, in the war that ensued between Sultan Beyazid I and Tamerlane around Ankara in 1402, İlyas Bey from the Menteşe dynastic house participated as an ally of Tamerlane. Once Sultan Beyazid I was defeated and taken prisoner, Tamerlane reinstated İlyas Bey to the Menteşe throne, as he did with the other rulers who assisted him. The capital of the re-established Menteşe Emirate was transferred from Beçin to Balat. The new capital became a market site where goods like saffron, sesame, honey, beeswax, and rugs were sold, especially during the time of the Menteşe Emirate. Wheat was also exported from here to Cyprus and Rhodes during this period. By the 19th century, however, the city was in a state of complete abandonment.","extra":{"author":"Rahmi H. Ünal"}},"11324e72-1b6b-5fd7-9759-7e95d4f05561":{"title":"Praia da Vitória","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1276f94e-2369-5ae9-b4a5-95ca658e0ef6":{"title":"Ariana","description":""},"129d3375-8f87-550d-b568-0484ec2d92a3":{"title":"Ağzıkara Han","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"134071b4-14b3-56fe-ab05-f06506bf6ba5":{"title":"Matmata","description":""},"136114c1-1782-5bd5-984e-e5fad87cfba8":{"title":"Beyşehir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"13d7a050-ca32-5652-b7e4-60112c6b7b16":{"title":"Ma‘an","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"13ea5851-b8b6-548c-8673-1bf013ea7005":{"title":"Lemta","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"The town is situated half-way between Ksar Hellal and Monastir."}},"13f30466-c486-520f-9084-13ecc322f0a0":{"title":"Déguèche","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"It is located 10 km. east from Tozeur."}},"143e9672-3bc4-55a0-9093-7b1787a8d765":{"title":"Altavilla Milicia","description":""},"145bcc34-0ba9-5c42-a9ed-0674fa73b3e7":{"title":"VILLALPANDO","description":"Unfortunately, all the churches of Villalpando have suffered various mutilations over the course of time. What remains there of the Mudéjar period can be seen principally on the exterior of the sanctuary at the head of the church, since the rest of the walls and ceilings have disappeared. These exteriors are interesting because they are flat and made of brick, a unique shape in the Mudéjar of Castilla-León. They came about when the Mudéjar *alarifes* who were working here decided to copy the Romanesque variants of the flat end wall in the city of Zamora (in San Cipriano) and in the valley of the River Tera.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"14697928-4b9a-5fc1-8e95-944d4a2efa83":{"title":"The Royal City","description":"In Arab-Muslim culture, the location of the “ Royal City ” which the sovereigns inhabit is primordial. It always occupies a large area, whether located in al-Andalus, the Maghreb or the Mashreq. Often surrounded by ramparts, it encompasses the palaces of the sovereign as well as its amenities, its gardens or *riyad*s, the living quarters of the court and of high dignitaries, the commercial districts and currency-minting workshops.  \n  \nIt is certainly the case that the origin of this spatial plan in general and of the Royal City in particular is not Andalusian; indeed it dates back to the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, and finally the Muslim dynasties of the Mashreq. But the framework on which cities are planned, particularly in , owes as much to this direct Eastern influence as to the influence of the Andalusians. One sees this framework as clearly in Granada and in Seville as one does in Fez, in Marrakesh and in Meknès.  \n  \nThe Royal City of Meknès, as it was conceived by the 'Alawite Sultan Mulay Ism'ail, is particularly representative of this type of town, which bases itself on the Eastern structuring of space, whilst maintaining the ornate decor and colouring of al-Andalus, and the local Moroccan architecture developed by great princes.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;ma;I;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[512,513]}},"14cd47df-2377-5c4c-b648-306b60889303":{"title":"Palmela","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"14d164ba-769d-539f-b502-7c0a66ca0703":{"title":"Weilheim in Oberbayern","description":""},"14ff7f9a-593e-5564-a117-828a5325f13e":{"title":"Midoune","description":""},"151855f6-eea9-57b6-b64a-2e2f3dcc66e5":{"title":"Guadalajara","description":""},"154d1812-65d8-58b7-bd90-674646544053":{"title":"Tartus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"15d8f143-900b-5db2-993f-effc1c740066":{"title":"Church-Fortresses on the Border with Castile","description":"The valley of the River Jalón – the largest tributary of the River Ebro on the right bank – is the most important Mudejar area in Aragon. These lands of the ancient community of Calatayud had large Mudejar and Morisco populations before they were expelled in the 17th century.  \n  \nThe objective of the route is to present Mudejar as a valley culture, developing one main theme and two complementary ones. The main motive of the itinerary is approached from the start, in the Church of the Virgin in Tobed, and forms the backbone of the whole. It consists of examining in depth a unique architectural typology, which is a genuine creation of Mudejar art in Aragon: the fortified church.  \n  \nThe other two motives to consider during this itinerary are equally interesting, although complementary. One of them emphasises the authority of the Muslim masters of works. This is the case of Yuçaf Adolmalih, or of the famous master of works of Benedict XIII, the Muslim Mahoma Rami. The second is to underline the harmony between the Oriental and Occidental artistic languages in the churches in this area, between the Mudejar interiors and the splendid altarpieces of Gothic art.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;V;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[336,294,319,323,296,340,286,299],"territory_ids":[6]}},"15e0a986-85f4-5243-b1d6-bbe93c069d1d":{"title":"Homs","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"16187694-c107-5888-81d9-9104c6cf8e30":{"title":"Ghar al-Melh","description":"","extra":{"info":"Before reaching the village, the road runs along a beautiful agricultural plain and lush orchards, which are worked in the “Andalusian way”.","how_to_reach":"From Tunis, take the north exit in the direction of Bizerte. Ghar al-Melh is reachable via the main road to Bizerte (GP 8), turn right at the road sign, or turn right before that towards Utique. Cross the village of Aousja, and then take the road on the right towards Ghar al-Melh."}},"16ba5e0a-5573-5505-bf94-ccbd8be483ec":{"title":"Ba'abda","description":""},"1722bd43-ba35-5a6c-af26-3b6663530cee":{"title":"Le Touat-Gourara, patrimoine immatérial de l’islam maghrébin","description":"Coincé au nord par l’immense amas de dunes du Grand Erg occidental, délimité à l’est par le plateau désespérément aride du Tadmaït et à l’ouest par la vallée de la Saoura, le Touat-Gourara représente l’une des plus vieilles implantations du Sahara, sa continuité de peuplement étant attestée depuis le néolithique au moins. Ancien lieu de passage d’éleveurs nomades zénètes, Tigourarine (pluriel du berbère *agourar*) désigne d’ailleurs le campement, et a donné l’arabe *gourara*, tandis que *touat* est la forme berbérisée de l’égyptien ancien *oua*, qui signifie oasis. La région a vu naître sur place, par apports successifs, une civilisation originale, métissage de Noirs agriculteurs, de Berbères pasteursguerriers, de commerçants juifs venus de Cyrénaïque (Libye) ou de Tingitane (Maroc) et de tribus arabes qui ont apporté les lettres et le savoir.  \n  \nCet ensemble qui s’est fixé au fil du temps a généré un ensemble, aujourd’hui très homogène, de populations soudées autour d’une culture saharienne particulière, caractérisée par une architecture, une musique et une agriculture berbéroafricaines. L’autorité des nombreux saints de la région est également un caractère unifiant, ce qui n’empêche pas la création de micro-États pratiquement autonomes. Si les deux ensembles, Touat et Gourara, sont deux zones bien distinctes, elles ont souvent été confondues, le Touat étant le prolongement naturel du Gourara, au sud. On peut dire que le Gourara, l’arrière-pays de l’ensemble, est porteur des plus vieilles traditions, tandis que le Touat en est le centre commercial, carrefour des anciennes pistes caravanières qui faisaient la jonction avec les riches ressources de l’Afrique noire.  \n  \nJusqu’à aujourd’hui, Adrar, capitale économique et administrative du Touat, est le centre du plus grand département algérien, avec ses plus de 400000 kilomètres carrés, soit près de 20% du territoire national, et c’est également l’une des villes les plus peuplées du Sahara. De même, si le Gourara est la terre du fondement identitaire avec sa musique typique, son parler berbère ancestral et ses *ksour* millénaires enfouis dans les dunes, le Touat est le pays des lettrés, c’est une région totalement arabisée et où l’architecture musulmane est le plus présente. Pourtant, les deux régions sont liées par le même destin. Dans un environnement difficile, de plus en plus tributaires de produits venant d’ailleurs, le Touat et surtout le Gourara n’en continuent pas moins de résister à l’adversité, comme ils l’ont fait depuis l’Antiquité, construisant des casbahs fortifiées pour se protéger des razzias et aménageant des jardins ingénieusement arrosés pour éviter la dépendance alimentaire, tout en gardant jalousement le secret des routes de l’or africain.","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"introd_type":"ET-long#2","location_ids":[531,532,533,534],"et_introduction":"IAM;dz;V;en;1"}},"182b1531-4c25-504a-a601-aa172eb9ac58":{"title":"Maqam of Nabi Musa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"187c7694-fc86-5d77-b135-81491b2e7018":{"title":"Shawbak","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1896ab67-aaa7-5d8b-a575-e8b11341b4e6":{"title":"PRAIA DA VITÓRIA","description":"Praia da Vitória was the headquarters of the first captaincy of the Island of Terceira, from 1456 to 1474, at the time of the first settlers. Despite being overtaken by Angra, the town developed extensively, and was granted a city charter in 1640. It retains an important architectural heritage from this period, which includes the Parish Church and the *Igreja do Senhor Santo Cristo das Misericórdias*. The famous Battle of Salga took place here, in 1581. The following year, D. António, the Prior of Crato at war with his cousin Philip II of Spain, was acclaimed king here, though it was Philip who ended up consolidating his position on the throne of Portugal.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"18aaafe7-0751-5c6d-8fb0-efec52f23488":{"title":"Merida","description":""},"191739c4-e87f-5582-b839-471dbd7d9adc":{"title":"Orhan Gazi: Sultan of the People","description":"İznik (ancient Nicea), capital of the Anatolian Seljuq State between 1075 and 1097, came under Byzantine rule once again during the First Crusade. However, the second Ottoman ruler, Orhan Gazi, conquered İznik again in the year 1331.  \n  \nİznik was adorned with various structures during the Ottoman period built by the sultans and many administrators. For example, Murad I had an *imaret* built in İznik in the name of his beloved mother, Nilüfer Hatun. Orhan Gazi himself distributed food in the *imaret* he had built, and also lit the oil lamps at the inauguration of the *madrasa* he commissioned in İznik. The Çandarlıs, a distinguished family, played an important role in state services ever since the establishment of the Ottoman State. Çandarlı Halil Hayreddin Pasha was İznik's first *kadı*. Several of Çandarlı Halil Hayreddin Pasha's sons and grandsons rose to the rank of Grand *Vizier* and some members of this family did not forget their city of birth and thus decorated İznik with beautiful structures.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tr;V;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[224]}},"1a03c051-4560-5817-8bd7-9d5511c58e19":{"title":"Valmontone","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"1a37552b-8961-5b42-85f5-531eccfe5064":{"title":"Monchique","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1a487c79-bc61-58f6-a881-cdf438de5e53":{"title":"Maskaneh / Medieval Balis","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1ad68177-5365-5783-bffc-b5ada9d8936b":{"title":"Nablus: the City of Hammams and Soap","description":"The fall of the kingdom of Granada marked the renaissance of the town of Tétouan. Its reconstruction, undertaken in the 9th/15th century by Sidi al-Mandri, a native of Granada, in joint forces with the first Mudejars who were fleeing from the Christian Reconquest, turned it into a town created in order to welcome Andalusian civilisation. Protected by the natural frontiers formed by two mountains, situated on the Mediterranean coast, Tétouan's location offered a strategic position to these exiles, who had little if no rest in pushing back the threat of Christian menace.  \n  \nThe Tétouanese art of living bore the trademark of an Andalusian inheritance even more strongly than its architecture. Cookery, music, or indeed even Tétouanese jewellery and embroidery were impregnated with their Andalusian origin. Nasrid and Mudejar motifs disappeared out of Tétouanese embroidery, which can be admired today in the Ethnographic Museum of Bab Okla.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;ma;VI;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[51]}},"1af40c81-ec28-5997-ba9c-ad813b348272":{"title":"Testimonies of the Norman Age","description":"The Norman era in the territory of the present-day province of Trapani is closely linked to the preceding Muslim times, from which the Normans inherited the growth in commerce, improvements in agricultural technology, the renewal of works and productions already there in prior ages, such as the activity of extracting sea salt, cited by Pliny in his *Historia Naturalis.*  \n  \nThe assault on Trapani by sea and by land, by Ruggero and his well-equipped army came during the month of May of 1077. Shortly afterwards the city surrendered, delivering the castle to Ruggero and accepting his rule; the citizens, however, who were subject to paying tribute “*formed pacts, but against their will*”. Moving through the surrounding countryside, the Normans occupied 12 castles, which Ruggero assigned with their lands to the cavaliers who had led the conquering army. In later accounts of the times of Ruggero and Guglielmo, Trapani appeared as a city rich in activity and productivity.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;VII;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[448,420,414,406],"territory_ids":[10]}},"1b6fbc31-63a5-5d2a-bae7-f8ba8202c41d":{"title":"Christian Art and Architecture in Medieval Syria","description":"Christian communities living within Syria have always been part-and-parcel of its cultural fabric. Under Islamic religious law, as stated in the Holy Qur’an their rights are fully respected as “*Ahl al-Kitab*”, “People of the Book”, or “*Ahl al-Dhimma*”, “People of non- Muslim Faith”, with whom there is a certain moral and legal relationship. Thus cultural interaction between Christians and Muslims of the Arab world, and particularly Syria, has always been the norm. A healthy dialogue in matters of theology, spirituality, metaphysics and morality was actually the basis for translation movements, methodical debates and cultural growth.  \n  \nA wide variety of Christian communities have long existed within Syrian communities, the most prominent being the Roman Orthodox, Syriac, Armenian Orthodox and some Maronites. Their ancient and sacred traditions have continued uninterrupted by the Islamic government, and the continued development of churches and monasteries under Islamic reign attests to the continuity of their religious practices and cultural growth.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[187,191,206,186],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;III;en;1"}},"1b9d7ce6-9125-5a2f-9d88-61f99af1d75d":{"title":"Bichlbach","description":""},"1bc50cd9-67d6-5d3a-b1a9-e06707740830":{"title":"Khan Yunis","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1bd4c932-8933-5aca-a3f7-27e2f59dc9df":{"title":"Tadmur (Palmyra)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1c2a6900-6048-5779-ae77-fc0fe3ca70c8":{"title":"Vranov nad Dyjí","description":""},"1c68c2cd-3d84-5d89-a95d-6155f2bad593":{"title":"Commerce and Daily Life","description":"Atabeg and Ayyubid Aleppo was a typical medieval Middle Eastern city, comparable to her neighbouring cities such as Damascus, Mosul and Jerusalem. Although all these cities assumed an increasingly Islamic character during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods – seem mostly in their congregational mosques and *suqs* – in the 6th/12th and 7th/13th centuries, pervasive architectural and socio-political transformations altered their form and function for many centuries to come. These included a citadel and fortified enclosure, a compact urban form, ethnically and religiously divided quarters, and numerous religious, charitable and educational institutions.  \n  \nWhether in terms of the size and plurality, their populations, or the development of their infrastructure, Middle Eastern cities outranked contemporary European cities. Aleppo, with a 7th-/13th-century population estimated at 70,000, was larger than most European cities, although it lacked their corporate and municipal structure. Furthermore, the varied inhabitants of Aleppo and other Middle Eastern cities were not citizens with specific rights and obligations but rather urban dwellers, who often had sectarian, tribal and ethnic attachments that could override their allegiance to their respective cities.  \n  \nWithout being well-defined municipal entities, the intention of Islamic cities nevertheless was to provide their inhabitants with three main assets: security, religious life and economic opportunity. Security in this period was most clearly manifest in a citadel and a well-defended enclosure. Religious life was ultimately guaranteed by *shari‘a* (religious law), which was during the period implemented by the newly developed institutions of the *muhtasib* (market supervisor), the *dar al-‘adl* (tribunal), and by other legal institutions specific to a particular sect or religion. Religious culture, on the other hand, increasingly resided within the institutional structure provided by *madrasas*, *khanqas* and shrines.  \n  \nEconomic opportunity resided, as it had since early Islam, in the *suq*: an exclusive centrally located zone dedicated to trade, retail and wholesale. The Suq of Aleppo, one of the largest in the Islamic world, dates back to the early Islamic period. Although much of the existing *suq*, including most of its existing *khans* (wholesale markets), date to the Ottoman period, it should be noted that these later developments rested on the resilient foundations created under the Ayyubids. It was also precisely in the first decades of the 7th/13th century that a series of commercial contracts were struck between the Ayyubid sultans and Venice that resulted in the building of a *fondaco*, an inn and place of commerce for travelling Venetian merchants. As a commercial centre for local inhabitants, travelling caravans and European merchants, medieval Aleppo was a thriving market, which, with its mosques, *madrasas*, *bimaristans* and *hammams*, carried all the emblems of Islamic urbanism.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[180],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;VI;en;1"}},"1c916263-eac6-5db8-bb1f-fcae945b9b83":{"title":"Mikulov","description":""},"1cab368f-4365-58a1-83ff-99719362990c":{"title":"Dornes","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1cbade54-caf0-524b-9f9a-92a2962bab4e":{"title":"Palencia","description":""},"1d166744-72cc-5d12-9f83-542e250f0dbf":{"title":"Chénini (of Tataouine)","description":""},"1d248a52-9fe9-521f-9654-0315d2af0583":{"title":"Honaïne","description":""},"1e46ad24-936c-52c5-9aff-3cc1b2eab906":{"title":"Dois Portos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"1f679a97-788c-55ec-b954-eb648252937d":{"title":"Tobed","description":""},"1fb62e7f-9602-5e45-8f3d-930fbd0b5573":{"title":"Upper Austria","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"1fe7b005-0804-51de-9ff3-f38214ab42b1":{"title":"Castelli Romani","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"3"}},"20a76c6e-d0d5-5be9-bbd2-2410f653b0cc":{"title":"Sufi Institutions in Jerusalem","description":"This itinerary will include eight monuments of different *Sufi* Orders, most of which date back to the Ottoman period and few to the Mamluk period. While the Ottoman period witnessed expansion and development in the *Sufi* Orders, most of the Mamluk edifices were ruined due to the fact that their *waqfs* ceased and they were short of money. Although history books mention *Sufi* Orders existing prior to the Crusader period, the oldest surviving buildings date back to the Ayyubid period.  \n  \nAll the same, a *sufi* edifice had more or less the following parts: a number of small rooms that provided solitude and isolation; a large hall for *sufi* meetings and rituals; occasionally a small mosque for prayer, study and preaching; a modest kitchen and utilities; a minaret used to transmit the *zawiya*'s activities to the area (like an advertising tool for Sufism); an open courtyard, in part of which trees and flowers were planted, and a cistern to collect rainwater.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;II;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[42]}},"2116aa4f-1d72-55bc-91c3-024d3de686bf":{"title":"Medicina","description":""},"21392f64-6c52-5dcf-a442-d9e7f2eb504d":{"title":"AL-KEF","description":"The old Numid city of Sicca had already emerged, under the protection of an exceptional goddess – the Oriental Ishtat, goddess of love and war. The town was christened and known of in Antiquity under the name of Theodore of Sicca Veneria, derived, through its Latin root, from *Shikabeneria*, which the Arabs transformed into *Shaqbanariya*. Popular good sense wanted to attribute it to “*shaq bi-l-nar*”, he who travelled across hell.  \n  \nIts name today, al-Kef, appeared during the course of the 10th/16th century following the completion of transforming the country into an Arabic one, priming it for confusion and bringing it very close to ambiguous acts of sacrilege. Al-Kef, “he who prevents and puts a stop to harm and evil”, above all signifies a place of refuge. Its long history as a safe haven situated in the open country, particularly for the inhabitants of Lorbeuss, and as a sophisticated fortress of the Regency of Tunis, confirms its vocation and clearly justifies its name, which can also mean plateau in geographical terms.  \n  \nFounded on the last areas of headland of the plateau of Jabal Dyr, the town of al-Kef has been profoundly affected by its history as a stronghold and as a religious centre. Here, the particular natural characteristics of the site favour the emergence of the paradox, applicable to all high altitude sites, that describes its foundation: a paradox in which sanctity combines with the gregarious protective instinct to create a place high above sea-level that is both unique and fecund. It is as if the fate of al-Kef is sealed by this binary invocation, in which the paths of two histories – one of war, the other, religious – have often crossed. The urban and architectural landscape illustrates and identifies the historic journey of a town that is both truly and simultaneously a citadel and a temple.  \n  \nThe town is more suggestive of a large *shawi* village of the Aures, or of a Kabyle hamlet, hanging on to its rocky outcrop. Roman and rigid during the Age of Antiquity, Oriental and supple in Paleo-Christian and Arab-Islamic times, it is a place of transition between two superimposed urban landscapes, one vernacular, the other Mediterranean; the archaeological structures, inherited from each and every era, make themselves felt and push their forms into the morphology and dense fabric of the present *medina*.  \n  \nBuilt in a series of steps on the side of the original rock, at the foot of the citadel and on the same level as the sanctuaries, the Medina of al-Kef cascades its building blocks out and downwards, dominating the large Ra’s al-‘Ayn source and its green enclosures. A landscape that reveals as much of the genius of its land as it does of the successive external contributions; a happy synthesis that creates an exceptional, natural, site and an ancient and rich history. From its past military grandeur, the old town has retained both its *kasbah* and its fortifications. The minarets and uncountable number of domes, which punctuate here and there the everchanging landscape, are reminders of the brotherhood metropolis and the centre of marabouts that described the town long ago. Probably Libyc in origin, the first urban centre of the town dates back to the 5th century BC. As the site of a bishopric since the 3rd century, its church experienced its hour of glory, thanks to its bishops; it was thus that Arnobe taught rhetoric there, Saint Augustine enlivened its monastic life, and Saint Fulgence attempted in vain to found an Order. Sicca was endowed, from the time of the Byzantines, with solid fortifications and several basilicas; they were intended for the surveillance of great centres of “Moorish” resistance.  \n  \nAfter the settlement of the Arabs, *Shaqbanariya* for a while remained a Kharijite stronghold, up until 171/788. It became famous for its fortress, *qal‘a*, right through the Middle Ages up to the beginning of the 7th/13th century. Situated on the road of the citadels, *tariq al-qila‘*, the town retains its souvenir of 40 “citadel men”, *rijal al-qila‘*, who are like holy warriors. As the seat of government during the Zirid era, *Shaqbanariya* became a City State in the 5th/11th century, at the time of the Hilalian invasion. Its importance was nevertheless diminished by the neighbouring town of Lorbeuss, despite the presence of the Sidi Ahmed Ibn Harz Allah who was already teaching mysticism there.  \n  \nAs the stronghold of the Banu Shannuf during the dismantling of Hafsid power, *Shaqbanariya*, which became al-Kef during the 10th/16th century, was recaptured by the Turks of Tunis who turned it into a solid centre of support. In 1046/1637, after the neutralisation of the Banu Shannuf, a permanent garrison, *ujak*, was installed in al-Kef, and it was depended upon by the *‘arrush senjaq* – tribes that were linked to the central power known as *makhzen*. The growing importance of its strategic role, following the fixing of the borders between Algiers and Tunis, made it into an advanced bastion of the Regency of Tunis, turned to the west, facing the independent tribes of the region. Because of its fortifications, the town was the perpetual desired prize of various armed conflicts that marked the end of the 11th/17th century and the beginning of the 12th/18th century, opposing the Muradite Pretenders supported in Algiers by Brahim Sherif. Taking advantage of these conflicts, Algiers tried, in 1089/1679, to seize the *senjaq* of al-Kef. The final cycle in the history of al-Kef, beginning in the 11th/17th century, was marked by a powerdriven *kasbah*\\-*zawiya* duality. If the *kasbah* and its *ujak* were aligning themselves more closely with the power of central government, then the brotherhoods, in retaliation, had prepared their assimilation to the country via their proselytism. This fusion, whether through the expediency of the *makhzen* or through the affiliation of the brotherhood, brought the town closer to its countryside and facilitated sedentary nomadic relations. The military and religious chiefs had been active agents in the diffusion of multiple cultural and social trends, and in the interweaving of the town and its region to larger areas.  \n  \nDuring the whole of the 12th/18th century, al-Kef acted as principal stage to the wars between the *Husayniya* and the *Bashiya*, supported by the intervening Turkish armies from Algiers. As the stronghold of the *Bashiya*, al-Kef stood up against Husayn Ibn ‘Ali under the leadership of Sidi Ramdan Ibn Shannuf, a town saint. Following the failure of the revolt, the *kasbah* was converted back into a *ribat*, to house marabouts. The final campaign of 1169/1756 saw, once and for all, the ruin of the town and the destruction of its fortifications.  \n  \nAt the beginning of the 13th/19th century, Hammuda Pasha, in his desire to free himself from the tight clutches of Algiers, once again raised its ramparts. This allowed him to secure victory over Algiers, to expand the territory of the Regency of Tunis, and to preserve its independence as well as his own. During this period, help from the Saints of al-Kef, *rijal al-Kef* – such as Sidi ‘Amor, the bearer of the cemetery, *al-bala*, and Sidi al-Bdiri, who died, as did his companions, defending the town – was often beseeched. From the end of the 12th–beginning of 13th/end of the 18th century, al-Kef existed as a brotherhood metropolis, and the great brotherhoods – like the ‘Issawiya, the Rahmaniya, and the Qadriya – were already in place by the end of the 19th century.  \n  \nThe last of these, founded in 1239/1824 by al-Haj Mohamed Ibn ‘Ammar al-Mazuni al-Gharbi, who was originally from Mazuna in Persia, underwent an extraordinary growth and expansion in Tunisia and in eastern Algeria. Thanks to the radial area over which it spread, estimated to be greater than 150 km., and the number of its followers in the region, numbering more than 5,911 persons recruited in particular from the Unifa tribes, as well as to its wealth, evaluated to be over 3 million francs at the time, the brotherhood had been able to amass great political weight. Having died in 1294/1878, Sidi al-Mazuni was replaced by his adopted son, Qaddur, as head of the brotherhood, who built ties of friendship with Bernard Roy, a French intelligence agent who became the Secretary-General of the government. Shaykh Qaddur welcomed the occupation of the town of al-Kef by French troops in 1881. This attitude, coupled with the favours accorded to them by the French, did nothing but discredit this brotherhood.  \n  \nOn Qaddur’s death in 1916, his grandson Ahmed took over from him until 1941, the year that he himself was succeeded by his own son ‘Abd al-Hafid. The latter was witness to the struggle for Independence, the dissolution of the *zawiya*, and to the liquidation of its assets as well as to other trials and tribulations. The Qadriya’s considerable property inheritance extended beyond the actual road that leads to the *kasbah*. A large section of it was demolished in order to build an official residence. Only the areas that were deemed sacred were saved from this fate. Having housed a library for a number of years, they regained their original religious functions. The mosque still includes some of the elements that once composed a set of brotherhood buildings. The facade was modified in 1919, through the addition of the present minaret which replaced the old one. Maghrebi in design, it consists of a square tower, repeating on each of its four sides the decorative interlacing diamonds, a pattern taken from the Almohad minaret of the Kasbah of Tunis. A poem engraved into a marble panel, recessed into the base of the minaret, attributes merit to Shaykh Ahmed Qaddur.  \n  \nIn 1280/1864, the town found itself at the heart of the insurrection of the regional tribes against the beylical power. During these troubled times, the town’s brotherhood chiefs acted as the restraining, moderating force. Following the calamities of 1283/1867, al-Kef went into notorious decline that was aggravated by the French Occupation of 1881, particularly so as certain brotherhood leaders did not act unfavourably towards the colonisers. Dissolved in 1958 for their demobilising role in the course of the national struggle, the brotherhoods, save for their architectural heritage, no longer possessed any political nor economic weight; however, maraboutism has regained its past importance. In fact, the town of al-Kef is the administrative and political headquarters of the government administration, and has undergone important urban, socio-economic and cultural transformations.","extra":{"author":"Mohamed Tlili"}},"215a58ba-2526-5f2d-a659-cf594b7d6ae5":{"title":"Frontier Churches and Castles","description":"he area along the frontier of the Douro and Beira regions, commonly known as *Raia* (the borderland), faced León and Old Castile, reaching out to the north of Spanish Extremadura, on the southerly limit.  \n  \nFar from the coast and the main cities, there were periods of great depression in this area, and after the Christian Reconquest the land was almost deserted. Life was hard, the climate harsh, and there was little to attract people on the other side of the frontier, unlike the villages on the north bank of the River Minho, and even beyond the valleys of Miranda do Douro. Only because of the insistence of the Crown, particularly at the time of D. Sancho I, did a few settlers go there, almost all of them fugitives, who preferred a hard life of freedom to one of imprisonment.  \n  \nBut times changed. Trade with Castile began to prosper, settlements grew and, by the end of the Middle Ages, there were some towns, today cities, with a reasonable amount of movement, people and economic activity based on agriculture, the grazing of cattle and handicrafts. The Crown established important castles, primarily after three wars and the dynastic crisis of 1383-1385. This was also an area chosen by many Jewish families, who built up communities here away from the intolerance of the coastal towns and even some cities such as Lisbon and Coimbra.  \n  \nThere are many artistic traces of the maritime discoveries in this northern area bounded by Torre de Moncorvo and Guarda, where the sons of the Master of Royal Works at Batalha erected a cathedral. At Castelo Rodrigo and Pinhel, the Mediaeval castles were extensively remodelled at the time of D. Manuel I. This land of brilliant hard granite, guards and exhibits treasures that range from regional or Lisbon-based painting, fine sculptures from Flanders or Coimbra, tombs with recumbent statues, to pillories and bridges of Roman origin.  \n  \nWorks with local, even vernacular, characteristics are mixed with more sophisticated offerings, undoubtedly the work of some of the best artists in the country at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries.  \n  \nOne of the greatest sanctuaries of prehistoric art in the country is to be found at Vale do Côa in this area, as well as Late Romanesque churches such as that at Mileu, near Guarda, or Gothic churches such as the imposing Cistercian Monastery of Santa Maria de Aguiar.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[164,175,111,117,87,102,134,85,178,177],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;VIII;en;1"}},"21b8d3fb-52f5-540d-a8e3-3bbe5dffb670":{"title":"Carrión de los Condes","description":""},"21cad775-0b8b-5dde-b320-6c19bd19c918":{"title":"GUADALUPE","description":"In the extreme south-east of the province of Cáceres and straddling the provinces of Toledo and Badajoz, extends the region of the Villuercas, a mountainous land, where the Mountains of Toledo penetrate into the province of Caceres. With several rivers running through it, the slopes of the mountains and the valleys beneath them form a wild landscape, untouched, and full of game.  \n  \nGuadalupe stands out from all the rest of the villages in the area. The medieval origin and later development of Guadalupe links to the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who gave her name to this place, and on whom the village has depended throughout its existence.  \n  \nAs you get closer to Guadalupe, a leafy valley, surrounded by mountains, comes into view. There, on a hilltop, is an enormous stone fortress surrounded by a village of whitewashed walls. This is the Puebla de Guadalupe, in the centre of which stands the Real Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe), which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 8th December 1988.","extra":{"author":"María del Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"229cbeb1-6396-593e-8e36-9a428f1b05ef":{"title":"Orah","description":""},"2308f46c-b288-58db-aa19-df16cc3840b7":{"title":"ALCOCHETE","description":"From very early times, the position of the town on the Tagus estuary made it ideal for fishing and trade between the two banks. In the Moorish period, the lime-kilns there were already of some importance and the name of the town came from the Arab *al- Kuxat*. The area supplied Lisbon with lime and firewood for several centuries.  \n  \nD. Manuel I was born in Alcochete, on May 31st 1469, at the Palácio de D. Beatriz, named after his mother, which was almost totally destroyed in the earthquake of 1755. Prince D. Fernando and his private court also lived here for quite some time.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"23998250-d17a-5b30-836e-bea11b661494":{"title":"VIDIGUEIRA","description":"The town of Vidigueira developed at the end of the 14th century, with the successive transfer of patronage, placing it within the House of Bragança until 1519, when the navigator Vasco da Gama was made Count of Vidigueira, a title that was passed on to his descendants. It was around this time that various improvements were made to the town, to mark the importance that this family had in the region, as well as their influence on the policy towards the Far East. Among its members, for example, was D. Francisco da Gama, who, like his great grandfather, was Viceroy of India.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"243a7b03-68b6-50a7-9e2b-eba235d997a7":{"title":"Tunis","description":""},"24694934-315b-5b72-8c3d-e3760af099b9":{"title":"Tihany","description":""},"24797143-d0d9-5f8b-9fc4-36d358d0d636":{"title":"Virovitica","description":""},"254eae82-8c03-5979-98a2-7368a721cda5":{"title":"Evora","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"25508345-c342-5e46-8fee-afd41e6b9dfd":{"title":"Explore the Islamic Heritage of the Mediterranean","description":"Did you know that Islam strongly influenced Christian art in medieval Spain and that this symbiosis is called *Mudéjar*? Do you know the difference between minarets in the Maghreb, minarets in the Middle East and minarets in Turkey? Explore 1203 museums, monuments and archaeological sites in 445 locations and discover the artistic legacy of Islam in North Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe.  \n  \nClick [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn18QXpUtuM&t=8s) to know more about the genesis of this project.","extra":{"country_ids":["dz","eg","jo","ma","pa","pt","es","sy","tn","tr","it"],"country_texts":[{"text":"Algeria is the descendant of an ancient African civilisation. The people of Algeria have managed to absorb and elaborate influences from Greek, Phoenician, Roman, Vandal and Muslim cultures, while still maintaining their spirit of independence, a quality which has provided space for a multitude of political experiments as well as the creation of a unique new artistic style.  \n  \nThis important artistic legacy is linked to some crucial aspects of Algeria’s history: the rise of dissident religious movements, the reign of the great dynasties, the role of the great axes of trade and pilgrimage, and the Ottoman presence in cities of the Mediterranean rim.  \n  \nTake a journey through both the Islamic art and the history of the Central Maghreb (now Algeria) and explore sixty-three monuments and seven museums which demonstrate the specific style of North African Islam that stems from the assimilation of an old Berber-African civilisation into a more recent and more powerful Arab-Muslim dominion.","langId":"en","countryId":"dz"},{"text":"Art et architecture de la lumière présente les formes les plus variées et les plus riches de l'art islamique du Maghreb central, un héritage artistique important, lié aux événements cruciaux qui ont marqué l'histoire de l'Algérie, depuis l'essor des mouvements religieux dissidents et le règne des grandes dynasties, en passant par le rôle des grands axes de commerce et de pèlerinage et jusqu'à la présence ottomane dans les cités du pourtour méditerranéen. La synthèse des influences arabe et berbère, africaine, andalouse et orientale a façonné des modèles artistiques et architecturaux qui s'expriment dans la pureté et l'harmonie de l'architecture ibadite, des mosquées almoravides et des palais ottomans sur la côte.","langId":"fr","countryId":"dz"},{"text":"“He who has not seen Cairo has not seen the magnitude of Islam, for she is the capital of the world, the garden of the universe, the assembly of nations, the beginnings of the Earth, the origin of man, the *iwan* of Islam and the seat of kingship.” That is how Arab historian Ibn Khaldun described Cairo in the 14th century. To see some of what inspired this lofty language, take a tour of the Egyptian art that flourished during the Mamluk era. The Mamluks, a dynasty of former slave-soldiers who rose to power in the mid-13th century, won a major victory over the reigning crusaders and stopped the Mongols’ advance toward Palestine and Egypt.  \n  \nUnder Mamluk patronage, Islamic art in Egypt reached its peak. Artists and craftsmen from every Muslim territory escaped from the Mongol invasion and converged in Egypt, where their different skills blended and created new artistic and architectural styles. These talented artisans drew from Egypt’s unique heritage and abundant materials to create a myriad of masterworks. During the Mamluk period, Egyptian art and architecture united in a harmony of theme that produced pieces of unprecedented quality.","langId":"en","countryId":"eg"},{"text":"For eight centuries medieval Spain was divided into an unequal and constantly changing balance between Christendom and Islam. The difficulty experienced by the Christian kingdoms in the north of the peninsula in re-populating the vast territories that had been conquered led to a political decision which had long-lasting consequences for Medieval Spain. This was the authorisation granted to the conquered Muslim population which allowed them to remain under Christian domination in the conquered territories, but to preserve the Muslim religion, the Arabic language and their own judicial system. These Muslims were known as the *Mudéjar*.  \n  \nThis period, called the *Reconquista* (reconquest), marked the beginning of a new phase for art and architecture in the Iberian Peninsula. Muslim craftsmen in the region continued their work for the newly established Christian rulers and from the confluence of Christian and Islamic artistic traditions, a new *Mudéjar* art style emerged.","langId":"en","countryId":"es"},{"text":"The architectural and artistic landscape of Sicily in the Middle Ages was characterised by the unification of three cultures: Byzantine, Arab and Norman. Sicily has been on the fringe of the Muslim world since the Arab conquest of Tunisia by the famous Umayyad general Uqba ibn Nafi in the late 7th century. By the 9th century, the Aghlabids had established themselves on the island, choosing Palermo as their capital. The Fatimids also left their mark on Sicily, but the most sumptuous monuments that still bear the lineage of Islamic art date back to the 12th century, when the Normans ruled. Norman kings such as Ruggero II, Guglielmo I and Guglielmo II, as well as leading personalities from the kingdom commissioned important construction projects to architects and craftsmen from North Africa, thus importing their knowledge, philosophy and aesthetics, which thereby determined the artistic landscape of medieval art in Sicily.  \n  \nThe impact of Arabic civilisation on Sicily is complex and unique, but – like the integration of Arabic influences in Spain – it constitutes a synergy between two cultures. This commingling blossomed into a wide variety of expressive styles, and Arabic motifs can be seen echoing through the island’s art and architecture long after it left the dominion of the *Dar al-Islam*.","langId":"en","countryId":"it"},{"text":"The material on display explores the abundance of Jordan’s historical culture, which flourished during the Umayyad era (661–750 AD / 40–129 AH). The Umayyad dynasty immediately followed the four “rightly guided” caliphs, and its two most important characteristics were the institutionalisation of the Islamic faith and the use of Arabic for all administrative purposes. During the relatively brief period of their reign, the Umayyads changed the political and cultural maps of the Mediterranean world and those of both Western and Central Asia. Fuelled by the new religion of Islam, they created a vast empire. The territory corresponding to today’s Jordan was of great importance to the dynasty as a geographical connection between Damascus, the capital of Bilad al-Sham, and the Hijaz, the political and religious centre of the Arabian Peninsula.  \n  \nThe Umayyads created the first artistic tradition of Islam. We can see the foundations for much of what was to come on display in a great deal of their art and architecture. The Umayyads inherited a rich cultural and artistic heritage of Greek, Roman, Assyrian, Babylonian, Achemenid, Parthian and Sassanian origins. In integrating this multitude of influences, they were embodying one of the most distinctive elements of Islamic civilisation: receptiveness to various cultural and religious traditions","langId":"en","countryId":"jo"},{"text":"The history of Morocco is inextricably linked with that of *al-Andalus* (the Iberian Peninsula). The dynamic exchange of cultures, people and commerce brought about the birth of a flourishing art form, the most beautiful examples of which materialised in Morocco. In the enchanted cities of Fez, Tangier, Tétouan and Chefchaouen, the holy city, Andalusian art and architecture manifested the peak of their beauty in their most renowned monuments, the Qarawiyin and Andalusian mosques. Experts agree that these two grand sanctuaries in Fez, built in the 9th century AD (3rd century AH), mark the true beginning of Islamic art in Morocco.  \n  \nStarting with the first minaret and minbar (pulpit), a flourishing artistic heritage began to be passed along to subsequent Moroccan dynasties – a legacy which still represents an important part of Moroccan tradition and culture. In the 11th century AD (5th century AH), when the Almoravids came to power, one sees the Maghreb opening up to Andalusian influences. All artistic creations commissioned by the Almoravid princes thus presented similarities to the art of the Iberian Peninsula. However, it is not until the Almohads come to power that we can see the genesis of a symbiotic, Moroccan-Andalusian art form.","langId":"en","countryId":"ma"},{"text":"The Islamic history of Palestine is connected to some of the most important events in the spreading of the new religion. According to Islam, The Prophet Muhammad prayed in the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem when he ascended to heaven. On top of the rock where he stood to ascend, the Umayyads built the Dome of the Rock, a sacred Islamic site that has served as a pilgrimage destination over the centuries. Palestine has cultivated phenomenal developments in Islamic art, particularly in architecture and complementary minor arts.  \n  \nThe artistic traditions that began in Palestine thousands of years ago grew and changed significantly when they incorporated Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine influences into local practices and styles. Situated between Egypt and Syria – the heart of the Islamic world – Palestine was exposed to impactful architectural and artistic movements originating in Cairo, Damascus and Aleppo, the effects of which can be clearly seen during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. Explore Palestine on a journey of “Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism” to see the beauty and variety of Islamic art.","langId":"en","countryId":"pa"},{"text":"Islamic Portugal, *Gharb al-Andalus* in Arabic, represented an important example of the cultural symbiosis which characterised the Iberian Peninsula during the eight centuries of Muslim presence there. Local communities, Mozarabs (Iberian Christians) and Mullawads (Iberian Muslims) shared and revised artistic styles developed in the great Andalusian cities, which became intimately connected to local culture and artistic tradition over the centuries.  \n  \nThe westernmost territories of the Peninsula closely followed the Islamicisation process taking place in other regions of *Hispania* at the time. According to written records, cities such as Lisbon, Faro, Beja, Santarém and Coimbra gradually came under Muslim influence. The strategy adopted by the first Muslim troops for the occupation of this territory was based mainly on consensus and drafting agreements with the Iberian people. This made a significant contribution toward maintaining a relatively autonomous state in the *Gharb* that sometimes came very close to complete independence.","langId":"en","countryId":"pt"},{"text":"The Atabeg and Ayyubid era coincided with a struggle against crusaders. This conflict marred the whole period, but it did not prevent the Islamic art of the territory now known as Syria from developing according to the politics of Nur al-Din and Salah al-Din (Saladin), founder of the Ayyubid dynasty who aimed to promote cohesion against the crusaders through the restoration of religious and educational institutions. Islamic art found its expression through *madrasas*, *khanqas* (hostels) and *bimaristans* (hospitals), but many other artistic works are also a legacy of this era, from mosques and frescoed churches to crusader castles. The citadels of Mesopotamia, *norias* (waterwheels), *suqs*, metalwork and manuscripts represent the ability of the local culture to serve as a crossroads for new artistic influences in the 12th and 13th centuries.  \n  \nAll texts refer to the pre-war situation and are our expression of hope that Syria, a land which witnessed the evolution of civilisation since the beginnings of human history, may soon become a place of peace and the driving force behind a new and peaceful beginning for the entire region.","langId":"en","countryId":"sy"},{"text":"Tunisia, formerly known as Ifriqiya, occupies a predominant place in the history of Mediterranean art. Heavily urbanised during Phoenician and Roman times, it was enriched by a number of monuments and saw itself as the heir to an old architectural and urban tradition. Tunisia possesses a rich Islamic heritage, spread over 13 centuries, and presents itself as the Maghreb country that has kept and conserved the greatest number of original works. The north of Tunisia includes significant monuments commissioned by the dynasties which ruled Ifriqiya over the centuries, from the first Muslim conquerors to the Aghlabides, Fatimids, Zirids, Almohads, Hafsids and Ottomans. Every mosque, *zawiya* (religious school), *dar* (house) and port displays the rich artistic exchange between ancient and local techniques and magnificent Andalusian and Eastern influences in architecture and ornamentation.  \n  \nThrough an exploration of works of architecture, we will touch upon a variety of artistic expressions such as stonemasonry and sculpture, plaster moulding and carving, wood painting, calligraphy and a wealth of other forms of arts and crafts.","langId":"en","countryId":"tn"},{"text":"The 14th and 15th centuries in West Anatolia marked the beginning of a new era with respect to the art and culture of Turkish communities. It was at this time, approximately 200 years after the conquest of Central Anatolia, that the shores of the Aegean and Marmara Seas came under Turkish control. The Emirates and Early Ottoman periods are striking from an art historical point of view because of their extreme colourfulness, and their new experiments and influences. The Emirates, which declared their independence in various regions of Anatolia and whose strength increased as time went on, began significant public improvements – as though they wanted to leave their mark on the regions they ruled.  \n  \nThe most important centres of the new Ottoman art include the cities of Bursa, Manisa and Selçuk (close to the ancient Ephesus) in west Anatolia, as well as the city which recalls the most sumptuous masterpieces of Ottoman art: Istanbul. Each of these cities displays examples of the artistic experimentalism that is characteristic of Ottoman art and traces of Ottoman artists’ ability to inherit the techniques and the architecture of the Turkish Emirates.  \n  \nExplore West Anatolia and Thrace, where new modes of search and experimentation in architecture and art are more obvious, since it was the first time this region had encountered Turkish-Islamic culture.","langId":"en","countryId":"tr"}],"legacy_status":"e"}},"25787735-a360-55bc-936a-69e1d4568c31":{"title":"Manisa: City of Princes","description":"Saruhan Bey (r. 1305-1345) founded an Emirate in the region of ancient Lydia in the year 1305. In 1313 the city of Manisa, which had been an important trading centre connecting the Aegean Region to Central Anatolia or the Marmara Region since ancient times, became the centre of this Emirate that ruled over the bountiful plains of the Gediz River (ancient Hermus). The presence of large *han*s in the city that have survived until the present day support this view.  \n  \nThe Saruhan Beys used the income from the fertile Gediz Plain, taxes, and trade to have, among other things, mosques, *madrasa*s, *hammam*s, *han*s, *zawiya*s and *türbe*s, built in various cities, beginning with Manisa. Two of the most famous of these structures, Manisa Great Mosque and Madrasa along with the *Mevlevihane*, were commissioned by İshak Bey (r. 1362-1388). In the Ottoman period, Manisa became one of the most important centres where the princes were trained in the state affairs acting as the governor.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tr;III;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[229,234]}},"257b5f30-1106-5169-b4d7-5331aea15dd4":{"title":"Looking Towards Galicia","description":"The River Minho, rather than separating the people of the Minho and Galicia, has united them for centuries. Even in wintertime, when the river’s current was strong, people from each bank with much in common including the language, would come and go frequently, so that even nowadays they seem to speak to each other like twin brothers.  \n  \nIt was impossible to ford the river but there was always a small boat ready to carry people either to trade, legally or illegally, to visit their families or friends or to take part in religious services, on one bank or the other.  \n  \nWhen the kingdom of Portugal was founded at the beginning of the 12th century, there were still parishes on the south bank that came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Tuy in Spain. The stonemasons, who erected its cathedral in about 1200, had already built Romanesque churches at Sanfins, Ganfei, Longos Vales and other places in the Minho.  \n  \nThe Sanctuary at Santiago de Compostela was the most important in the far western part of Europe, and Portuguese pilgrims ignored the frontier and eventual state of war between Castile and Portugal to pray and fulfil their vows there. It was also there that the announcements were made for the public and private building contracts in the Minho and Entre Douroe-Minho provinces.  \n  \nSo, it is not surprising to find similar works of art in these neighbouring lands, produced at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries, i.e. during the Late Gothic and proto-Renaissance artistic periods, emblems of the transition between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era.  \n  \nThe main doorway of the Parish Church in Viana do Castelo is clearly derived from the Galician tradition of proto-Gothic portals. Tomé de Tolosa, Francisco Fial, Fernão Muñoz and Pêro Galego all worked on the church in Caminha, the last-named being the master builder of the Church of the Convent of Santana in Viana. Similarities also extend to cover sculpture imported from Coimbra; painting, the leading artist being André de Padilha; and, of course, gold and silver work and luxurious textiles.  \n  \nThis is an area with many estates and highborn families dating back to the founding of Portugal. During this period, the houses were added to and modernised to make them more comfortable, but in line with new needs and tastes. The proud towers of Lapela, Lanheses and Giela are still to be seen today between vineyards and on rocky crags.  \n  \nLook towards Galicia, see it, enjoy it, go there to buy something or to have something made, make the same, or sell it, make it there, such was the intricate equation of a particular region, time and river.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[169,81,109,174],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;VI;en;1"}},"25d210e2-2bc0-52ba-83b8-5dc784d2170c":{"title":"Buye","description":""},"26846198-61a1-5b1d-ad44-1c83a106c373":{"title":"Grottaferrata","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1,2]}},"26b30cfc-84d5-5656-975c-89d3ec08925d":{"title":"Miljana","description":""},"276f16e4-890d-54da-b9cb-dd218ccca0fd":{"title":"Innsbruck","description":""},"27c13f2f-63b2-5e1d-9046-04cce1662982":{"title":"Chébika","description":"","extra":{"info":"As soon as one reaches Chébika, the landscape becomes impressive and is imbued with everchanging colours, depending on the time of day and season.","how_to_reach":"Take the road to Tozeur. At al-Hamma, without entering the village, veer right and get onto a 53 km. track which is suitable for motor vehicles, heading in the direction of the mountain oases. Enquire at the National Guard beforehand as to the condition of the roads, as, if it is windy, the track can be very difficult to drive on."}},"2883ede4-ee09-5379-a944-a2ccb25f361d":{"title":"Sortelha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"28d2dec2-cd01-5556-ae76-6854a267dd94":{"title":"Zahle","description":""},"291efb8d-da4b-5c9b-98fb-85346d5f7f23":{"title":"Consequences of the Birth of Gothic Cathedrals: Working with Brick","description":"The beginning of the great Gothic cathedrals in Castilla and León – Burgos (1222), León (1255) or Palencia (1321) – and of the great monastic foundations – Las Huelgas in Burgos (around 1180), coincides historically with the conversion of unfinished Romanesque buildings into brick architecture.  \n  \nThe enormous amount of tithes and taxes needed to build one of these colossal works and the vested interests of all the guilds of master craftsmen involved in their construction – stonemasons, carpenters, plasterers, stucco artists or painters – in ensuring that the work lasted as long as possible, is without any doubt at all the reason that so much rural religious architecture remains unfinished and was left very badly off in so far as materials, transport and workmen were concerned.  \n  \nAway from the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James) and apart from the great monastic centres, it is difficult to find completed Romanesque buildings. In general terms, the Romanesque buildings in this region conserve their sanctuaries and the front parts of their first bays, vaulted in the early years of the 13th century and left in an unfinished state, waiting for a chance to complete them. In this way brick architecture was popularised in Castilla, which helped to satisfy the demand for workmen for these rural buildings in a simple and economical way.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[326,328,329,344,320,346,339],"territory_ids":[7]}},"2a04a1cf-a94b-5178-96f5-f54ad4d1516b":{"title":"Castro da Cola","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2a29df8e-6929-5f5b-9e18-1e8b40d2f69b":{"title":"Becerril de Campos","description":""},"2ad9bbce-2381-54ea-a612-41aee478d8bb":{"title":"Sela","description":""},"2ae8203c-12c6-5034-99c0-5e18ac219a7b":{"title":"Graz","description":""},"2afc11b3-46d1-5152-8861-f7ed2b80829d":{"title":"Ribeira Brava","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2b5eb50f-6254-5b9b-998f-d224bde681d8":{"title":"Village of Qara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2bccad7b-c15a-51ff-b490-40fef5f9b524":{"title":"Erice","description":""},"2bf100d6-f83b-5bec-b6a6-2a4ba97a70bb":{"title":"Tamerza","description":"","extra":{"info":"In heading towards Tamerza, the track changes into a tarmac road.  \n  \nImpressive landscapes appear successively along the entire length of the road: canyons, disappearing into the chott in the distance, views of oases. Make a stop 2 km. from Tamerza, to visit the Great Cascade located below, 100 m. further on. Directions are clearly indicated."}},"2bfa5715-5b74-521a-a598-fe04009f1d2e":{"title":"Aznalcóllar","description":""},"2c5f6baf-d246-5c79-8fd7-e846b0d5458b":{"title":"Varaždin","description":""},"2cd7ba00-bca8-5b1c-8d24-6ef94c53b201":{"title":"Coimbra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2d4c27fe-808a-505b-b6a2-2f2c5c1e29ca":{"title":"TLEMCEN","description":"The Algerian capital of Islamic art, Tlemcen was also the mysticism capital of the West known as the “Jerusalem of the Maghreb”. In the old city, Muslims and Jews shared holy places and cemeteries, and worshipped the same God in different rites. Jewish or Muslim districts within the walls of ancient Tlemcen can be visited on foot; many narrow streets are not accessible by car.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"2d51cdc7-d297-5bf9-9765-cbb31fdbde17":{"title":"Tresonche","description":""},"2d52e1ee-a6ca-5404-a479-bc09d0547a70":{"title":"Sillian","description":""},"2df15d5c-ab21-568e-ab3f-9e5c544082a2":{"title":"Mamluk Art. Splendour and Magic of the Sultans","description":"***Mamluk Art. Splendour and Magic of the Sultans*** immerses the virtual traveller in the atmosphere of Egypt at the time of the Mamluks and invites one to go back to the sources of Mamluk art. Magnificent buildings of religious, civil and military architecture take us to the origins of Mamluk art, which was developed in Egypt and the Levant (present-day Near East) between the 13th and 16th centuries and flourished in the Mamluk capital of Cairo.  \n  \nBy following five Sub-Itineraries in Cairo, the visitor will experience the magnificence and genius of Mamluk art and architecture and dive into a vivid reconstruction of the religious, political, social and cultural life in Cairo between the 13th and 16th centuries. The procession of the Sultan to thank the Nile for giving fertility to the land is but one of the emblematic moments to be witnessed on the journey.  \n  \nThe central role of the Nile and the life in its delta are at the core of the virtual visits to Alexandria, Rosetta and Fuwa. Three Sub-Itineraries take to the amazing and very little-known river landscapes in the North of Egypt and exhibit the symbiosis between the Nile and the people of Egypt, from the Ancient Egyptian Civilisation until modern times.","extra":{"duration":"Eight Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Head of Project:**  \nEnaam Selim  \n  \n**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nGaballah Ali Gaballah  \nAbdullah Abdel Hamid El-Attar  \nEnaam Selim  \nMohamed Hossam El-Din  \nSalah El-Bahnasi  \nMohamed Abd El-Aziz  \nAtef Abdel Hamid Ghoneim  \nMedhat El-Manabbawi  \nAli Ateya  \nTarek Torky  \nGamal Gad El-Rab  \n  \n**Local Coordinator**  \nTarek Torkey  \n  \n**Photographer**  \nSherif Sonbol","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"other-intro#3","location_ids":[2,38,45,184]}},"2df3c84c-0c1d-5e91-adc9-192ae928eaac":{"title":"Vila do Conde","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2e51c7ea-8adb-51fa-803b-f2f1e82d8cce":{"title":"Lermoos","description":""},"2e760c7e-a147-5f62-bdd7-d3f346344b71":{"title":"Aleppo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2e7a9e63-d0a8-51ae-b736-58cf0ca47700":{"title":"Mafraq","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"2e82cd47-1496-5533-97f9-bf8afcd8498a":{"title":"Valtice","description":""},"2eea80ab-aee2-5fea-8633-6946e1bf2db6":{"title":"A Day in the Life of a Jew in Fez","description":"Ever since its formation, the Idrissid capital housed a particularly active minority of Jews who took advantage of the freedom afforded to cults, and of the security afforded to their person and their belongings. This community was composed of the descendants of native Jews, the *toshabim*s, who lived in prior to the arrival of Islam, and of Jewish emigres who had fled from Cordoba and from Kairouan. The community grew in importance with the arrival, in successive waves, of refugees from the Iberian Peninsula.  \n  \nEver since the foundation of the town, the Jewish community had settled *“in quite a large quarter which stretched from Aghlen out to Hisn Sadun”* which was called *Derb Lihudi*, at the heart of the *medina*. Towards the middle of the 9th/15th century, the Merinids moved the Jewish community to *Fas Jdid*, close to their palace.  \n  \nIn a general way, the Jewish community of Fez was able to enjoy a long period of tranquillity, a height of peace which corresponded with the arrival of the Merinids in Fez. Thus, during a period of political quiet, life at the heart of the Mellah was carried out between the undertaking of daily prayers in one of a number of synagogues, and economic activity, conducted to the rhythm of the comings and goings between the Mellah and the old *medina*.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;ma;IV;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[508,516]}},"2f2ebd83-5d2c-5169-8003-2d2bb937e1ab":{"title":"San Vittore del Lazio","description":""},"2f5d3234-4758-548b-97ce-f13c23ebebf8":{"title":"TANGIER","description":"History teaches us very little about what the ancient capital of Roman Mauretania, Tingitania, was like when Musa Ibn Nusayr seized it in 86/705 to convert it to Islam.  \n  \nBecoming a few years later the countytown of a large province, it was administered by governors under the Umayyad Caliphs of Damascus. The Governors had to confront a rising of Berber tribes of the Rif who, angered by fiscal exactions, had joined the schismatic Kharijite movement.  \n  \nIn escaping the Abbassids, Idriss Ibn ‘Abd Allah arrived there in 171/788, but only stayed for a short while before moving on to *Walili* (Volubilis).  \n  \nOn the death of Idriss II, the founder of Fez, the principality of Tangier was passed on to his sons, first Qassim, then ‘Umar. During the second half of the 4th/10th century, the town was at stake in the disputes between the Umayyads of Spain and the Idrissids, and ended up falling into the hands of the Fatimids of Ifriqiya in 346/958.  \n  \nThe Almoravids became masters of Tangier in 467/1075, followed in 543/1149 by the Almohads, who preferred Tangier’s rival Ceuta, establishing there their seat of command over the north of Morocco as well as making it their place of residence.  \n  \nThe Merinids seized Tangier in 672/1274 and devoted all their efforts to it. Thanks to the concern of these monarchs, the town experienced a period of great splendour during their reign(7th/13th and 8th/14th centuries). They endowed it with a grand mosque and a *madrasa*, which display the refinement of Moroccan-Andalusian architectural and decorative arts.  \n  \nIt is interesting to note that the founding stone of this *madrasa*, of which there is no actual remaining evidence, was discovered by the English in 1084/1674 in the wall of a Dominican convent which the Portuguese had built on the site of this *madrasa* during their occupation of the town.  \n  \nThe Merinids also developed economic activities by signing commercial treaties with merchants from Italian towns such as Venice, Pisa, and Genoa, as well as with Marseilles. Its port thus became the turning point of Mediterranean and Saharan commerce. The town imported cloth, spices and metals, and exported hides, leather, rugs and sugar cane.  \n  \nIt was certainly in these *caravanserai*s, which received and lodged foreigners from all over, that a young man from Tangier, who would go on to become the famous Ibn Battuta, was inspired to be a voyager, and where his desire to visit faroff places was born.  \n  \nIn 875/1471, to secure their position in the Strait, the Portuguese seized the town after many fruitless attempts. They transformed it, rebuilding the mosque into a cathedral and the *madrasa* into a convent. They resurrected the walls they had torn down, reinforcing them with bastions and forts and constructed in the higher region, to the west of the bay, a fortress which would bare down over the town. After the death of King Dom Sebastião, which took place in 985/1578 during the famous Battle of the Three Kings, the crown of Portugal was passed on to Philip II of Spain and the town thus came under Spanish control.  \n  \nIn 1071/1661, having become Portuguese again, it was offered to England as part of the dowry belonging to the Infanta Catherine of Bragance who married the English Prince Charles II.  \n  \nOn his accession to the throne, the ‘Alawite Monarch Mulay Isma‘il besieged Tangier in 1089/1679. The English, before evacuating, destroyed the port’s pier as well as most of the town.  \n  \nMulay Isma‘il then put the pasha ‘Ali Ibn ‘Abd Allah Errifi in charge of restoring the ramparts and reconstructing the town. Thus, in rebuilding the ruins, houses, in traditional Moroccan style, were erected; mosques, as well as a *madrasa*, were raised; and a *kasbah* was constructed on its heights, endowed with a palace, and mosque and its adjoining buildings. The son of the pasha, Ahmed Ibn ‘Ali, continued his father’s work, having taken over his duties. In 1196/1782, Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ibn ‘Abd Allah, who wanted to gather all diplomatic representations into the same town, chose Tangier to act as the seat of the European consulates. During the 19th century, the town was officially promoted to being the diplomatic capital of the kingdom, and a permanent delegate of the Sultan, the *na’ib*, was nominated as part of the consular administration in Tangier. From then on, aided by the presence of its diplomats, merchants, men of letters and artists came flocking to the town. The latter of these, subjected to the beauty of the place and the charm of its Islamic architecture, with its narrow and mysterious streets, sang through their writings, or through their painted canvases, of its fairy-like magic, which still emanates from this town today.  \n  \nIn 1906, Tangier was endowed with a special status which placed it and its surroundings under the authority of an international commission. In 1956, it was returned once more to the country.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"2f73372e-4e43-5ccd-a783-aa75abd0c5c5":{"title":"Tinmel","description":""},"30365ac4-3b12-5055-98a6-01207e53126a":{"title":"Achir","description":""},"303b522a-7090-5ebd-a07f-0ac577d423a6":{"title":"Umm al-Jimal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"305f585b-ad37-511c-af7a-7f7f5e994390":{"title":"Lepoglava","description":""},"307bd0b6-a9a6-525c-8575-4a93d948cd24":{"title":"Santervás de Campos","description":""},"308e9b9f-f89c-5c1e-aa7c-cbd90c19e523":{"title":"Slavonski Brod","description":""},"30ca7a5a-f30c-578a-ad9b-a8f20826adfd":{"title":"GELİBOLU","description":"Gelibolu is situated in a strategically important area, where the Dardanelles opens into the Sea of Marmara. The city, first founded by the Thracians, was called Kallipolis –the beautiful city– after the Greek colonisation. Alexander the Great then took the area in 334 BC. The Roman and Byzantine Empires later ruled the city, and the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I repaired the city walls. During the Third Crusade Friedrich I Barbarossa, the German Emperor, transported his armies from the port of Gelibolu to the Anatolian side.  \n  \nUmur Bey of the Aydın Emirate besieged Gelibolu in 1332 and 1341, but did not succeed in conquering it. The Ottomans, who initially landed in Rumelia to help the Byzantines, later realised the strategic importance of the area and captured Gelibolu, whose fortress had been destroyed as a result of an earthquake. The town changed hands several times until 1367, when it finally became Ottoman territory. About the middle of the 15th century, Çanakkale took over surveillance of the strait, and Gelibolu thus lost its importance. In the city there are various works constructed in the reign of Murad II (1421-1451) in particular; most of these works have suffered from to neglect and have thus fallen into ruins.","extra":{"author":"Şakir Çakmak"}},"30e55473-f8d1-542a-a3b6-ef4aea1890e7":{"title":"Annaba","description":""},"30fb6fbc-4986-5621-9d1d-2a2759f051f9":{"title":"MANİSA","description":"Manisa –Magnesia ad Sipylum of ancient times– was founded by Thessalians towards the end of the 2nd millennium BC on their return from the Trojan War. It exhibits a history parallel to that of West Anatolia. The area passed into the hands of Lydian King Croesus in the 6th century BC but was soon taken over by the Persians in 546 BC. Persian rule came to an end with Alexander the Great’s victory at Granicus in 334 BC. In the Hellenistic era the city came under the control of the Pergamene Kingdom. The city and its inhabitants prospered during the time of the Roman Empire and the city preserved its importance during the Byzantine period until the 13th century. Emperor John III Ducas Vatatzes had a fortress built here at the beginning of the 13th century during the Latin occupation of İstanbul and he was buried here, too, when he died. Following the recapture of İstanbul by the Byzantines, the city began to lose its importance until it eventually passed into the hands of the Turks in 1313."},"31480749-0e53-56bd-a5a0-86bbf36e92e3":{"title":"ASILAH","description":"Asilah was founded by Arab conquerors, probably at the beginning of the 3rd/9th century, near a harbour and on a reef, but far from Zilil, a town from the period of antiquity from which it derives its name. It experienced a turbulent history throughout the Middle Ages and modern times which was linked to that of Tangier’s.  \n  \nMentioned by the Arab geographer al-Bakri, it had to endure two Norman invasions during the second half of the 3rd/9th century due to the attractiveness of its agricultural wealth. Rebuilt by the Umayyad Caliph of Cordoba, al-Hakam II, it needed to surround itself with an enclosure to protect it from further attack. It was provided with a mosque composed of five naves which were *“reached by the waves when the sea was stormy”*. Its port, which offered an effective shelter for ships, had a jetty built of ashlar stones which were positioned in an arc to protect the mooring.  \n  \nThe town, which seems to have existed peacefully during the 6th/12th century, opened itself up to trade with the West at the accession of the Merinids, and experienced a certain amount of prosperity. The Wattassids turned it into one of their main footholds in their struggle for power.  \n  \nIt was stormed by the Portuguese in the same year as Tangier (875/1471) and remained under their control until 957/1550. The latter rebuilt the ramparts in stone, fortifying them with solid bastions, and erected a donjon to serve as a surveillance tower. The garrisons entrenched in this fortress suffered continuous assaults over many long years led by the Wattassid Sultans, and by the famous Prince of Chefchaouen, Mulay Brahim. Liberated in 957/1550, the town was reoccupied in 984/1577 by King Dom Sebastião in return for becoming an ally of the Sa‘adian Prince Mohamed al-Maslukh. It was in Asilah that the last of the Portuguese Kings of the Avis Dynasty, having dreamt of reoccupying Morocco, stayed with his army before heading into the fields of the Wadi al-Makhazin Battle near Ksar al-Kebir, a battle which would cost him his life. The town was reinstated back to the Sa‘adian King al-Mansur in 997/1589, then reclaimed by Spain for several years towards the end of the 11th/17th century. It was stormed by Mulay Isma‘il and liberated in 1102/1691. Populated by people from the Rif, it was given two mosques, a *madrasa* and bathhouses, and from then on began to live a modest existence. In 1906, it fell to the forces of Mulay ‘Ali Ibn Raissul who became the town’s pasha, before being occupied by the Spanish from 1912 until 1956.  \n  \nToday, Asilah is known for its annual international festival during which cultural exchanges bring together men of letters, philosophers and artists from all four corners of the globe.  \n  \nIt has preserved, behind the high ochre walls of its ramparts which encase it like a jewel, the immaculate whiteness of its houses and the authenticity of its architecture.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"316ea9fa-ec89-5b88-9a8a-0d1c9aec6578":{"title":"SETÚBAL","description":"Set on the estuary of the River Sado, the Port of Setúbal was, besides the sea traffic, an important region for both fishing and salting in Roman times. Following the Christian Reconquest, the town received a further boost after a period of stagnation. It was linked to the Order of Santiago da Espada, and was granted a charter in 1249.  \n  \nThere are still some traces of the town walls, built in 1343, during the reign of D. Afonso IV.  \n  \nBy the end of the 15th century, due to the revenue from the salt trade and other products, Setúbal was making considerable tax contributions to Crown coffers. D. João II, who married his cousin Leonor in the town in 1471, made a number of improvements, building an aqueduct and regulating the urban area that had spread beyond the 14th-century walls.  \n  \nD. Manuel I took great interest in the town, ordering two parish churches to be built as well as the Town Hall, the prison, slaughterhouses, a leper hospital and corn market. The Master of the Order of Santiago, D. Jorge de Lencastre, the natural son of D. João II, had a residence in the town and was also a patron of local institutions.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"31e5d2b4-692b-5e7b-9fc4-9d10025c2f3e":{"title":"Racalmuto","description":""},"32391ad5-c5c3-530a-8616-731bc01e3327":{"title":"Eçeabat","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"325d985d-0eb8-5039-be2c-18c3e5d1710a":{"title":"Carthage","description":""},"32679e25-72c3-5f81-93b7-b47774d618a3":{"title":"Lambach","description":""},"32b28c15-d37b-558f-b099-b65900c17cf2":{"title":"SÃO SEBASTIÃO","description":"São Sebastião, one of the most important towns on the island of Terceira, was granted a charter in 1503, and was one of municipalities that developed most during the Manueline period due to its position between Angra and Praia, which justified the building of a large parish church.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"331b7d91-f7b7-51dc-9d7e-b467f1d7abe7":{"title":"Schäftlarn","description":""},"333bd404-e9e3-54a8-8aa2-bb30cfc82c46":{"title":"Ariccia","description":"Ancient *Aricia* was a famous pre-Roman city and an important member of the Latin League due to the presence of the Sanctuary of Diana on its land—one of the three main places of worship of the confederation of Latin peoples. The hegemonic ambitions of the Etruscans toward southern Lazio came to a close at the end of the 6th century BCE with the famous battle of Aricia.  \n  \nThe city took part in the battle of Lake Regillus (c. 496 BCE) after the defeat of the Latin League as stipulated in the *Foedus Cassianum* (493 BCE). Following the refurbishment of the Via Appia starting in 312 BCE, the town moved from the top of the acropolis (the current Historical Centre) towards the valley, which started being populated with *tabernae* (shops), warehouses, temples, public buildings and markets, all revolving around a Forum, whose arch, *Basto del Diavolo* (Devil’s packsaddle), was one of the entrances and is still standing today. Many *Aricini* were awarded important public offices in Rome. Moreover, Augustus’ maternal family was originally from Aricia.  \n  \nDespite being severely affected by the decadence of the Roman Empire, Aricia survived the assaults of the Vandals, but by the turn of the 5th century CE it succumbed to the barbarian hordes that looted and attacked the Roman countryside, and later the Saracen raids. The local population slowly moved back towards the acropolis and the upstream areas.  \n  \nIn 981 CE Ariccia became a fief of the powerful family of the Counts of Tusculum, and it went then to the Malabrancas. They promoted important fortification works, choosing the area today occupied by Chigi Palace to build a defensive tower to the northern entrance, facing the current Via dei Laghi, which became the main entrance to the town due to the abandonment of the Appia Antica. Later, the land tenure went from the Malabrancas to several religious orders, namely the monks of Saint Anastasius, Tre Fontane, the Colonna papal family and the Order of Grottaferrata, but only decaying ruins remained to recall its ancient splendour.  \n  \nIn 1473 Ariccia was acquired by the Savelli family. They launched the reconstruction of the destroyed town, providing it with services, adequate fortifications and – starting at the beginning of the 16th century – the erection of the baronial palace. After being purchased by the Chigi family in 1661, the village underwent a complete transformation under Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The brilliant architect not only redesigned the Palazzo, designed the Piazza di Corte and built the Assunta complex, the Stalloni and the Porta Napoletana, but he also reorganized internal roads and oversaw the redevelopment of construction in the city. The recent refurbishment of the square has allowed for the modern needs of the town and its citizens while restoring the architectural value of the precious complex.  \n  \nIn 1854 the Monumental Bridge was inaugurated, commissioned by Pius IX (1846–78). It is considered one of the most magnificent works of engineering of the Pontifical State.  \n  \nAriccia is also known worldwide as the land of porchetta (boneless pork roast). You can find shops and taverns (*fraschette*) that offer this classic product all over Ariccia. The secret of its recipe dates back more than 26 centuries: thus, the porchetta of Ariccia was no less famous in Roman times (when it was called *ventre falisco*) than it is now.","extra":{"info":"To visit Ariccia you should allow at least a full day. You can create your own itinerary using this website to get an idea about the monuments and sites to be visited or you select from the routes that you find on this page, after the map: \\[https://explore.museumwnf.org/countries/c-it/l-409\\](< https://explore.museumwnf.org/countries/c-it/l-409>) For the opening hours of Chigi Palace and the possibility of visiting other monuments, see the corresponding files. Churches are normally closed between about 12.30 and 15.30.","contact":"Chigi Palace  \nPiazza di Corte, 14  \n00040 Ariccia (Rome)  \nEmail: info@palazzochigiariccia.com  \nPhone: +39 06 933 0053","contacts":[{"name":"Comune di Ariccia","phone":"+39 06 93 48 51 (centralino)","address":"Piazza della Repubblica, 1, 00040 Ariccia (RM)"}],"prepared_by":"arch. Francesco Petrucci  \nCopy-editor (Italian): Saverio Capozzi  \nTranslator: Lavinia Amenduni  \nCopy-editor (English): Danny de la Vega  \n© Museum With No Frontiers (MWNF)","how_to_reach":"**By car**: take Via Appia Nuova (SS 7), 28 km from Rome, going south. At the entrance to Ariccia, follow the signs for parking at the foot of the Monumental Bridge, where you can take an elevator with a panoramic view of Chigi Park to easily reach Piazza di Corte, the historic centre and the Fraschette area. Alternatively, you can find a place to leave your car in one of the many available parking lots in the city. All parking spots are subject to payment for non-residents.  \n  \n**By train and/or bus**: Ariccia is easily reachable by public transport too: from Roma Termini Station, take the regional train to Albano Laziale (departure every hour, [www.trenitalia.com](https://www.trenitalia.com), journey time approximately 50 minutes). Leaving the Albano Laziale station, go up the stairway that crosses a park to reach the Appia Nuova (this segment called Corso Matteotti); continue to the right and after a 15–20 minute walk, skirting the tomb of the Oriazi and Curiazi from above and crossing the Monumental Bridge with a view of Chigi Palace and the Church of the Assumption, you will reach Ariccia. On the Appia Nuova you can also find a minibus-shuttle that connects Albano, Ariccia and Genzano (about three trips per hour). As an alternative to the train, you can take the Cotral buses departing from Anagnina, the last stop of Metro A, toward Velletri (about two departures per hour, [www.cotralspa.it](https://www.cotralspa.it/)); in this case it is better to get off at Albano Laziale and take the minibus-shuttle that leaves from the same square or continue on foot (see above); since the Monumental Bridge has been closed to heavy vehicles, the Cotral bus stop in the Ariccia city centre has been suspended.","additional_regions":[1,2]}},"33598575-8404-5b92-bfea-14aa8e9b5544":{"title":"SINTRA","description":"In countless descriptions provided by Arab geographers, Sintra is always mentioned as being dependent upon Lisbon. Apart from a number of other small settlements that took advantage of the fertile soil of the region’s valleys, the main centres of population would have been the Moorish Castle and the area where the Vila Palace now stands. High up in the mountains, the long perimeter wall (heavily rebuilt as a result of Romanticism in the 19th century) defended a small settlement and also served as a temporary refuge for those from outside. In view of its mild climate, leafy woods and abundant supplies of water, Sintra seems to have been favoured as a summer residence and leisure spot by the nobility of Lisbon, both before and after its inclusion in the kingdom of Portugal.  \n  \nThe Moorish community remained a very dense one throughout the region. At the end of the 15th century, there was still mention of a Moorish Cemetery in Colares, which D. Manuel I gave to a private individual.  \n  \nAt the height of the period of Romanticism that swept across Europe in the 19th century, Sintra joined in with the Revivalist movement. This resulted in the blending of many of the region’s historical features with visions of an exotic East, which at that time was undergoing a process of conquest and assimilation by various colonial powers. The Pena Palace thus came into being as a work that reflected the wishes of a prince consort of German origin. Likewise, the Monserrate Pavilion would have made no sense without the Indian and Moorish delirium that inspired its creation and was so fashionable amongst British aristocratic circles at the time.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"336c7ca4-8c52-5e89-a9b6-5bb9da298a6c":{"title":"Lagos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"33f0a28d-5ee4-567a-a3e1-f51cb0ebf14e":{"title":"Kemerburgaz","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"34ae3cf7-4d3f-5c3f-b623-a39e7546c6c9":{"title":"Oberammergau","description":""},"34e69385-f419-572e-b66a-7586c5008fb8":{"title":"Oroszlány-Majkpuszta","description":""},"37188672-4c42-54e6-9f5f-5e9b19515f4e":{"title":"İnegöl","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3735bf6f-80a1-5e8c-b2d8-3aa8b4852fa4":{"title":"Velika Mlaka","description":""},"375e7bfc-c808-5833-8592-9c06e884cedd":{"title":"Bosra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"376d8d50-83c1-5c1b-9172-14f8ebb37fb7":{"title":"Belyunesh","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Located about 50 km. from Tétouan. A sublime route along the Mediterranean and across the mountainous ridge of Hauz. Estimate between three and four hours for this part of the itinerary.  \nLeave Tétouan via avenue Martil, heading in the direction of Ceuta. Arriving in Fnidq, head towards Tangier. After about 5 km., take a right in the direction of Belyunesh. Continue for a further 12 km. on an extremely winding road across the Ridge of Hauz. Belyunesh is at the foot of the Jabal Musa."}},"37d6f9fc-2d1d-58a5-809b-e7326bd1dc23":{"title":"RABAT","description":"It was during the 4th/10th century that the Orthodox Muslim warriors, fighting against heretic tribes, built a fortified basecamp, *ribat*, on the left bank of the mouth of the Bu Regreg, not far from the remains of the Roman city of antiquity, Sala Colonia. The latter was itself built on the site of a small agglomeration which served, from the 10th century BC, first as a Phoenician, then as a Carthaginian stopover at a time when the western Maghreb, from Algiers to the Atlantic, and from the Sahara to al-Andalus, was unified under the Almoravids (447/1056–542/1147). These *Murabitin*s, “men of the *ribat*”, endowed the *ribat* of Bu Regreg with an element of sanctity, making it the spearhead of their battle against the Berghuata, who had been responsible for the death of ‘Abd Allah Ibn Yassin, the founder of their dynasty. When the Almohads succeeded the Almoravids, the *ribat* of Bu Regreg, instead of losing its defensive and military role, entered into the history books during the reign of the first Almohad Sovereign ‘Abd al-Mumen (524/1130–558/1163) under the title of “*Ribat al-Fath*”, “The Camp of the Conquest”.  \n  \nIn fact, it was around 540/1146 that ‘Abd al-Mumen, the founder of the greatest Muslim Empire of the West that ever existed, gave the order for the creation of a *kasbah* including its palaces, its mosque and its compensating reservoirs. He christened it *Mahdiya* at first, meaning the town of *Mahdi* in reference to Ibn Tumert, promulgator of the Muslim reformist movement which called itself *Mahdi*, that is to say “*God’s Chosen One*”, chosen to preach the Good and fight Bad. According to witness accounts by Hassan al-Wazzan, known under the pseudonym of Leon the African, the Almohad Caliph became particularly attached to the new *kasbah*, and grew into the habit of residing there each year between April and September, as well as from time-to-time holding large reunions there, gathering round him all provincial governors and army chiefs. Additionally, the *ribat* gained a military aspect to it by becoming an assembly point for the troops, a step on the way to the Conquest of Spain where Muslims faced an increasing Christian opposition. ‘Abd al-Mumen thus enlarged the *ribat*, fortified the *kasbah*, Salé and the Ma‘mora, and constructed an important naval shipyard. The towns of the Bu Regreg entered the history books at full steam.  \n  \nThe Almohad Empire experienced its true Golden Age under the reign of ‘Abd al-Mumen’s grandson, Abu Yusuf Ya‘ub al-Mansur (579/1184–595/1199), who defeated the Castillians at Alarcos in 591/1195, this time gaining an enormous war booty which enabled him to produce great works as a builder. It was thus that he decided, in particular, to erect a veritable Almohad capital, following the Idrissids in their building of Fez and the Almoravids in their building of Marrakesh. Having in spirit what his empire had in terms of its Andalusian destiny, he chose the site of the *ribat* of the Bu Regreg, which opened directly onto the ocean, to house, in his view, one of the greatest Muslim towns in the world. He undertook the construction of a massive mosque, the largest in Islam after the Samarra Mosque in Iraq. But in 595/1199, as the minaret stood already 40 m. high above ground, Ya‘qub al-Mansur died, and the building work stopped, and was not to be taken up again, on the same site, until seven and a half centuries later when the mausoleum of Mohamed V was built.  \n  \nThus, after *Ribat al-Fath* had become a charming city, of which geographers of the time spoke highly on its beautiful houses, attractive coastline, varied and lush orchards, and numerous boats which assured the navigation between the two riverbanks which were in any case linked by a wooden bridge, as well as on the prosperity of its inhabitants and the safety of its streets, it progressively became depopulated after the death of al-Mansur, especially after the defeat of Las Navas de Tolosa in 608/1212, which blew a hole in the Muslim conquest of al-Andalus. It nevertheless retained a certain economic prosperity, derived from fishing and agriculture, which grew when it began to take advantage of the new techniques brought over by the Andalusian refugees. With the demise of the Almohad Empire, *Ribat al-Fath* entered a morose era of abatement, even though the river’s estuary retained its sacred status. It was this mythical and mystical prestige which incited the founder of the Merinid Dynasty, Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub (656/1258–685/1286) to bury his wife, al-Horra Umm al-‘Izz, at the antique site of Chellah in 682/1284, and to have himself buried there as well. The various sovereigns belonging to this dynasty kept this tradition going, and in 739/1339, Abu al-Hassan had a rampart and *zawiya* added. Even when Abu Inan, the son of Abu al-Hassan, revolted against his father, who was then killed in the ensuing battle, his own body was brought back to Rabat to be buried in the necropolis.  \n  \nAs soon as the Hafsids of Tunisia created troubles for the Merinids, forcing them to leave the mouth of the Bu Regreg, the left bank experienced a kind of hibernation period, during which the Chellah watched over its dead in silence. However, Salé continued to have a booming agriculture and to be an important harbour, welcoming in several migrating populations including the Berbers, the Andalusians and even the Tunisians.","extra":{"author":"Kamal Lakhdar"}},"3825da91-9387-5c14-8956-99f7f8d7b46f":{"title":"The Ports of the Strait","description":"The ports are in a privileged position, in terms of political and cultural relations between Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula, as they are located at the coastal tip of north Morocco, between Tangier and Ceuta, at a point which seems to want to join up to Spain. The stretch of sea filling the Strait which was compared to a river, as opposed to being viewed as an obstacle, and, since the earliest times of history, was always an easy means of communication between ,  \n  \nEurope and other Mediterranean countries. It is through this coastal zone that Morocco came into contact with Punic, Roman, Byzantine, and Visigothic civilisations (as did Spain), and through which the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitania, the capital which was Tangiers, was linked, at the end of the Roman Empire, to the diocese of Spain. It was thus that during the height of the Moroccan-Andalusian civilisation, particularly during the 7th/13th and 8th/14th centuries, Ceuta (*Sebta*), Ksar Es-Seghir and Tangier enjoyed an economic prosperity and cultural development that was without precedent.","extra":{"duration":"Three days","et_title":"IAM;ma;VII;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[518,506,509,517,505,511]}},"383e8088-f8da-5a5c-a5d5-9d5aa5274552":{"title":"Deir al-Qamar","description":""},"387b9175-e6eb-50ea-a1fc-e5728762c257":{"title":"Prelog","description":""},"39b8eaff-ee45-5678-bd24-37bb72687b8e":{"title":"TAORMINA","description":"The seat of Siculians or Sikels, of whom there remains in witness a necropolis of the 8th century BC, the city was founded and inhabited in the 4th century BC by a group of Greek refugees from nearby Naxos. At the time of the Romans it was enriched by prestigious monumental buildings, of which some conspicuous vestiges remain.  \n  \nIn the 7th century the Byzantines added further fortifications to the Hellenistic walls (Castles of Monte Tauro and Castelmola), and established the capital of the *thema* in the city when Syracuse fell into the hands of the Muslims (878). This permitted them, thanks to the inaccessibility of the site and to its powerful defensive structure, a strenuous resistance to the Arab Conquest. In fact, the Reconquest by the Christians in 909 followed the first capitulation of 902 under the blows of Amir Ibrahim Ibn Ahmad and in 962, after an assault lasting seven months, the final occupation by the Muslims. The survivors were deported as slaves to Yemen and acquired by the Fatimid Caliph of Bagdad, al-Mansur. The city changed its name to *al-Mu‘izziya* to celebrate the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu‘izz and the conquerors started their reconstruction in the south where the Cusene and Porta Saraceni Quarters have been identified. The construction of a tower in the area of the Roman forum is also attributed to the Arab period (the pre-existence of Palazzo Corvaja). This presided over the Giarafi (“canal”) Quarters, where the hydraulic conduits of the imperial age converged, which the Muslims had wisely enriched, with irrigation outlets in the surrounding land to encourage cultivation of the fields.  \n  \nThe Normans conquered it in 1079 after an ingenious assault, carried out by the means of stockades, ephemeral *donjons* and innovative war machines, which completely isolated the sharp relief on which the settlement stood. Further, the city having been taken, the built-up area was restricted to the original town, justifying this contraction by the improvement of the defensive strategy, by way of a smaller walled circle, which was easier to control and maintain.  \n  \nHaving been the seat of Parliament at the beginning of the 15th century during the Vice Regency of the house of Aragon, the State-owned city was sold several times by the Spanish court.  \n  \nExcluded from all commercial traffic, the city was opened in the 19th century to the tourist industry, thanks to the renown that travellers and *vedutisti* had bestowed on it, from the second half of the 18th century.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"39e4c763-441f-534f-b7da-8466a3a1068b":{"title":"Machico","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3a09d8fd-9ec4-537e-b74b-4bd0314de3cd":{"title":"Rein","description":""},"3a40eacd-85fa-5375-8374-cb892e542155":{"title":"Sharjah City","description":""},"3a6b5537-8ef3-58a1-8704-0989bb384b5f":{"title":"São Marcos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3ac8be4a-60b0-501f-ae16-415814fefcd9":{"title":"ADRANO","description":"Its name comes from Adranon, a goddess for a long time venerated by the Siculians. According to the historian Diodorus, Dionisius I, the tyrant of Syracuse, founded the city in about 400 BC. After submission to the Romans it passed through a long period of decline, prolonged by the turbulence during the Byzantine era. It flourished once again during the Arabic period, with the name of Adornu, changed to Aderno and also to Adernione. It was an important feudal township under the Norman Dynasty reaching a good level of prosperity thanks to the peaceful life, lived out in common with the Greeks, Latins, Jews and Muslims, and becoming the centre of an important and fecund countryside. Al- Idrisi in about 1150 described it thus: “A gracious hamlet, which could almost be called a small city; it rises on a rocky peak, has a market, a bath, a fine stronghold and plenty of water”.  \n  \nFrom the 14th century the fiefdom belonged to Matteo Sclafani and then to the Moncada family. It only reverted to the original name of Adrano in 1929.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"3b1a2aeb-e44a-5dbf-aee3-db40aede9066":{"title":"Italy","description":""},"3b623270-d9d2-5179-b4e8-6ba0325ea34f":{"title":"Innsbruck-Wilten","description":""},"3b8103a8-becc-51c6-a642-41a3f1554497":{"title":"LEMTA","description":"Originally a Libyc-Punic agglomeration, *Leptimus* is mentioned for the first time in the 4th century BC Allied to Rome. During the third Punic War, in 146 BC, it benefited from the status of a “liberated town” following the defeat of Carthage. Elevated to colonial status by Trajan, it became the principal town of the regional area of *Leptiminensis*. After the Byzantine Conquest, it became the home base of the Byzantium military command. Its renaissance dates from the Aghlabid period: from a simple *ribat* that served as a refuge to fishermen, Lemta became one of the most important ports of Ifriqiya. Nevertheless, it was supplanted by Mahdia in the 3rd–4th/beginning of 10th century. Around Lemta there is a salt marsh that, according to al-Bakri, produced fine-quality salt.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"3bd2a83c-a7d1-563a-9483-3a0bae6d0e2e":{"title":"Palestrina","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"3bd697d1-1027-5e5d-9907-d117f0bf38fb":{"title":"In the Lands of the Enchanted Moorish Maiden. Islamic Art in Portugal","description":"The emergence of the Islamic civilization cannot be disconnected from the geographical and cultural context of Mediterranean urban traditions which, at the time, saw serious schisms shaking religious systems, especially Christianity. It is increasingly recognised that the new religious doctrine spread more effectively amongst urbane and mercantile circles, rather than being imposed by the force of arms. The awareness of this point of view allows one to better understand the evolution of Iberian Islam and to explain the fast and effective expanding of a religious proselytism, which spread in just a few years to almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. Archaeological research and recent historiography now tend to minimise the notion of military endeavors in favour of a model of cultural synthesis. This syncretism largely occurred through exposure to sailors, merchants and mule drivers who had benefited from the development of major maritime routes and urban centres.  \n  \nWhile travelling through the *Lands of the Enchanted Moorish Maiden*, the visitor will discover the peculiarities of an Islamic artistic style which, in Portugal, developed on the margins of the major centres of Andalusian civilisation. From Coimbra to the borders of the Algarve, the populations of ancient Gharb al-Andalus have integrated their rich and varied heritages to give life to a delicate symbiosis that characterises the local architecture.  \n  \nFrom its palaces, Christianised mosques, fortifications and urban centres emerge the splendour of a glorious past in the cultural identity of modern Portugal.","extra":{"duration":"Ten Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Head of Project:**  \nFlavio Lopes  \n  \n**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nCláudio Torres  \nSantiago Macias  \nSusana Gómez  \n  \n**Local Coordinators**  \nTeresa Gamboa  \nIsabel Menezes  \nMiguel Valdemar  \n  \n**Photographer**  \nAntónio Cunha","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"3c220c46-7247-5a4c-8307-edb69c9d95b2":{"title":"Touggourt","description":""},"3c452f8c-c184-58df-a05d-da033e720ab2":{"title":"Zsira-Gyüleviz","description":""},"3c78c18d-c7e4-5bbf-99c1-d4cd544fa0f6":{"title":"Gelibolu","description":"","extra":{"info":"Today the Gelibolu (known as Gallipoli in the West) Peninsula is a National Park full of monuments and cemeteries of Turkish and foreign soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Çanakkale. You can take a rather narrow main road to the southern end of the peninsula where there are Turkish, French and English monuments. In the direction of the town of Gelibolu to the north, you can reach Kabatepe, Anzac Bay and Conk Bayırı by heading north and then taking a road that curves to the left. There is a small museum at Kabatepe, where belongings recovered from the soldiers of the First World War are displayed.","how_to_reach":"You can reach Gelibolu by taking the main road D.550 north from Eceabat.","showOnMonument":true}},"3c8f11c1-0bcf-53d0-80b8-fffd3dd74106":{"title":"Sines","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3cb405e1-d7e3-557c-a9d5-195513f53afb":{"title":"Qal‘at Bani Hammad","description":""},"3cb9ba99-b573-5934-be8b-f6ee81c0c904":{"title":"Almeida","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3cdfa37d-3583-5465-8552-4683f18b63f0":{"title":"Wadi al-Dhlayl","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3d3e1e7e-a4cb-5981-be10-8f0713b262bd":{"title":"Monsanto","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3d7c4663-726a-5e6e-abd2-574c088f2bdb":{"title":"Hama","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3d7de905-9d34-51ff-8ace-3c5bd1a3621f":{"title":"Marija Bistrica","description":""},"3e3226ec-2934-5bff-9c3a-e908fd1f3b97":{"title":"Kroměříž","description":""},"3e4984f1-8471-5aa4-b8db-98582c1a7b9e":{"title":"CALERA DE LEÓN","description":"In the south of the province of Badajoz, on the border with the province of Huelva, this district is in a mountainous area of great natural beauty where the predominant vegetation is the Mediterranean forest with holm and oaks. A few kilometres away, in the Sierra Morena of Extremadura and on the highest point of the province of Badajoz, on top of Mount Tentudía (1.104 m. above sea level), the patron of the area is venerated at the Monastery of Santa Maria.","extra":{"author":"María Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"3ebb1685-d2d3-5c90-a5f1-ee0cf14962ee":{"title":"Ayn al-Basha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3f26c0bb-582a-51d1-b242-35e9d983b978":{"title":"Veszprém","description":""},"3f6217d0-928f-5b6b-aad0-43178b90d462":{"title":"Hisban","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"3f63c49f-df3d-56ae-93aa-a79b5fc615dc":{"title":"Doubravník","description":""},"3f809a1a-8b5d-5267-8849-10e66add38ef":{"title":"Mrayjat","description":""},"3faf7c9b-92f5-500e-8dce-9b0469575b83":{"title":"MADABA","description":"The city of Madaba originated in biblical times, but this “City of Mosaics” is most famous for its seat of a Byzantine bishopric and for the centre of a mosaic school. During the Roman-Byzantine period, Madaba was part of the *Provincia Arabia*, which was drawn up by the Roman emperor Trajan after the Roman conquest of the region. After the Arab-Muslim conquest in the early 1st/7th century and during the Umayyad period, Madaba became part of the Belqa, which was under the jurisdiction of the military province of Damascus. Both archaeological and literary evidence points to the fact that the population and importance of Madaba declined after the 3rd/9th century. The reoccupation of the city by 90 Christian families from Karak, led by two Italian priests from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 1297/1880, saw the start of archaeological research in the city.","extra":{"author":"Lara Tohme"}},"4032d736-6d2c-563e-b70c-d81b30ccdcb6":{"title":"Torres Novas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"404d229a-b1e2-5847-aa46-4647891b199c":{"title":"Tétouan","description":""},"40a104c7-2b64-5fa9-b749-b3ca016669f0":{"title":"Khan al-Arus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"40c80fcd-9277-5ae3-a6d1-38062174830c":{"title":"BİRGİ","description":"Mehmed Bey, one of the commanders of the Germiyan Emirate’s army, founded an Emirate named after his father Aydın, in the regions of ancient Lydia and Ionia in West Anatolia and made Birgi his centre. Also known by his nickname “Mübarizüddin”, “the Warrior for the Religion”, Mehmed Bey divided up the regions he had conquered among his sons. Mehmed Bey carried out various raids on the Aegean and Rumelian shores with the naval forces he had established in Ayasuluğ and İzmir. When Mehmed Bey passed away in 1334, his son Umur Bey took his place.  \n  \nIbn Batuta, who in the year 1333 visited Birgi, stayed for 14 days at the palace of Mehmed Bey, the founder of the Emirate. According to information the traveller gives about the palace, Mehmed Bey’s quarters were located in a high section. At the corners of the pool in the middle of the apartment were bronze statues of lions with water flowing out of their mouths and the inner courtyard was surrounded with rooms side by side. The traveller speaks with praise of 20 young Rum men with long blonde hair wearing satin dresses that welcomed them on arrival at the palace, and of the golden spoons and ceramic bowls he saw there."},"40e0a813-e29a-5917-9a2d-6404a2394bb2":{"title":"Nová Říše","description":""},"40fc3da3-4415-5ff1-8d07-1cc5075d01b2":{"title":"Le Sahara, refuge ibadite","description":"Avec l’avènement de l’islam, le Maghreb devient progressivement une province musulmane dont le gouverneur est installé à Kairouan (Qayrawan, “place d’armes” en arabe), première ville fondée dès 49/670 dans la steppe tunisienne, en Ifriqiya, par le conquérant arabe du Maghreb Okba ben Nafi et point de départ pour la conquête du reste de la région.  \n  \nAu centre et à l’ouest, après la résistance des tribus berbères du massif de l’Aurès, les populations adoptent peu à peu l’islam et couvrent la région de monuments dédiés au culte et à la vénération de personnages emblématiques sanctifiés par la ferveur populaire. Le mausolée de Sidi Okba érigé en 63/683, quelques années après sa mort, sur les lieux mêmes où il fut combattu, témoigne de l’adhésion des populations locales à la nouvelle religion, même si, aux dires d’Ibn Khaldoun, les Berbères étaient aussi prompts à la conversion qu’à l’apostasie – “douze fois en soixante-dix ans”, avance-t-il.  \n  \nDurant la période de transition entre les califats omeyyade et abbasside, le Maghreb est encore gouverné par les héritiers des premiers conquérants arabes sous diverses dénominations : Fihrissites (tribu d’origine de Sidi Okba), *wullat* (pluriel de *wilaya*, province), comme attesté par l’étalon de poids en verre conservé au Musée national des antiquités et des arts islamiques et découvert dans la ville de Mila. Il porte une inscription en caractères coufiques qui déclare : “Au nom de Dieu. Parmi ce qu’a ordonné / le gouverneur Abd al-Rahman ben Habib / à Masal ben Hammad, préfet de Mila / vingt *ukiya*, en l’an / cent vingt-sept”. Le Maghreb appartient toujours au bloc politico-religieux du monde musulman.  \n  \nCependant, les nouveaux conquérants arabes appliquent une lourde fiscalité et affichent un mépris pesant à l’égard des nouveaux convertis. La réaction, alimentée par un particularisme exacerbé, se traduit alors par une entrée en dissidence avec l’adoption de la doctrine kharidjite. Celle-ci est un schisme à caractère révolutionnaire né en Orient, après que les partisans du calife Ali lui eurent manifesté leur désapprobation en “sortant” de ses rangs. Au Maghreb, elle fournit à la résistance berbère un fondement idéologique religieux contre le despotisme et l’arbitraire des Arabes. Différents noyaux de dissidence se créent alors. En 140/758, ces Kharidjites parviennent à s’emparer de la capitale, Kairouan, mais en 143/761, son gouverneur, Abd al-Rahman ibn Rostom, en est chassé. Il réussit à prendre la fuite et créera bientôt le premier état kharidjite de tendance ibadite.  \n  \nAu même moment, Abou Qorra fonde lui aussi un royaume kharidjite aux environs de la ville de Tlemcen. En 771, ces deux royaumes coalisés tiennent le Maghreb central et l’Ifriqiya.  \n  \nTahert, près de l’actuelle ville de Tiaret, sera la première capitale ibadite et restera le symbole de l’opposition au pouvoir central de Kairouan tout au long des cent trente-deux ans de son existence en tant que capitale du royaume rostémide. De cette cité jadis florissante, il ne reste que quelques vestiges à proximité de Tiaret. Elle est détruite en 298/911 par la nouvelle force montante qui apparaît alors au Maghreb central, la dynastie fatimide, qui, de sa base établie à Ikjan en Petite Kabylie, fera tomber successivement toutes les cités kharidjites.  \n  \nAprès la chute de leur capitale, les Kharidjites sont contraints au “regroupement défensif” et à l’exil. Ils se réfugient alors au Sahara, à Sédrata (Isedraten), leur deuxième capitale, près de la ville de Ouargla. Malgré les terribles fièvres et l’aridité absolue du désert environnant, les fugitifs décident d’y construire leur ville car, à soixante mètres de profondeur, ils trouvèrent une nappe artésienne immense. Dès lors, la ville ne cessa de se développer et connut, comme Tahert dont elle était l’héritière, un rayonnement intellectuel intense. Elle sera à son tour détruite par les Hammadides en 469/1077 et abandonnée, ne tardant pas dès lors à être enfouie sous les sables.  \n  \nAprès la destruction de leur ville, les Ibadites s’enfonceront, plus à l’ouest, dans la vallée du M’zab, où ils avaient fondé, à partir de 433/1042, les cinq villes où leurs descendants vivent encore aujourd’hui, ne manquant pas, chaque année au printemps, de se rendre en pèlerinage et de prier longuement avec leurs coreligionnaires sur les vestiges de ce qui fut leurs capitales primitives de Tahert et de Sédrata.  \n  \nAujourd’hui, installés dans le cadre naturel hostile de la vallée du M’zab dompté par leur génie créatif, ils ont pu maîtriser les précieuses ressources hydrauliques, inventer des formes d’urbanisation et d’architecture originales et allier la prospérité économique à la ferveur religieuse de l’ibadisme. Ghardaïa, la capitale mozabite, est une leçon d’architecture pour nombre de prestigieux architectes : “Un mode de construction  \nqui dicte la forme et en donne l’esthétique” (Hassan Fathy) ; “Le M’zab est prestigieux sans intention de prestige” (André Ravereau). Depuis sa création, la ville n’a cessé d’assurer cet axe essentiel du commerce transsaharien de Kairouan à Gao et d’Alger aux abords du Nil et aux villes saintes de La Mecque et de Médine.","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"introd_type":"ET-long#2","location_ids":[525,526,524,523,246,499,244],"et_introduction":"IAM;dz;I;en;1"}},"413cbd60-dc6d-57e8-979d-fa600cdd6ee9":{"title":"Macedonia","description":""},"41629ffb-6de7-535c-a38c-8f1a49bae169":{"title":"Guadix","description":""},"41986273-85a3-5020-a672-b11953b0ac51":{"title":"Town of Vascos","description":""},"422310e1-b698-5e49-9b64-ee6a30f98420":{"title":"GHAWR AL-SAFI (ZOAR)","description":"The site of ancient Zoar is located at Khirbat Sheikh ‘Isa, near Ghawr al-Safi, at the southeast end of the Dead Sea, about 63 km. southwest of Karak. Zoar was mentioned for the first time in the biblical narratives in Genesis 14:2, in the episode of the four kings from the East who invaded the five cities of the Dead Sea plain. The city appears in this episode under the name of Bala‘. The campaign of the four kings occurred, supposedly, in the time of Abraham, in the 2nd millennium BC. The renowned biblical scholar de Vaux argued that the stories in Genesis 14, however, are difficult to place in the history of the Middle East and were written largely to associate Abraham with the historical events of the country.  \n  \nZoar is mentioned again in the account of the punitive destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Genesis 19, the story relates that Lot, the nephew of Abraham, prayed for the little town near Sodom to be preserved and Yahweh granted him this favour after which the town was named Zoar, “the little one”. From there, Lot fled to the hill-country and made his home in a cave (see Monastery of St. Lot). According to the story here one daughter gave birth to Moab, the father of the Moabites and the other to Ben ‘Ammi, the ancestor of the Ammonites. A recent survey of Ghawr al-Safi located the ruins of Khirbat Sheikh ‘Isa, which include an impressive stretch of a town wall, and identified the site with Zoar.  \n  \nIn the prophecies of Jeremiah 48 and Isaisah 15, Zoar is mentioned again in events of the mid-6th century BC: “Why the heart of Moab is groaning, why its fugitives are as far afield as Zoar?”. This oracle refers to the invasion of the Babylonians, either under Nebuchadnezzar II in 598 or under Nabonidus in 552 BC. On his way to Tayma in Arabia, Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, conquered Moab and Edom and he has been memorialised in a relief carved on the rock of Sela‘, south of Tafilah.  \n  \nUnder the Nabataeans, the city was certainly a major stopping point on the road from Petra to the Dead Sea, where bitumen was collected and sold to Egypt for mummification. Because of its location on a strategic road, Zoar was captured by the Hasmonaean prince Alexander Jannaeus in 83-82 BC, but given back to Aretas III by Hyrcanus II. Following the annexation of the Nabataean kingdom in 106, a Roman garrison was posted at Zoar. The Roman camp was located above Khirbat Sheikh ‘Isa, at the site of Umm al-Tawabin. Under Hadrian (117-138), Zoar is mentioned again in the Babatha archives. This Babatha was a wealthy lady of Jewish origin who was living at Maoz, the port of Zoar on the Dead Sea. When the revolt of Bar Kokhba broke out in 132, she took her documents to hide them in a cave near En-Gedi. She married twice, but it appears from the archives that she had problems with her second marriage as the wife of her second husband refused a divorce. Babatha sued this wife as well as John, son of Joseph Eglas and Abodobodas, son of Ellouthas, guardians of her orphaned son Jesus. Her cases were heard by the governor at Petra or at Areopolis-Rabba.  \n  \nWhen Diocletian reorganised the Roman Empire at the end of the 3rd century, Zoar was attached to *Palestinia Tertia*. On the mosaic Map of Madaba, a church is depicted at Zoar, to the right of a palm grove. Its name appears as “Balak”.  \n  \nIn the Medieval Islamic periods, Zoar (Arabic Zaghar) enjoyed great prosperity and its oasis was famous for the production of dates, indigo, syrup, sugar and balsam.","extra":{"author":"Fawzi Zayadine"}},"42606190-a5cf-5ecd-b509-7f549868d123":{"title":"Vilar Formoso","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4290ba30-f4a1-53d5-8db1-5fbff0c2df75":{"title":"Antique Heritage in an Ayyubid City","description":"Throughout the ages, Bosra remained a major city in the Hauran region that stretches to the south of Damascus between the Jabal al-Druze in the east and the Golan Heights in the west. Bosra secured its wealth by the fertile agricultural lands that had long served as the granary for the Bilad al-Sham. The Nabateans transferred their capital from Petra to Bosra in the first century AD and, after the Roman conquest in 106 AD, it became the capital of the *Provincia Arabia*.  \n  \nWith the triumph of Islam over the region in 13/634, life continued within the Antique city; very few alterations to the infrastructure were undertaken. The only evidence of early Islamic building activity is the two reused inscriptions in the Great Mosque dating to the 2nd/8th century. The religious and economic status of Bosra grew due to its status as an attractive market and trade centre, as well as the southernmost outpost of Damascus and the last major halt on the pilgrimage route, between Syria and the holy cities in the Hijaz. The pilgrimage caravans would halt in Bosra and arrange their provisions before entering the desert. According to the medieval traveller and historian Ibn Battuta, the city of Bosra was where the Prophet Muhammad’s caravan would stop to do trade on behalf of his wife, Khadija, who was a renowned merchant in Mecca. Mabrak al-Naqa holds the imprints of the Prophet’s kneeling she-camel, and the site revered as material evidence of the Prophet’s visit. The biography (*Sira*) of the Prophet, sites Bosra as the place where the Christian monk Bahira who resided in the Basilica of the city, foretold Muhammad his future prophecy.  \n  \nThe redevelopment of medieval Bosra started with the Seljuq conquest of Damascus and the surrounding territories in 468/1076. Initial alterations were undertaken at the citadel by Shams al-Daula Gumushtagin, who was the son of the Seljuq ruler of Damascus, Taj al Daula Tutush (r. 471–88/1078–95). Mostly, the redevelopments are ascribed to the Turkish general Amin al-Daula Gumushtagin (d. 541/1146), commissioner of Bosra under the Burid ruler of Damascus. He rebuilt the Great Mosque and founded the Khidr Mosque and the Madrasa next to the Shrine of Mabrak al-Naqa.  \n  \nA major change in building politics occurred in the Ayyubid period under al-Adil Abu Bakr (592–615/1196–1218). He undertook enormous refortification efforts throughout Syria and Egypt as a protective measure against the Crusaders. At his death the fiefdom of Bosra passed on to his son, al-Salih Isma‘il (615 44/1218–46), whose rule is considered to represent Islamic Bosra’s heyday. He renovated the Great Mosque and improved the infrastructure of the city by reactivating the huge pre Islamic water reservoir, Birkat al-Hajj. His sumptuous residence, constructed within the citadel walls, included a mosque erected on top of the stage of the Roman theatre, a covered water cistern in the *orchestra* and a *hammam* in the eastern peristyle. On top of the cistern, vaulted halls served as storerooms and an arsenal. Alas, these structures were removed during several stages of restoration works between 1946 and 1970, leaving no testimony to the primetime of medieval Bosra. After the Mongol raid of 658/1260, the city never regained its previous splendour.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[181],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;II;en;1"}},"4323f7d6-2b93-5b03-8541-7aabb617e916":{"title":"Rosetta","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"439fce29-6fb5-52b1-ab0a-8ff0dd1c62d4":{"title":"FARO","description":"The following description of Faro at the end of the 5th-b. 6th/12th century is provided by the Sicilian al-Idrisi. It seems, because of its brevity, to be symptomatic of a certain decline in the importance of Faro towards the end period of Islamic influence, particularly if compared with the detailed report that he made of the city of Silves. “Santa Maria do Garbe is built on the shore of the Ocean and its walls are bathed by the seawater at high tide. It is of medium size and very beautiful. It has a cathedral mosque, a smaller one and a chapel. Boats frequently dock and set sail from there. The region produces many figs and raisins.” With an area of roughly seven hectares enclosed between its walls, Faro was one of the largest cities in Gharb al-Andalus. At that time, the city occupied a peninsula overlooking the lagoon, and long stretches of its walls were completely encircled by the sea. Its port was situated in what is now the square in front of the Porta da Vila and, further to the east, the water covered the area where we can now see the Square of São Francisco.  \n  \nThere is not much that remains of Islamic Faro. The ravages of time and successive rebuilding work do not allow us to do much more than make topographical interpretations and point out the occasional feature of interest. Because of its exceptional quality, the most important of these is undoubtedly the Porta da Vila. The original site of the citadel (on which a modern factory now stands) is known, as is the location of the mosque (replaced by the cathedral after the Christian Reconquest). In addition to the city walls, the streets in the old city respect the original urban layout of mediaeval times. Hopefully results from various archaeological excavations currently in progress will allow more important data relating to the history of Santa Maria do Garbe to surface.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"44157ab4-ab4d-57d5-a66b-30b590fc13f0":{"title":"Altofonte","description":""},"441f001c-fa51-5e84-aa74-0e608d8fd8f7":{"title":"Polling","description":""},"44908593-762c-5761-80e8-2d698d519b00":{"title":"Between the Algarve and the Mountains","description":"The history of the region of Faro in the Islamic period is marked by two circumstances: the first is the unusual richness of its territory, the second is the importance that the Mozarab Christian community continued to enjoy throughout the whole period of the spread of Islam.  \n  \nOver the last three decades, particularly, the coast has undergone a profound process of change. These changes have not only increasingly hidden the face of the Islamic past in the cities but also destroyed old irrigation systems and irreversibly changed the typically southern European social and productive structures that had remained almost completely unaltered throughout the Middle and Modern Ages. Even so, it is possible to identify a large number of places of interest displaying signs of the Islamic past. In addition to the main city, Loulé, which was the region's second largest centre of population, is worth some attention. In the area known as the Barrocal, two of the most notable places were Paderne and Salir, with their *tabiyya* fortifications from the Almohad period. Near the coast, excavations and restoration work has revealed a Roman site at Cerro da Vila.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;VII;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[96,113,171,147,84,132,56]}},"44cb4718-34ba-53c7-b867-5ecffedb9410":{"title":"CASTELO RODRIGO","description":"A typical border settlement, built on a hill that dominates the surrounding region, Castelo Rodrigo was fortified from at least the 12th century onwards. It was brought under the Portuguese Crown in the time of D. Dinis, and gradually grew in importance until the first great Manueline reform, that gave the town’s historic area the appearance that it still retains today. The town was granted a charter by D. Manuel I in 1508.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"4513cc9c-f21f-5c79-865a-7a8c13b43f2a":{"title":"BEJAYA","description":"It is undoubtedly due to its sheltered site that Phoenicians chose this place to establish their trading post. Before the Roman occupation, the city was part of the territories of the Numidia of Massinissa. After the Berber revolts led by Jugurtha, Rome annexed Western Numidia to Mauretania. Saldae, the Roman city, then became a colony founded by Augustus; an inscription discovered in the region refers to it as “Colonia Julia Augusta Saldantium”.  \nIn the Vandal era, Bejaya became a capital. Rumour had it that “Saldae was selected by Genseric (king of the Vandals)”. Later it fell under Byzantine rule. Several amphorae, mosaics, capitals and coins have been found there during excavations by archaeologists. In the second / eighth century, it was occupied by the Arabs.  \nAccording to Ibn Khaldoun, it was in 459 / 1067 that the Hammadid sultan al-Nasir founded the city that he named Nasiria, but which would keep the name Bejaya in reference to the tribe of the Bgayet. Al-Nasir founded the city on the advice of the Zirid emissary Tamim. It was to become the second capital of the Hammadid kingdom. Well-located and easy to defend, the port became the site of brilliant cultural and religious life.  \nThousands of labourers set to work, and within a few months they built the immense encircling wall, flanked by bastions, that rises in steps from the coast on the steep slopes of Mount Gouraya. It secured the city from the seashore as it followed the curves of the coast. The wall, punctuated by several doors, protected many palaces.  \nAl-Nasir promoted the settlement of the city by exempting its inhabitants from taxes (*kharadj*), and connecting it to the Qala by a royal road (*tarik al-Soltane*). During the reign of al-Mansur, in 482 / 1090, when he had to abandon the Qala under pressure from nomads, Bejaya became the capital of a kingdom that extended from Tenes to Annaba, and exercised indirect authority over Tlemcen and Tunis. Bejaya was the most important hub of the central Maghreb, and included up to 100,000 residents.  \nTo the southwest of the city was the neighbourhood called Dar Senaa. A dock, naval arsenal and shipyard where, according to al-Idrissi, “big buildings and warships were built, because there is no shortage of timber in its valleys and mountains, and the forest produces excellent resin and tar.”  \nA large number of scientists settled there. A native historian drew up a list of 104 local practitioners of law, medicine, poetry or religion. The city became a place where the Orthodox culture of the East and the more liberal one of al-Andalus met.  \nLittle remains of this prestigious past. From the original gates come the remnants of Bab al-Bahr (Gate of the Sea) and Bab al-Bounoud (Gate of the Standards). There is no longer any trace of the palaces that sheltered within city walls, but the geographer Ibn Hamdis described interior courtyards paved with marble, and the “basins on which lions sit, filling the fountain from their mouths with water that resembles the blades of a sword”.  \nThe Palace of the Pearl, Qasr al-Lou’lu’a, was fitted with barred iron windows; the doors were openwork and inlaid. The honeycombed walls of the reception rooms were covered with carved marble on their entire surface, and painted in some places in gold and deep red, with golden inscriptions in Arabic characters. The Great Mosque, located not far from there, was an example of the most outstanding mosques.  \nAl-Mansur, son of al-Nasir, continued the work of his father. He built palaces too, among which is the palace of Amimoun, as described by Leon the African, “Next to the mountain is a great fortress with solid walls.”  \nBejaya equally excelled as a shining intellectual and scientific centre. Its fame attracted scholars, merchants, poets, and sailors from far and wide, giving it the character of a prosperous country’s capital and the seat of a powerful dynasty.  \nThe role played by this city in the transmission of knowledge in the Muslim Middle Ages is confirmed by residencies of prestigious scientific and literary persons well-versed in all fields of knowledge. These included Andalusian metaphysician Ibn Arabi, Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, Catalan philosopher Raymond Llull, historian Ibn Khaldoun and Sicilian poet Ibn Hamdis. There was also the *wali* Sidi Boumediene, a Seville native whose tomb still is venerated at Tlemcen. The *mahdi* Ibn Toumert also stayed in Bejaya before meeting with Abdelmoumen, who would become leader of the Almohads, in Mellala, near Bejaya.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"452eeaf4-7b13-546c-b3b4-4af310c43405":{"title":"United Arab Emirates","description":""},"453bd9ed-5689-560d-9d8c-e978393425a4":{"title":"ARIANA","description":"Did Ariana already exist in the age of Antiquity? Whilst a text written by Marmol describes it as *“built by the Romans”*, and Leo the African attributes it to the Goths, there is not a single piece of archaeological evidence that corresponds to these claims. On the other hand, a text dated from the 4th/10th century, relating to the biography of Sidi Mahrez, mentions Ariana as being the place where this *shaykh* lived before settling in Tunis where he became the Patron Saint of the town. We know from other sources that in the 5th/11th century, this city had its own mosque and a *hammam*, and was considered sufficiently prosperous to justify the sending, by the Zirids, of a governor in charge of raising taxes.  \n  \nThis plain was chosen by the Sultan al-Mustansir, for the salubrity of its climate and its rich resource of water, as the site on which to build his *Abu Fihr* pleasure residence, which became the object of admiration for all visitors (Ibn Khaldun, Dimamini the poet…). Ariana is known equally for its role as an outpost, defending Tunis from incursions made from over the sea, from over the plains of al-‘Auina and from Suqra. This period was followed by the Crusades, led by the King of France, Saint Louis. Military contingents, which included among them Sidi ‘Ammar al-Ma‘rufi, a mystic recruited from Kairouan in response to the call to Holy War, departed from Ariana. He himself died of dysentery a short while after the departure of the Crusaders, and was buried at the entrance to Ariana. Considered as the Saint Protector of the town, his tomb became the object of assiduous veneration for all Arianese.  \n  \nIn the 11th/17th century, Ariana welcomed an important Morisco community which brought with it new customs in terms of culinary skills, dress, ways of speaking and in terms of arboricultural, market-gardening, evidence of which still exists today.  \n  \nIn the 12th/18th century, Ariana witnessed the arrival of the first Jewish families from Algeria, and the foundation of the first synagogue, the Ghriba. This community underwent such growth that in the 1930s it became a majority.  \n  \nIn the 13th/19th century, Ariana attracted important dignitaries from Tunis, who built their *burj*s there at the centre of huge gardens in which grew the rose of Ariana (Burj Ben ‘Ayed, Burj al-Baccush, Burj al-Zawush, Burj Raffo …). The Tunisians of modest means, whether Muslims or Jewish, rented a room or two in the village, when the resort was in the full bloom of springtime.  \n  \nLittle by little, holiday makers settled in Ariana for good, and the village took the shape of a town, governed since 1908 by a municipality. Following the urban boom, only a main road now divides Ariana from Tunis.","extra":{"author":"Jamila Binous"}},"454d61ed-4cc2-515d-95b6-933aeeabf689":{"title":"Qsar Ouled Soltane","description":""},"4551c8fa-763a-5025-9ee7-cee8fee5e629":{"title":"Challala-Dahraniya","description":""},"457bed7d-a64a-5987-918e-78b66fc5745b":{"title":"Alcácer do Sal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"457ca7d3-691e-56a1-8799-aa5eb8624469":{"title":"Tetovo","description":""},"45c67ab7-1677-5759-b7c4-a69a5e91526d":{"title":"ARRAIOLOS","description":"Arraiolos was an important town throughout the Middle Ages, because it was Royal land. It was then granted to D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, who gave it to his grandson, the future Duke of Bragança, in 1422. The town was granted a charter by D. Manuel I, in 1514.  \n  \nIt was an important administrative and economic centre for this part of the Alentejo, and within its walls a cottage industry developed, from the beginning of the 17th century onwards, when handmade carpets made there began to incorporate Oriental designs, inspired by Turkish, Persian and Indian carpets.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"47055a36-d4e7-5c5b-a1d2-00df8c6c9c88":{"title":"Araya","description":""},"47626984-b0e6-5a43-a47f-b45bd0d69084":{"title":"Rabat","description":""},"4764e751-abde-52c4-a895-c30c5089b63a":{"title":"Llerena","description":""},"47b6b39c-f452-5593-a26f-e4f04590db46":{"title":"Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"47e08348-ff2b-55a0-bcbf-f4a92b39eabc":{"title":"Music Therapy in the Darüşşifa","description":"The city of Edirne is the crossroads for various routes that stretch across Anatolia to the Balkans. This city, the object of many military occupations, fell to the Ottomans in 1362 and became the capital in 1368. The city retained its importance even after Istanbul was conquered in 1453 and became the capital soon after; many Ottoman Sultans made additions to the Edirne Palace and resided occasionally in this palace on the shores of the Tunca River.  \n  \nThe Ottoman Sultans and leading officials embellished Edirne with monuments. In Edirne, complexes hold an especially important place among the *waqf* buildings. Turkish towns enlarged and developed around such complexes, and the marvellous structures built by the Sultans Bayezid I, Mehmed I, Murad II, Mehmed II and Bayezid II are still the source of great admiration.  \n  \nEdirne was both an administrative city and a strategically located, lively commercial centre. For this reason, many *han*s and *bedestens*, which were an important source of income for the social facilities of the *waqf*s, were built in the city.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tr;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[220]}},"47f46e75-c0d1-51d5-9f6d-78293f8adab2":{"title":"Strassen","description":""},"48170e16-fb05-5e44-814a-fe1cf853a090":{"title":"Celebrating the Rising of the Nile","description":"Different governments, concerned with keeping a water supply for the populace, had various installations built for this purpose. With a growing population and the city's expansion in the Mamluk period, the sultans faced increasing demand for water. Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad had four water wheels built on the banks of the Nile to raise water to the height of the aqueduct.  \n  \nThe number of *sabil*s in the city increased providing the majority of the water required in order that the needs of the Cairene population could be met. In return for a fee carriers transported the water to private homes, while the supply of water directly from public fountains and *sabil*s, in accordance with Muslim law, was free to Cairenes and her visitors.  \n  \nThe celebration of the flooding of the Nile, to a level sufficient to guarantee water supply, was patronised by the Mamluk sultans, who would personally attend the event or send a representative from among their generals.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;eg;IV;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[2]}},"481d69ba-fef4-5f6a-bd9f-ec4ccbc7e317":{"title":"ALCALÁ DE HENARES","description":"The Renaissance precinct of Alcalá de Henares is contained within the medieval town centre, around which a wall was built in the 14th century by Don Pedro Tenorio Bishop of Toledo (1367–1399). This meant abandoning the remains of the ancient Roman Township in the valley of the River Henares. Today, the remains of the medieval settlement can be found on a nearby hill. This is where the Muslims took refuge after they were expelled from the city in 1088, and where they lasted out until 1118; in the same place, there had also been a prehistoric settlement. Bishop Tenorio, whom Pérez del Pulgar described as “*most obstinate and rigorous*”, had the bounds of the city built with stout walls of Toledo masonry with square towers on the outside. In this way, he fortified the road from Toledo to Alcalá, which passed through Canales, Yepes and Santorcaz.  \nThe obstinate prelate started the work on the Archbishop’s Palace. We only have a few photographic images of it from the end of the 19th century and the drawings and engravings collected in *Monumentos Arquitectónicos de España* (Madrid, 1859–1880). Following the Disentailment of Mendizabal the palace was semi-abandoned, although at the end of the 19th century the architect Urquijo and the painter Laredo restored it. In 1939, during the Civil War, it burned to the ground. Some of its rooms, such as the anteroom of the Councils, had a notable eightsided ceiling with tie beams and plasterwork in all the spans.  \nOther successors of Tenorio extended his work: Pedro de Luna (1404–1414), Sancho de Rojas (1415–1422) and Juan Martínez Contreras (1422–1434) under whose governance Pope Martin V raised Alcalá to the status of the Primate See. The Bishops Alonso III of Fonseca (1475–1534), and Sandoval, whose coats of arms appear in several places, continued the work. There are several wooden ceilings from the Renaissance period, such as that over the staircase.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"48ecc9ae-bf40-5c06-bb0c-2fc606054776":{"title":"Tarouca","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"48f90ed2-a05a-5344-bcdd-9dcff0eed685":{"title":"Křtiny","description":""},"49650a92-b7db-59e3-bc65-4ed19e572841":{"title":"Reutte","description":""},"49be8c9c-ea13-55b7-93e3-3363d6532f35":{"title":"Znojmo","description":""},"4adab7d1-5d45-5f1d-a7af-c3c66e3dcb5c":{"title":"Shmemis Citadel","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4ae8555c-2d93-5809-bc62-45132147a7f0":{"title":"MOURA","description":"Moura probably existed before the Moorish invasion of 711, but only developed later. Conquered by D. Sancho II, in 1232, the town came under the Portuguese crown later, being granted its first charter by D. Dinis, in 1292. Its position close to the frontier meant it was both an important stronghold and, at the same time, a suitable place for trade. D. Manuel I donated a new parish church and fortress, and sponsored other institutions such as the Convento do Carmo.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"4b257c42-2cb1-5f61-9f36-c72ef7d2866a":{"title":"Bursa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4b52b9a4-dc3b-5faf-b3af-f7cb5574fed6":{"title":"Funchal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4beacf08-368c-5853-b3cb-531958712da6":{"title":"Khan al-‘Arus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4c176406-d325-5e4f-b1af-08d9d432e581":{"title":"Požega","description":""},"4c386626-901b-5569-a88d-c678942366ee":{"title":"The Gate of the Levant","description":"Sfax is situated where the Sahel and South Tunisia meet, on the shores of a calm harbour facing the Eastern Mediterranean. Its location grants it an enormous advantage in terms of ready maritime and continental influence, whilst its orientation is turned more markedly towards the countries of Africa and the Levant than towards those of the East.  \n  \nThe commercial activity between Sfax and the Levant, upheld by intense caravan traffic, developed throughout the 12th/18 th century. Its commercial pulse led to the creation of *funduq*s and *suq*s which are spread along the edge of the town's main thoroughfare.  \n  \nSfax, whilst continuing to use the same construction materials and its own architectural traditions, enriched its monuments, without exaggeration, using sculpted *kadhal*, painted wood and *faience* tiles produced in al-Andalus and Turkey. The architecture of Sfax, sober and well-balanced, reflects the taste which characterises the life of this town.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[484]}},"4c826830-28fc-5f55-a48a-4b1db5a7171b":{"title":"Tamentit","description":""},"4c984693-27a4-5d29-ab53-bbce4a7e37f1":{"title":"Moravská Třebová","description":""},"4cda4f97-49cc-5340-be3a-bfee0962a2f0":{"title":"TİRE","description":"Mehmed Bey, who divided his Emirate up among his sons, left the administration of Tire, one of the most important towns, to his fourth son Süleyman Şah. In 1390, Sultan Bayezid I, who annexed the Aydın Emirate onto the Ottoman State, forced İsa Bey of the Aydın dynasty to reside in Tire. From this point on, the Aydın dynasty, re-based in Tire, played an important role in the town’s development. The Battle of Ankara that took place between Sultan Bayezid I and Tamerlane in 1402 resulted in the re-establishment of the Anatolian Emirates, which had supposedly been wiped off the stage of history. The battle’s victor, Tamerlane, reinstated the administration of the emirates that Bayezid had added to Ottoman lands to the former owners; Musa Bey and his brother of the Aydın dynasty hosted Tamerlane in Tire during the winter of 1402-1403."},"4d1283f1-3039-5147-9e77-748c596e2f3f":{"title":"Setif","description":""},"4d139b83-ed1f-50e6-bb55-797deb4a31b4":{"title":"Alcochete","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"4e26eabb-ba96-5510-b77c-cf6dd319fd2f":{"title":"Dyje","description":""},"4e4922f8-6cb3-5fd8-bd0e-d9ec2ff93219":{"title":"The Umayyads. The Rise of Islamic Art","description":"The Umayyads, the first Islamic dynasty after the Rashidun (the *Rightly Guided* Caliphs), ruled the Muslim world for less than 30 years, from 11/632 to 41/661. In Jordan, its presence fostered the emerging Islamic style of art as a subtle transition between traces of successive earlier civilisations and the advent of a new artistic tradition. Till today, Umayyad art maintains some of these features, as can be seen in the Umayyad palaces in the desert. What was the exact function of these surprising constructions? What is the significance of their decorations with intriguing anthropomorphic representations? Whether in the Hellenistic influence of the design of the frescoes of Qusayr Amra or in that of the orthogonal plan of the city of Aqaba, the Umayyads understood taking advantage of both classical and oriental influences. With a great sense of freedom, they were able to reinvent, in an ingenious syncretism, the forms of a new artistic expression linking Asia and the Mediterranean.","extra":{"duration":"Five Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nGhazi Bisheh  \nFawzi Zayadine  \nMohammad al-Asad  \nIna Kehrberg  \nLara Tohme  \n  \n**Local Coordinator**  \nLubna Hashem  \n  \n**Photographer**  \nBill Lyons","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"4e77196e-e40e-5eda-84dc-8e76171356bb":{"title":"Algiers","description":""},"4ec85796-86a1-5eb8-8caf-6a82a368c9cb":{"title":"Neustift im Stubaital","description":""},"4ed768cc-401b-50c2-beb4-7aae3d01fc17":{"title":"TOZEUR","description":"The name Tozeur comes from the Latin *Thusorus*, a name the Romans gave it when it was nothing but a citadel on the *limes* which was meant to contain Nomadic Berber populations. The Arabs, led by Hassan Ibn Nu‘man, in occupying it in 73/693, found it to be a Latinised, Christianised and influential town. Its rapid surrender spared it from reprisals. According to al-Tijani, the conquerors respected the churches and built a mosque next to each and every one of them. The ruins of the churches were still standing when he visited the region.  \n  \nFrom the Occupation onwards, the new masters gave Tozeur a second name, equally of Latin origin: *Qastiliya*, from Castella, citadel. The headquarters of the whole of the Jérid, Tozeur, shared its new name with it up until the 13th/19th century. From then on, official documents and travel accounts only refer to it as *Bled al-Jerid*, the Land of the Palm Trees.  \n  \nTozeur’s population, composed of Arab groups from the Occupation and of Berber offshoots, grafted onto the same Roman backbone, lost its stability and calm in the 6th/12th century with the Hilalian invasion, which was followed by troubles that were often bloody.  \n  \nThe Arab chroniclers at the height of the Middle Ages present Tozeur as the Jérid’s main town, as opulent and buzzing with activity. They speak with admiration of its brick and stone ramparts, of its numerous *suq*s, its well-built mosque, its large suburbs and of its luxurious oasis, producing the best and most abundant dates in Ifriqiya. Al-Bakri, in the 5th/11th century, says *“Every day they unload 1000 camels that carry dates”*. Tozeur’s wealth was derived from the exportation of dates and crafts, mainly those consisting of woven wool and woven silk.  \n  \nOpulent and distant, Tozeur, like the rest of the Jérid, was coveted by dissidents who were rebelling against the central government, or who were fired up by vague impulses of Independence, under the pressure of powerful families. The Mallorcan Banu Ghaniya, fighting the Almohads for power, made Tozeur and Gafsa bases from which to mount attack from 582/1187 to 583/1188. Between 732/1332 and 792/1390, the Banu Yamlul were able to become the leaders of this town, despite embargoes enforced upon it by the central government, recognising in name rather than in nature their allegiance to the Hafsid sovereigns.  \n  \nIn spite of these occasionally bloody twists and turns and of the fiscal exactations that ensued, Tozeur continued to shine until the 13th/19th century. Al-Tijani paints a fascinating picture of the place. According to him, the inhabitants of Tozeur lived mainly in the oasis where the houses were bigger and more beautiful than those in town. Stunned by the spectacle he saw through an observatory situated at the point where the waters meet, he described it thus: *“The fullers assemble together and spread out their coloured fabrics and all kinds of decorated objects, so as to cover the entire area. The spectator is under the impression of having found himself in a paradise of blooming flowers and free-flowing streams”*. The “free-flowing” streams were nothing other than currents of water escaping from the *wadi*, and were nourished by the sources as well as by the irrigation canals, *seguia*, of the oasis. The judicious irrigation system allowed for everyone to have their fair share of water, thus enabling the government to collect their fiscal due. *Qadus* were used to determine the dividing up of water, based on chronometric calculations: rudimentary pottery clepsydras that emptied themselves eight times a day.  \n  \nToday Tozeur is composed of modern quarters and of old quarters, particularly those of Zebda and the Ouled al-Hadef. The streets of the latter, torturous and covered in sections by thick vaults, lead to small squares. The facades of the houses, the *zawiya*s and the mosques are adorned with beautiful reticulated brick cladding.  \n  \nR. Brunschvig, through interpreting the witness accounts of geographers of the Middle Ages as well as those written by Leo the African in the 10th /16th century, is inclined to believe that Mediaeval Tozeur was located at Bled al-Hadar, slightly south of present Tozeur: *“It is there, inside a small mosque”*, says he, *“that one can admire a stunning mihrab, dating from 590/1194, built under the Almohads, by Yahya Ibn Ghaniya”*.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"4f00ab19-0473-501c-b5b7-265e33f2de0c":{"title":"VIANA DO ALENTEJO","description":"Viana do Alentejo was an important 15thcentury town that belonged to the second Count of Barcelos, and then to D.Afonso V and his wife, before being absorbed into the domain of the Counts of Viana, namely D. Pedro de Meneses, Governor of Ceuta.Various Portuguese kings spent periods of time here, particularly D. Fernando I and D. João II.  \n  \nAn administrative centre,Viana developed with agricultural trade, benefiting from its strategic position on the Alentejo road network.  \n  \nThe town was granted a new charter by D. Manuel I, in 1517.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"4f45799a-5946-5a50-8b81-0cbcf06629c4":{"title":"Kairouan","description":""},"4fca1279-fab7-5a6b-90c6-3cc036ec94e1":{"title":"ALCAMO","description":"Alcamo is strategically wedged between the fortress of Mount Bonifatto and that of Calatubo, fundamental defensive posts on the checkerboard of military power, during the Muslim occupation. Its name has its origins in Arabic, referable, according to some, to the toponymic *Manzil* (hamlet-station) *al-Qam* (colocynth, a very bitter cucumber). It is also ascribable, according to others, to Abd Allah al-Qam, a valiant leader, who founded a castle with a fortified village, called Abdalcamo, having defeated the Byzantine troops during the Islamic advance (827).  \n  \nAround the middle of the 12th century, al-Idrisi identified it as a comfortable village, with a much-frequented market, praising its fruit-bearing land, its artisans and manufactures. In 1182 Ibn Jubayr also mentioned Alcamo. This Arab settlement which had remained unharmed during the Norman Reconquest and domination was abandoned in 1221 on the orders of Federico II who, so as to ward off insurrections, made the inhabitants settle at the foot of the mountain. However, a rebellion that was supported thanks to a new movement of troops in the old inhabited area, provoked retaliation by the Swabian Emperor, who, in 1243 had the castle and the village of Bonifato razed to the ground. The surviving Sicilian Muslims were deported to Lucera and Nocera, while the Christian population who escaped from the destruction was forced to permanently remain on the site of the present-day city.  \n  \nThe new centre was situated along the commercial road leading from Palermo to Trapani and the western side of Sicily.  \n  \nThe oldest nucleus of Alcamo, with a structure based on orthogonal axes and regular blocks, is dated to the second half of the 14th century when the Ventimiglia family, who held the barony for a long time, promoted its re-foundation even rebuilding the castle of Mount Bonifato.  \n  \nAmong the leading poets and writers the city produced Ciullo d’Alcamo, who composed poetry in the Italian language at the court of Federico II, in around the middle of the 13th century.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"4fd583ae-55e5-5b24-ad6e-b47f82ce22a4":{"title":"AL-‘UBBAD","description":"Originally called *Ribat el-Eubad* (fortified place of el-Eubad), Al-‘Ubbad had two parts, el-Fouqi (above), the current el-Eubad, and Essefli (below), which today is in metropolitan Tlemcen. Aside from the *koubbas* (tomb structures) of Sidi Senoussi and Sidi Bou Ishaq el-Tayyar, patron saints of the village, el-Eubad’s appeal is in the architectural complex of the Sidi Bumadyan tomb and mosque.  \n  \nAt the end of the narrow road that leads up to el-Eubad is a covered entrance to a large courtyard paved with marble. The complex is built on a divided rectangular plan: the tomb on the left and the mosque on the right. Built in 729 / 1329, the mosque is remarkable for a monumental porch that frames the entrance.  \n  \nWith a vault seven metres high and a staircase leading to a handsome double cedar door decorated with carved bronze leaves, it is a monument in itself. On the facade of the porch, in a rectangular framework of three-lobed decorations inlaid with enamel and green lines, a geometric composition in white, brown, green and yellow tiles frames the arch. Above this rectangular frame is an epigraphic frieze dedicated to the patron, Sultan Abu al-Hassan.  \n  \nThe minaret to the right of the mosque is remarkably well preserved, so it still possible to admire its beautiful faience tiles, diamond-shaped designs in low relief, and the faience mosaic decoration of its crown in a frieze of twenty-four rosettes.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"4ffaf1c7-3772-5188-8aa0-f1135e335440":{"title":"Explore Palestine's Islamic Art and Architecture","description":"Throughout history Palestine has witnessed different eras and civilisations. Squeezed between two great civilisations, Mesopotamia and Syria on the one hand, and the Nile Valley on the other, it was a passageway through which these civilisations left behind destruction and ruin in addition to a rich cultural heritage. It is no coincidence therefore that Palestine was the first region the Islamic Arab army set foot on in its colossal conquest.","extra":{"country_ids":["pa"],"legacy_status":"e"}},"50021cb2-91a4-5999-ab32-0ca71946cea1":{"title":"Gabès","description":""},"5002c70b-9993-5685-976f-a699e2ac9a49":{"title":"Kef Lakhdar","description":""},"50056f38-816a-59e1-9ca5-a93f534a93e1":{"title":"Markets","description":"With the threat of Mongol invasion contained and the occupation of *al-Sham* by the Crusaders ended, the Mamluks were able to guarantee the stability of the eastern markets.  \n  \nUnder such conditions, markets in Cairo enjoyed great prosperity and diversification, with becoming the centre through which trade between the East and the West (Europe and North Africa) passed via the Red Sea.  \n  \nThe Mamluk Sultans were keen to promote such trading activity for the rapid and constant profits it generated, providing them with money to invest in their vast religious or social complexes, such as the Hospital of Qalawun, *madrasa*s, *sabil*s and *kuttab*s.  \n  \nTrading establishments of various kinds appeared all over the city. Among them the *wikala*, the *khan*, the *funduq* and the *qaysariyya*.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;eg;V;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[2]}},"50476e17-6d49-5df1-94bd-d5845b628a69":{"title":"Tleta","description":""},"506ebfbe-e49b-5f19-8db5-62c712fa2323":{"title":"VILLALÓN DE CAMPOS","description":"Villalón was resettled by a Mozarab called Alón according to some chroniclers, or by others, by a Christian called Alfón or Alonsi. Fernando III and Fernando IV granted commercial privileges to the town and Juan II gave it to don Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, the Count of Benavente, in 1434. The successors of don Rodrigo were the patrons responsible for the town’s most important buildings.  \n  \nThe commercial development here resulted in the design of squares and porticos, both of which were very useful for agricultural transactions. The wealth and patronage of the Benavente family is evident in the churches built here and their contents.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"50d2d419-1613-5890-8a89-a9b6ebc7b01a":{"title":"Bizerte","description":"","extra":{"info":"The road runs alongside the Lake of Bizerte on the approach to the town, and from afar one can see the silhouette of Jabal Ichkeul plunging into its surrounding natural park.","how_to_reach":"From al-‘Alia, take the road in direction to Bizerte."}},"50ed9db4-a106-5744-a7b7-5a8eee90b8e8":{"title":"Eger","description":""},"50fd6db4-51e0-54e2-b90d-e1c544d44a78":{"title":"Austria","description":""},"51037d21-9bf3-59e8-99e9-e475647dc76f":{"title":"Umm al-Walid","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5118adf5-5f44-58ca-9ff8-5b94cfcf210b":{"title":"Alexandria: Gateway to the West","description":"The City of Alexandria is situated on the eastern edge of the Nile delta. The city considered one of 's major seaports keeps watch over the Mediterranean.  \n  \nFollowing the conquest of in 332 BC, Alexander the Great founded the city on the site of the town named Raquda (Rakotis).  \n  \nIn 21/642 Alexandria was the capital of . However, following the protracted siege and conquest of the city by the Arabs in that year the capital was transferred to Fustat, founded by the Arabs as the first Islamic capital of. Nevertheless, the Arabs greatly admired Alexandria and within the original urban area of Alexandria, numerous Arab tribes settled, bringing with them an increase in building activity city and in particular in the construction of mosques.  \n  \nWith the Bahri and Burgui Mamluks Alexandria saw her activity reach its zenith, and its greatest period of wealth under Islamic rule. The city became one of 's most important seaports and the greatest trading centre in the Islamic world of its time.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;eg;VI;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[1]}},"511ee4d4-481e-5712-90f7-00a44c94b649":{"title":"Daroca","description":""},"51351cd5-6b12-5878-8c80-91024873ffef":{"title":"Lands of the Order of Christ","description":"King D. Dinis founded the Military Order of Christ after the Pope disbanded the Order of the Knights Templar, which had performed sterling service in Portugal in the fight to regain land occupied by the Moors. While the Knights Templar definitively disappeared in the rest of Europe the poet-king created a new Order, based on the same principles, and granting it the property and revenue of the old.  \n  \nThe Order of Christ set up its headquarters in Tomar and the former Templar Monastery was greatly enriched, primarily after Prince Henry the Navigator was made Administrator General. The Order was responsible for spreading Christianity to overseas territories and strengthened its role when D. Manuel I, the Duke of Beja, and another Administrator, ascended to the throne on the death of D. João II.  \n  \nEven today, Tomar remains something of a mythical spot, where fantastic tales of underground passages and the fabulous treasures of the Templars still echo. The real treasures are not hidden, however, as they are still to be seen. They are visible in the stone tracery around the portals and windows, the soaring vaulting, the delicacy of the carving of corbels and bosses, in the paintings in the rotunda, and in the magical garments and realistic flesh colours of the Flemish sculptures also in the Knights’ Rotunda.  \n  \nThe years after the reign of D. Manuel I also added splendour to the Convent of Christ, which also boasts some superb examples of Renaissance and Mannerist architecture.  \n  \nThe Military Order of Christ owned extensive lands and churches and, even though some of the edifices in this area did not come within its patronage, the artists and craftsmen who worked on the edifices on the fortified hilltop influenced local builders, leaving memories of their skills amidst the vines and estates that once were owned by the knights. Convent lands stretched as far as the banks of the River Tagus and the countryside around Santarém famed for its Gothic churches. We shall begin with this historical city.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[152,101,165,70,163,92],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;II;en;1"}},"51734d5e-3bb0-5ece-a914-6c8c9090f982":{"title":"Freixo de Espada à Cinta","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5176f2e3-3742-5bdf-a420-0095d820e65f":{"title":"Franco do Campo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5250ef4c-c518-53dc-9526-1cabf05e058c":{"title":"The Medina","description":"The *medina* maintains and perpetuates a typically Islamic urban plan. At first, the expeditionary body sent on the mission of conquest, the *futuhat*, began by building a rampart around an area of land, usually one already occupied by the military camp. A mosque would be built at the centre of this outlined area, and would open out onto a large esplanade used for holding both markets, public meetings and military parades. The main roads, each reaching a gate within the rampart, would radiate out from this esplanade, and would thus divide the town into large neighbourhoods. Troops stationed under tents, grouped by kind, often in terms of ethnicity, occupied small islands within the town which were outlined by internal ringroads. Through being settled thus, the military camp had all the time it needed to establish a city: the island-camps transformed into housing complexes, and shops appeared around the esplanade.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;I;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[498]}},"52b2b119-653d-5e7a-9d67-2b4e5b801737":{"title":"El-Ateuf","description":""},"52e956fa-87bf-550f-9475-e67959f10740":{"title":"Village of Mulay ‘Abdallah (El-Jadida)","description":""},"53224035-1f11-5b34-8672-584f4a9db127":{"title":"ARÉVALO","description":"Arévalo, one of the oldest towns in Castile, has seen many of the vicissitudes of the crown of Castile. Isabel la Católica spent her childhood here, as did her grandson, the future emperor of Germany. The Queen’s Palace, where Juan II and his wife Isabel also lived, and where María de Aragón died, was converted into the Convent of the Bernardine Cistercian nuns, after it was ceded to them by the Emperor Carlos V in 1542.  \n  \nThe city, which was conquered in 1088 by Alfonso VI, was divided up between five families: the Briceño, Berdugo, Montalvo, Sedeño and Tapia. In the 15th century the Zuñiga, the counts of Plasencia and later the dukes of Arévalo also received portions of the city. The fact that it was a town on the edge of the Tierra de Campos and dependent on Toledo marked its architecture, for we can see the box-shaped sections of masonry edged with horizontal and vertical brick courses, typical of Toledo, while the towers and apses are more like the those found in the Tierra de Campos.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"5350e81c-0e2e-554d-a48f-57672c9e7ae4":{"title":"FUNCHAL","description":"Funchal, the Capital, and largest urban centre, has been important since the time of the early settlers. Its privileged setting, allowing for an easy approach by sea, together with its sheltered bay and protecting hills, meant that its future development was ensured. The first buildings erected here, undoubtedly not very far from the shore, consisted of simple huts, built to house the early settlers and extremely poor hut-like churches. After the churches had been built, the first house to be constructed in stone was that of Constança Rodrigues, the granddaughter of the discoverer of Madeira, João Gonçalves Zarco. A certain João Manuel followed this with a house built in white cedar that caused something of a stir as it was higher than the others and so was regarded as an affront not only to the neighbourhood but also to the Crown.  \n  \nThe oldest surviving edifice is the Torre do Capitão (the Captain’s Tower, now in the Parish of Santo António, in Funchal), situated on the Alto de Santo Amaro, a modest square building with two embrasures and a doorway with a pointed arch.  \n  \nThe area that is to be visited in this itinerary covers the neighbourhoods around the cathedral and Santa Maria. It is divided by two streams crossed by a series of bridges, completely covered in some places by luxuriant bougainvillaea.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"537a6f77-9e4a-56a5-b0d5-54bbd33a9eb2":{"title":"Albufeira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"541180db-0289-5e17-93cc-9e2ac92b3c83":{"title":"Tunis, Manouba","description":""},"548cf0f4-e449-56ea-9fd7-f102fc987c8d":{"title":"Anras","description":""},"54a22a50-1d3e-5afe-8ad5-6532ec457aab":{"title":"MAYORGA DE CAMPOS (option)","description":"There are two historical facts, which in artistic terms have influenced Mayorga de Campos. The first is its dependence on the Monastery of Sahagún, against which the villagers rebelled in 1270, destroying the houses and palaces of the abbot. The second is their dependence on the Counts of Benavente after 1430.  \n  \nMost of the walls and the fortress built by Fernando II have disappeared, except the Puerta del Sol, or Sun Gate; little remains of its parish churches. Some are closed for religious services and others have been put to various and inappropriate uses. The basic trait of the churches in Mayorga is their semicircular apse, in the Romanesque manner, built with cob walls and plastered over. This is a characteristic repeated in the other churches of the area, such as the one in Castrobol (Valladolid).","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"54c74bb3-986c-532c-9d9f-72d5fd68123f":{"title":"Redinha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"54ee2bae-472a-51f2-8c1e-d5ef5252ed34":{"title":"Židlochovice","description":""},"54f3557a-f461-5e80-9858-4d48823dfd96":{"title":"SILVES","description":"The following panegyric of Silves delivered by al-Himyari clearly demonstrates the importance that the city had acquired by the end of the Islamic period:  \n“This city lies to the south of Beja \\[…\\] Silves is encircled by a solid wall and has plantations and orchards in its surrounding area. The inhabitants are provided with drinking water by the river, which bathes Silves on its southern side and moves the city’s mills situated on its banks. The sea is three miles to the west of Silves. There is an anchoring place on the river and a yard for ship building.  \n  \nIn itself, the city is beautiful to look at, with elegant buildings and some well-stocked bazaars. Like the people from the neighbouring towns and villages, its inhabitants are Arabs originating from the Yemen and other regions of Arabia. They speak a very pure form of Arabic, express themselves in an eloquent fashion and recite verses by heart. All of them, common people and burghers alike, are remarkably gifted.”  \n  \nEarlier, the references made to the city in written sources amounted to a report of the naval battle fought nearby between the Norman “drakkars” and a fleet from Seville, and little more. However, from the 5th/11th century onwards, as Faro began to take on a more secondary role, the city by the River Arade assumed greater importance and gradually became the main city in the Algarve.  \n  \nUntil recently, all that was known of Silves in Islamic times was the perimeter of the town walls and the odd piece of archaeological information. Apart from this, the memory of the period of Islamic influence amounted to fleeting references to the names and works of Ibn Ammar, Ibn Qasi and al-Mu‘tamid.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"5504a8c2-c82a-57a3-a9ba-cf173c00b966":{"title":"Taoujout","description":""},"5534a576-3ce6-5360-a651-f306fbf347d0":{"title":"Humt Suq","description":""},"554a8c4a-d39e-5f3c-afcf-4bfbd7087371":{"title":"Santa Cruz","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"556ac51c-04a2-51bd-8894-152a2b218bdb":{"title":"Karak","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"556c16d7-bda5-51e6-9481-44b9a93b9704":{"title":"Grombalia","description":""},"556e9fac-3026-5107-a846-37314faa6a22":{"title":"Mire de Tibães","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5617b292-055d-502d-9c75-96d0ba2d9742":{"title":"Arévalo","description":""},"561dfa87-7e71-5452-a7b5-4b5dbb82f1cf":{"title":"Edirne","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5686df3d-1c4d-5ef2-9e9b-a8e035657625":{"title":"Gaza","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"56a80a58-7ba6-5c8c-b05e-21e29b93034e":{"title":"Lanteira","description":""},"56cc921e-12d4-518c-927f-e95ca8f898af":{"title":"Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"57592471-b368-507c-a52d-772d4cd6bc7f":{"title":"Yenişehir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5788af78-c4de-53d7-a033-847c3b4d6012":{"title":"The Beach of Adventure","description":"Praia do Restelo, on the River Tagus, was the poet’s *“Beach of Adventure”*. The Infante Dom Henrique, who was to become known as Prince Henry the Navigator, founded a chapel there for the spiritual and moral support of returning or departing navigators. Even today, the sea commands respect and awe, so how much more terrifying it must have been at a time when images of Mediaeval monsters were only just being erased from the communal imagination.  \n  \nThe small chapel grew to be the parish church and was then transformed by D. Manuel I, into a large monastic complex, a hymn to glorious majesty. A votive offering to the Virgin of Estrela or Belém, for Vasco da Gama’s successful voyage to India and the future profits this would produce in gold and souls.  \n  \nThis was the setting in which the immortal Portuguese poet Camões placed his long-bearded old man, grumbling about all those who ventured forth on the high seas. The *Velho do Restelo* (the Old Man of Restelo), later depicted by the equally talented Columbano, gained mythical status and has entered Portuguese history as the personification of those who prefer to stay put rather than risk adventure.  \n  \nManueline memorials such as the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the Torre de Belém or, more generically, those connected with the era of the Discoveries, such as the Museu da Marinha (Naval Museum), are not confined to Restelo. Belém was and is an extension of Lisbon, the capital of the kingdom and the centre of the great 16th-century Maritime Empire. With the castle crowning its highest hill, the Christian and Jewish areas built over traces of the Roman, Visigothic and Moorish occupations, spread down to the river and then stretched up to Alfama, Bairro Alto and other areas.  \n  \nTime and natural catastrophes have destroyed many of the magnificent buildings erected during this period, water and fire engulfing the treasures they contained, but there are still traces that recall this time and its many and varied peoples.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[110,158,88,166],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;I;en;1"}},"57bd129f-a9f6-5bd6-a125-b672adc794b9":{"title":"PINHEL","description":"The city of Pinhel also owes its origins to the late 12th-century policy of D. Sancho I to establish and strengthen the frontier with León and Castile. The first charter dates from 1209, indicating that it was of sufficient size to deserve this distinction and the basic legislation for its future development.  \n  \nFundamental to this process of development was the introduction of the *Lei das Sesmarias* (a law designed to make ownership of the land conditional on tillage), decreed by D. Fernando, who also created an annual fair to attract traders from all over the region.  \n  \nIn 1510, Manuel I granted Pinhel a new charter.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"57cc47d2-0ab8-5c97-9280-6d08d20d88c2":{"title":"Mussomeli","description":""},"58164aab-8bad-5de9-a01b-52997b79cb7e":{"title":"Vác","description":""},"5817d984-9886-5a0c-bf7e-a836fba73c96":{"title":"Rottenbuch","description":""},"58254d1d-bc69-5547-8658-2550d3075acb":{"title":"Stadl-Paura","description":""},"5832c384-a296-5aad-bd78-97b1516eb533":{"title":"Mudejar Art. Islamic Aesthetics in Christian Art","description":"One of the most remarkable aspects of Mudéjar art is that it is characteristic of a specific geographic region: the Iberian Peninsula and especially Spain. It arose from the enlightened will of the Catholic rulers to employ the techniques and know-how of Muslim craftsmen who – after waves of post-Reconquista violence – were allowed to stay, and whose architectural achievements had fascinated the monarchy and the wider Christian nobility.  \n  \nIn its form and structure, Mudéjar art is intrinsically linked to the values and message of Iberian Christian culture, symbolised by the motifs and styles inherited from the peninsula’s Islamic influences. Few places have seen the emergence of an artistic style that resulted from the meeting between East and West and the subsequent elaboration on Roman, Gothic and Renaissance influences, come about so harmoniously. Over time, Mudéjar art, which has been advocating the rise of the Baroque since the 16th century, has managed to break away from rich Christian and Islamic traditions to take a unique character of its own in art history.","extra":{"duration":"Thirteen Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nGonzalo M. Borrás Gualís  \nPedro Lavado Paradinas  \nRafael López Guzmán  \nMaría Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés  \nAlfredo Morales Martínez  \nMaría Teresa Pérez Higuera  \n  \n**Local Coordinator**  \nSandra Stuyck  \n  \n**Photographers**  \nGuillermo Maestro Casado  \nMiguel Rodríguez Moreno","country_ids":["ab"],"introd_type":"other-intro#3","territory_ids":[12]}},"5833533b-1c53-500e-9e22-983bee89c113":{"title":"Confrontation and Coexistence: Fortifications in western Syria","description":"During the period of the Crusades, the encounters of Frankish and Muslim armies in the Bilad al-Sham were continuous, lasting for over two centuries. It generated among the opponents a concern for the affirmation of their political, religious and military identities in visual media, particularly through intense architectural activity on both sides. Some were fortresses serving to guarantee the stability of the borders and the defence of the fiefs, or *iqtâ‘*, some were lookout towers along communica-tions routes to ensure the safe passage of troops, while some were vital storehouses for food and weapons. There were also the palatial residences of rulers, the army dormitories and shelters for the locals. Castles represented the pillars of the establishment for both Crusader and Muslim powers and, built in abundance, they dotted the landscape of western Syria. This vast territory included the Syrian coastline, which stretches across some 160 km, through the steep and rocky mountains along the coast of Syria known as Jibal al-’Alawiyyeen, and the north-eastern Ghab Plains.  \n  \nFrom the end of the 5th/11th century, the Crusaders coveted the area. When they conquered it at the beginning of the 6th/12th century, the region, divided into two parts, became the principality of Antioch in the north and the County of Tripoli in the south. Due to a serious shortage of troops, the Franks, as the Arabs called them, realised that their survival in the region was only maintainable through a dense defensive network. They initiated a large fortification policy, supervised at first by the feudal lords and fiefdoms in the 6th/12th century, and then progressively given over to the control of the Templars and Hospitallers. Erected in western Syria during this period were some Jewels of Crusader fortification, including Crac des Chevaliers, Marqab, Burj Safita, the Citadel of Salah al-Din, as well as the town of Tartus and Arwad Island.  \n  \nAt the same time, several mountain citadels were sold and/or bequeathed by their local Arab rulers to the Nizariyya Isma’iliyya or “Fellowship of the Guided Calling”, as they called themselves, but who were known to the Franks as the “Assassins”. This powerful and esoteric Shi’ite sect settled in the heart of the coastal mountains, known as the Mountain of the Alawites, during the latter half of the 6th/12th century. They showed a careful concern for the defence of their territory and were adept at protecting their strongholds, even though they took over an enclave coveted for its strategic importance by both the Crusaders and by the Sunni Muslims. The Isma’ilis recovered dozens of citadels from the hands of Crusaders and local tribes. They prodigiously improved their impregnability and defences, as can be seen in Masyaf, their headquarters, as well as al-Kahf and Abu Qubays.  \n  \nBoth the Crusader coastal defences and the Isma‘ili mountain citadels played an important role in limiting the expansion and unification endeavours of the mid-6th-/-12th-century Seljuq-Zangid Atabeg Nur al-Din. While Nur al-Din was able to fortify Qal‘at al-Mudiq near Hama, and the Citadel of Ma’arrat al-Nu’man further north, the Crusader and Isma‘ili citadels of western Syria prevented the progress of the Seljuq armies further west.  \n  \nThe Ayyubid Sultan Salah al-Din faced the responsibility of reshaping the region at the end of the 6th/12th century. He launched a military campaign in the northern part of western Syria, which led to the conquests of the main feudal citadels held by the Crusaders, including the Chateau de Saone, which became known as the Citadel of Salah al-Din. The main sites conquered by the Seljuq Zangids and the Ayyubids were refortified to be used as a form of military prowess against the Crusaders. The art of fortification witnessed a major evolution, partly due to the increasing popularity of the counterweight trebuchet or great mangonel, known in Arabic as the *Manjaniq*, and used for laying siege to fortified castles or citadels. The incorporation of civil and religious concerns into military architecture is also evident in many of the constructions of this period, the citadels of Salah al-Din and Ma’arrat al-Nu’man being just two examples.  \n  \nThe Mamluks of Egypt finally defeated the Crusaders and the Isma’ilis in western Syria, led by the sultans Baybars and Qalawun, in the second half of the 7th/13th century. The last of the Frankish citadels conquered during Mamluk military campaigns, Crac des Chevaliers and Marqab, for example, also became subject to refortification and renovation programmes. Transformed into symbols of Mamluk political and military supremacy, they signified the twilight of the Crusader period.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[182,195,183,202,205,194,197,190],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;V;en;1"}},"589ab13f-454c-55c0-9343-5693f2e516af":{"title":"TOUGGOURT","description":"Touggourt is the natural capital of the Wadi Ghir. The circular city is surrounded by a ditch, originally a moat. Above it a surrounding wall 2.50 metres high is flanked by small towers spaced approximately 60 metres apart. This primitive fortification, made of rough gypsum masonry, is broken by three doors. “The two city gates called Bab el-Khadra and Bab es-Salam were braced with iron. They opened opposite a drawbridge over the defense moat”, wrote General Daumas in his 1845 narrative, *Le Sahara algérien* (The Algerian Sahara). Bab el-Gheder, the third gate, opens onto the Casbah.  \n  \nThe heart of the city is the *ksar* Mestawa, dominated by the Great Mosque with white marble doorways and columns. The facade is covered with glazed earthenware tiles. Near the mosque stands a terracotta brick minaret.  \n  \nDuring the first centuries of Islam, Touggourt was dependent on the governors of Biskra. In the 9th / 15th century, after the arrival of the first sovereign, Souleyman ben Djellab (of Moroccan origin and related to the Marinids), a new dynasty reigned for four centuries, with help from nomadic populations in the region. In the 10th / 16th century, Ottoman influence caused hardship for people subjected to heavy taxes. In 1854, the city fell under French rule.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"59e197a5-9395-50d5-b774-26783f9c0aa8":{"title":"Viana do Alentejo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5a009e41-c8d2-5db8-bcca-3197baa98889":{"title":"KAIROUAN","description":"Following several fruitful expeditions, General ‘Uqba founded the town of Kairouan in the year 49/670, with the thought of being able to assure Muslims of an everlasting presence in the Maghreb. Strategically, the choice of its site was judicious. In fact, Kairouan is a day’s walk from the sea, which was still under the domination of the Byzantine fleets, as well as being a day’s walk from the mountains, in which Berber tribes, hostile towards Islam, were entrenched. The new town formed a bridgehead along the demarcation line following the withdrawal of the Byzantine army after the defeat of Sufetula in 27/648. ‘Uqba devised the town plan of Kairouan by placing the Great Mosque at its centre, next to which he built the Government Palace and established the basics of the main thoroughfare, later called “Grand Simat”, before he proceeded to distribute portions of land to his soldiers. Kairouan became a town and people arrived in droves from all around. Neither the Revolt of Kusseila (64/684) nor the Rebellion of the Kahina against Hassan Ibn al-Nu‘man (78/698–82/701) succeeded in swallowing up the new-born town, which came into existence in an extremely hostile environment. Indeed, after the country’s pacification, the town was the target of Kharijite Berber plots who organised revolts in the name of racial equality. They sacked the town and massacred its population at various intervals during the years 124/742–139/757. Consequently, protection over the town was imposed: this was the work of Mohamed Ibn al-‘Ach, the first Abbassid chief who settled in Kairouan and busied himself with protecting it against invaders through the building of a rampart in 144/762. The Abbassid Caliph al-Mansur wrote to al-Aghlab Ibn Salam Tamimi, his Governor in Ifriqiya, about this matter, advising him *“to be just towards his subjects, to fortify the town of Kairouan and its defences and to arrange for its protection”*. It is true that these measures did not prevent further assaults against the town from occurring, but nevertheless they did help to improve its security and create more favourable conditions for its urban growth. Under the reign of the Banu al-Muhallabs, Kairouan went through a relatively peaceful period. Yazid Ibn Hatim undertook building and extension works on the Great Mosque, which became a reason for Kairouan’s rise and demographic growth. He organised the *suq*s, and filled them with different professional bodies. Earlier, various *suq*s had proliferated in the heart of the *medina*, attesting to intense commercial and economic activity. Since the Ist/2nd half of the 7th century, Kairouan began its preparation to become a significant, and heavily populated, Arab-Muslim centre, without, however, aspiring to become a great luxurious and opulent capital; its houses remained modest. Merit is due to the Aghlabids for propelling it to the rank of great Mediterranean capitals. Yet, the new era had begun ominously. The founder of the dynasty, Ibrahim I, distanced himself from the Kairouanese by founding, in 185/801, a new capital, al-‘Abbassiya, 5 km. to the south. His son, Ziyadat Allah, punished the inhabitants of Kairouan for supporting the Arab rebel leader Mansur al-Tanbudhi, and destroyed its ramparts. However, after the consolidation of power among the Aghlabid princes, Kairouan stood out for its loyalty to the dynasty, which then endowed the town with its most beautiful monuments. It was thus that Ziyadat Allah I undertook, beginning in 220/835, the reconstruction of the Great Mosque, so as to render it worthy of the spiritual role which had not ceased to befall the town of Kairouan. Abu Ibrahim placed his freed slave Khalef (246/860) in charge of building a cistern which came to be considered as one of the most important hydraulic works of the Muslim world.  \n  \nHistorical sources attest that Kairouan attained its level of growth with the Aghlabids and did not cease to develop. Its intellectual life was no less abundant, and Kairouan became one of the most brilliant centres of Islamic culture, from where Malekism would spread out across the whole of the Muslim West due in particular to the work of the great scholar Sahnun Ibn Sa‘id (159/776–239/854).  \n  \nWhen the Fatimids settled in Ifriqiya (296/909), they did not bestow any kind of particular importance on Kairouan, which was fighting back stubborn Shi‘ite resistance, forcing them to seek refuge on the coast and to found the town of Mahdia. The Kairouanese even rallied themselves around the Kharijites during the revolt of the “man on the donkey” in 329/941. However, aggravated by the demands of the Berbers, they ended up supporting the Fatimid Caliph al-Mansur, who after his victory, pardoned the Kairouanese and founded his new Capital, Sabra al-Mansuriya in 337/949, on the doorstep of their town. Later on, al-Mu‘izz built an aqueduct that supplied the town’s cisterns with drinking water after first providing for his own Capital, Sabra. Kairouan seemed at the height of expansion: it numbered around 15 thoroughfares, each emanating from the Great Mosque, creating a circulatory urban configuration, which leads to the assumption that the town-plan was based on that of Baghdad, the round city. Fifteen cisterns, situated outside the town walls, supplied the town with water and one could count the presence of over 48 *hammam*s. The town constituted a commercial centre, linking the two extremes of the Muslim world and the economic one which received caravans from al-Andalus and from the auriferous deposits of the southern Sahara. Kairouan was surrounded by wellpopulated villages like the Sardaigne, Jalula, Husr and Sadaf, that provided it with foodstuffs and agricultural produce. Furthermore, the town of Kairouan became one of the largest centres of textile, ceramic and pottery fabrication. It could thus fulfil the necessary criteria required in becoming one of the biggest towns of the era. It is probable that it was, alongside Cordoba and Fustat, one of the greatest metropolises of the Mediterranean.  \n  \nAfter the departure of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu‘izz to Egypt (361/972) in the wake of Cairo’s foundation, Ifriqiya became a Zirid province. Closer ties began to form between the Zirids and the Kairouanese following Prince al-Mansur’s move to Sabra in 375/986. These were reinforced in 406/1016, in the aftermath of the Shi‘ite persecutions in Kairouan, and came to a head in 438/1047, when al-Mu‘izz repudiated his Fatimid allegiance and Sunnism was proclaimed. The Fatimids’ reaction bore tragic consequences for the town.  \n  \nIndeed, in 442/1051, the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir sent the Hilalians to Ifriqiya: tribes from lower Egypt swarmed over North Africa and sacked its capital, Kairouan, which was deserted by the majority of its population. From then on, the town lost its political-economic role and retreated back within its city walls, cutting itself off from a hostile countryside and retaining an essentially spiritual role, whilst transforming itself into a market-town dedicated to commercial activities and craft-making. Meanwhile, the town went through a relative renaissance under the Hafsids. In fact, from the end of the 7th/13th century, Kairouan began to rebuild its ramparts along new lines, and the success of maraboutism provoked the proliferation of mausoleums and *zawiya*s that marked the urban development of the town. It transformed itself into a centre for tanning, fur-trading, and weaving, and its *suq*s were again reorganised. Following the decline of Hafsid power, Kairouan was conquered in 944/1538 by the Chiefs of the Shabbiya Brotherhood who turned it into their capital for 40 years and into the bastion of national opposition to the Spanish Christians who had come to rescue the Hafsid Sultan Hassan. In the 11th/17th century Kairouan benefited from the care and concern of the Muradites, in particular that of Hammuda Mohamed; he transferred his capital there following the rebellion lead by his uncle and his brother ‘Ali. But in 1112/1701, Murad III turned against the Kairouanese, burning down their homes, taking advantage of the allegiance of the Husaynites, after which Husayn Ibn ‘Ali paid particular attention to Kairouan through reconstructing its ramparts and building the Husaynite Madrasa. His successors followed his example as a sign of gratitude for the position taken by the town during the rebellion of ‘Ali Pasha. The French traveller Desfontaines, who visited the town in 1784, noted that it was *“the largest of the kingdoms after Tunis. It is even better built and less dirty than the latter …”*. The traveller Guerin estimated that its population, in 1861, was 12,000 inhabitants. In fact, Kairouan was the seat of the government administration with a population of 130,000 inhabitants. It was an essentially agricultural region, focusing on cereal cultivation and arboriculture. The town was reputed for its crafts, mainly for its rugs and brassware.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"5a03cfd5-7b41-586e-b2c8-1d86d928cbc2":{"title":"Explore Portugal","description":"Situated in the extreme southwest of Europe, continental Portugal and its islands are an amazing reservoir of discoveries – a genuine workshop and a unique melting pot of styles and techniques, strongly influenced by Portugal‘s Mediterranean and trans-Atlantic outlook through the centuries. 296 monuments in 126 locations provide an opportunity to explore the legacy of Islam, the Great Discoveries and the Baroque.","extra":{"country_ids":["pt"],"legacy_status":"e"}},"5a1b8451-0ed7-537d-ad4d-4cb94f316fd6":{"title":"Medina del Campo","description":""},"5a9ae0aa-991a-5de7-ab1a-d6c52ebc3730":{"title":"Asilah","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Situated 46 km. south of Tangier, on the Atlantic coast. From Tangier go towards Rabat. Follow the sign saying Centre Hassan II. The itinerary is based within the old town inside the ramparts.  \nOutside the walls, there is supervised parking."}},"5ad5f826-2904-5528-ab27-f4e26e5ca962":{"title":"SOUSSE","description":"Founded in the 2nd century BC by the Phoenicians to serve as a base for their trading ships in the western Mediterranean, Sousse experienced a remarkable boom during the Roman era, distinguishing itself as one of Africa’s main cities. Nothing significant occurred during the Vandal period or the Byzantine period, and this also applied to the first Muslim period. Facing the supremacy of the Byzantine navy in the western Mediterranean as well as the anarchy that dominated Ifriqiya throughout the 2nd/8th century, the Muslims decided to retreat inland into the country, while Sousse, which was composed of numerous hamlets, lived under the protection of its *ribat*, a sort of fortress that served as a watchtower and refuge for its inhabitants. During the middle of the 2nd–3rd/beginning of 9th century, the Aghlabids succeeded in pacifying the country and becoming the new masters of the sea. They chose Sousse as their naval base and Ziyadat Allah I endowed it with a *kasbah* in 205/821 that encompassed the *ribat* and the naval dockyard where a military garrison were stationed; the whole compound was enclosed by a rampart. It was thus that Sousse was used as the departure point for the Conquest of Sicily in 211/827, reviving the conflict between the Aghlabids and the Byzantines, resulting in a series of clashes that have been well documented in historical sources. The threat of danger incited the Aghlabid princes to reinforce the defensive infrastructure of their base at which the most vicious assaults were aimed.  \n  \nA new *kasbah* was built by Abu ‘Abbas in 229/844; then, 15 years later, Abu Ibrahim Ahmed encircled the town with a freestone enclosure. Sousse then benefited from a time of relative peace, which favoured its growth and development. From being purely a military base, it rose to being one of the largest towns in Ifriqiya, serving Kairouan as the main maritime outlet.  \n  \nCrafts were developed, particularly the weaving of fine materials, which was greatly admired abroad. The problem of supplying the town with drinking water was resolved through the rebuilding of the *sofra*, an ancient Roman cistern that had been turned into a prison during the Aghlabid period. A canal brings the water from the surrounding area to inside the town walls. The foundation of Mahdia in 304/917 by the Fatimid Caliph al-Mahdi, relegated Sousse to second place; Sousse suffered greatly under the siege imposed by the Kharijite Abu Yazid in 333/945.  \n  \nNevertheless, it was able to pick itself up again due to its ideal location in terms of the economic geography of Ifriqiya. Throughout its history, and depending on political fluctuations, Sousse sometimes developed in direct relation to inland areas, whilst at other times it developed completely separately from it, but it always counterbalanced itself with maritime activities.  \n  \nThe end of the 4th/10th century and the beginning of the 5th/11th were notably periods of great urban growth. However, this prosperity was abruptly halted by the arrival of the Hilalians who ransacked the country. Sousse’s fate slipped through the hands of Jebara Ibn Kamel, an Arab Chief allied to the Zirids. Cut-off from the rest of the country, it retreated back into itself, surviving only thanks to its maritime commercial trading links with the other ports of the Mediterranean. Like many coastal towns, it was annexed by the Normans of Sicily and dwelled under their domination for 15 years, until the arrival of the Almohads in 555/1160.  \n  \nDuring 7th/13th century, the town benefited from the great attention paid to it by the Hafsids, who endowed the town with several monuments. But when, in the 10th/16th century, the Sultan Mulay Hassan called on the Spanish to help him reclaim his throne, Sousse rose up against the invaders and endured severe damage following two punitive expeditions.  \n  \nThe Turks, in restoring peace to the country, reclaimed the town. The 11th/17th century was marked by two events. From within, Sousse was deeply shaken by internal struggles that afflicted first the brothers Mohamed and ‘Ali Bey from 1085/1675 to 1097/1686, then Murad III and his cousin Ramdan who had taken refuge in Sousse only to be persecuted and decapitated there in 1110/1699. In the outside world, Sousse took part, as did most coastal towns, in privateering activities, rampant throughout the Mediterranean, and because of this was often the object of reprisals by European States, most notably France and Venice. In the 12th/18th century, during the rebellion of ‘Ali Pasha in 1140/1728, Sousse sided with Husayn Ibn ‘Ali’s camp and was stage to various battles, until the final victory was won by the Husaynites in 1170/1757. In recognition of this, the Bey Mohamed accorded Sousse various rights and privileges. On the other hand, in the Revolt lead by ‘Ali Ibn Ghdhahum during 13th/19th century, Sousse sided with the rebels. After this insurrection failed, General Ahmed Zarruk, sent by the *bey*, exercised a pitiful regime of repression over Sousse, whose importance suffered a continuous decline until the debarkation of the French troops in September 1881. By that time, it had been reduced to a town of merely 8,000 inhabitants.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"5b13111d-d9ce-5fa9-af6a-6fb391b5f1c2":{"title":"Czech Republic","description":""},"5b35f0d9-5f54-5cad-81c1-3f3f0bd2b7b3":{"title":"Frascati","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1,2]}},"5b6b18bb-bbd7-57da-8368-b49ad23d9efc":{"title":"Udhruh","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5bd6a7de-5b23-5a21-8889-46961928f413":{"title":"Osijek","description":""},"5bf8ea89-82d0-5d58-9054-c4e95787b59c":{"title":"Traces of the Past: Churches, Synagogues and Palaces","description":"Among the many Mudejar buildings conserved in Toledo, those included in this itinerary are the most representative and have been chosen to illustrate both the various functions of churches, palaces, synagogues or gates in the city walls, as well as to explore the stylistic evolution of these models. These buildings are in different parts of the city, leading the visitor, therefore, through an itinerary that includes the streets and which allows the Islamic traces to be seen in the urban plan in order to appreciate the various functions of the different sectors – commercial, residential, the Jewish Quarter – which defined Toledo as a Mudejar city, the heir of the earlier Hispano-Muslim Toledo.  \n  \nIncorporated into the Crown of Castilla in 1085, the conditions of the capitulation guaranteed the Muslims who remained in the city the right to retain their goods and their religion, their language and their own judges. In this way Toledo became the prototype of what Torres Balbás called “Mudejar cities”, the result of the transformation of Muslim cities once occupied by Christians.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;IX;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[337],"territory_ids":[8]}},"5c258ec2-4464-53ad-9b3b-8c845f824d3b":{"title":"Casablanca","description":""},"5c2f7f87-322b-55c6-8248-b480fdb7cec9":{"title":"Fügenberg","description":""},"5d122e5b-e7ee-5716-9999-fae4f1d518f7":{"title":"Vilamoura","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5d4a3620-0251-5cbe-949d-7c8425b68093":{"title":"Taormina","description":""},"5d5d1e6b-1f8d-5f22-9bd0-ccd02d4965df":{"title":"Aqaba","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5de89b16-ab46-5000-b305-eb681ec86f8c":{"title":"Alfaiates","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5e1bd177-50a6-55d2-9639-9354e7536c49":{"title":"Vila Franca do Campo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5e324c55-9fd9-5301-a247-48afa528bb80":{"title":"VICARI","description":"Al-Idrisi describes it as an “*imposing castle and impregnable fortalice with plenty of water and productive land*” (tr. Amari, 1880-1881).  \n  \nAccording to some chroniclers, the Great Count Ruggero used this place as a stronghold for the Conquest of Palermo, and in 1077 constructed a castle there at the foot of which many groups of Lombards settled. In effect its position of privileged “guard” on a crossroads of fundamental importance, in order to link the coast with the interior, makes it reasonable to imagine the existence of communities from the Byzantine era and the permanence of an inhabited area during the Islamic period. This hypothesis seems to be supported by some remains, which have been discovered during the archaeological campaigns carried out recently in the area of the castle.","extra":{"author":"Scientific Committee"}},"5eabf1d5-83d6-5a67-a5bf-736936927ed9":{"title":"HUMT SUQ","description":"Situated on the same level as the semi-desert zone of the African continent, the Island of Jerba would have been only a piece of the sandy Sahara emerging out of the large gulf of Gabès, but its meeting with man was to give it an altogether different appearance. The island of Homer’s Lotophagus, or the “island of great depths”, became Girba during the Roman era, hence its present name; it is a large and beautiful island which holds an important strategic position in the Mediterranean. Situated approximately at mid-distance between Ceuta (*Sebta*) in Morocco and Alexandria in Egypt, Jerba possessed a flourishing arboriculture as well as vineyards; it produced all kinds of fruit; and its pottery workshops manufactured large jars used for the exportation of olive oil. Its inhabitants produced olive oil, wool fabrics and a popular cotton cloth. During the Age of Antiquity, its coastal installations worked treating murex, a variety of mollusc that secreted a purple-red colour (*purpura*), a dye much sought-after by the sovereigns of the time as it was used to colour their regal garments. The coastal fisheries provided a variety of fish. Important trading agencies marked out the coastline: Meninx to the south, Tipaza on the site of Ajim, Haribus near Guellala and Ghizen on the northern coast.  \n  \nLocal tradition recalls, during this time, the arrival of a Jewish community who towards the middle of the 6th century BC had left Jerusalem as refugees and who found Jerba a favourable place in which to propagate their faith. Passing into the hands of the Romans after they had taken Carthage, Jerba underwent an even greater boom as can be seen by the size of the city of Meninx, which became the island’s capital, and by the construction of a reef linking the island to the continent. The island even gave birth to two emperors, Vibius Galus and his son, Volusianus. With no traces left of the Vandal episode, the island continued to welcome all religions, as illustrated by the fact that, at the end of the reign of Justinian, it housed a solid Christian diocese in the city of Girba, which seemed to have replaced Meninx as the island’s capital.  \n  \nConquered by the Arabs in 273/887, the island appears to have be unaffected by the events that were acted out on the continent. It was only with the arrival of Ibadism, which slowly gained interest in the Muslim West during the 3rd/9th century, that Jerba was taken note of. One has to briefly remind oneself that during the Great Discord (see the Historical Overview), the first partisans of ‘Ali were Kharijites. Hence the latter gave themselves the right to select a leader, whether he be or not descended from Quraysh, the Prophet’s tribe, whether he be even a black slave. But Kharijism did not remain unified; ever since its beginnings, it splintered into various sects spreading across the Muslim world; Ibadism, a moderate faction of this movement, implanted itself in the Maghreb. It derives its name from its founder, ‘Abd Allah Ibn Ibad al-Murri, who lived in Basra in Iraq towards the end of the 1st/7th century. When and how was this island penetrated by this movement? It is difficult to reply to this question with precision, but it seems that the proximity of Tripolitania played a role in the origins of contact made between Jerba and the first Ibadite State, founded in the Maghreb in 140/758 by five missionaries sent from Basra to preach their doctrine. It was to be an ephemeral state, but it represented the first application of Ibadite political theory of Collegiate power. At the same time, Kairouan was occupied by the Ibadites and was also governed by one of them, ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Rustum.Tripoli, Ifriqiya and east Algeria seemed for a while to have been converted to the new doctrine. Ibn Rustum, chased out of Kairouan in 143/761, sought refuge with the Berbers and founded Tahert in 161/778, near present-day Tiaret in southern Algeria. Some time after his settlement, he instituted an *imam* diocese (*Imamat*) which would remain within his family until 296/909 to which Jerba was attached. It was a theocracy founded on the Qur’an and on the Tradition in which the *imam* must be a pious theologian supervised by clerks; it was an austere, puritanical and egalitarian regime. His son, ‘Abd al-Wahab (171/788–208/824) was elected by a council, but was very soon contested by an Ibadite faction which separated itself from the Rustemids, giving rise to two schismatic movements.  \n  \nIt seems that during this period of Ibadite penetration, Jerba was more of a refuge for these dissident groups created in opposition to the dynastic power of the Rustemids, notably the *Nukkariya* and the *Khalafiya*. The “renouncers”, *nukkar*, who constituted one of the main branches of Ibadism, gained their name from the fact that they refused to recognise the second *imam* of Tahert; they also owed their celebrity to their leader, the famous Abu Yazid, “the man on the donkey” who never compromised the existence of the Fatimid Caliphate. As for the *khalafiya*, they derived their name from Khalaf Ibn al-Samh; his father was at first the vizier of the imam ‘Abd al-Wahab, and then Governor of Tripoli (195/811–207/823). On his death, the Tripolitan Ibadite notables elected his son, Khalaf, but he was not recognised by the *imam* of Tahert, which then brought about a schism. Whosoever advocated ideas against the heredity of power and ideas for meritocratic election would have benefited from a good audience if preaching to the population of Jerba. In 296/909, the Fatimids were to put an end not only to the Aghlabid Emirate but also to the *imam* diocese of Tahert, creating a great and powerful kingdom.  \n  \nSmall Ibadite factions gradually regrouped in southern Ifriqiya and Tripoli. No longer able to recreate an *imam* diocese, they adopted the laws of secrecy when it came to matters of faith in order to avoid repression. At the end of the Rustemid reign, Jerba had a *Nukkariya* majority, and the *shaykh* Abu Messwer had a lot of difficulty in creating the first *Wahabiya* school in Jerba (remember that this name was given to the followers of the second Rustemid *imam*, ‘Abd al-Wahab, who was mentioned above). He was the founder of Humt Suq, also referred to in sources as Suq al-Khamis. It was only from the beginning of the 4th/10th century that *Wahabism*, anchored onto solid foundations, had begun to supplant *Nukkarism* and a harsh, bitter combat was fought between the two parties.  \n  \nIn the middle of the 5th/11th century, a new form of government appeared amidst the Banu Yahrassen tribes, which was composed of a council of hermits presided over by a *shaykh*, under which the whole life of the community was submitted. This council was made up of 12 people, each of whom had their own function. They had founded their power on the basis of Ibadite teachings and thought.  \n  \nDuring the 6th/12th century, the island had to uphold a lengthy resistance against the Normans; on several occasions the latter had the upper hand, as they played on internal dissensions within the island and Jerba was taken in 529/1135. Around 544/1150, Mahdia, Sousse and Sfax, the coastal towns, were also in the hands of the Normans and had to pay tribute to the conquerors. The people Revolted and they were liberated a short while after by the Almohads. The island was taken for a second time in 682/1284 by Admiral Roger de Lauria; it was pillaged and sacked. The admiral organised the building of a fortress and the population was forced to pay heavy tributes. He systematically raided and plundered the Ifriqiyan coasts. Christian domination lasted more or less until 735/1335; the people, overcome and exhausted by the demands of “greedy money grubbing governors”, rose up against them, putting an end to their rule. In 835/1432, Alphonso of Aragon took over the island, but his domination lasted but a short while. In 924/1518, Hassan al-Wazzan, returning from a voyage to the East, was captured by a Sicilian pirate during a stop-over in Jerba and was taken to Italy. Offered as a gift to Pope Leo X, John of Medici, he was converted to Christianity and was given the name John Leo the African. He wrote prolifically, but posterity honours him above all for being the author of the *Descriptions of Africa*. In the 10th/16th century, the island, having become the den of the famous corsair Dragut, Darguth Rais, was attacked by the admiral to Philip II, André Doria. It turned out to be a disaster for the Spanish and the apogee of Turkish power in the Mediterranean. Despite the Turkish defeat of Lepante in 978/1571, the island as well as the country dwelled henceforth under Ottoman domination.  \n  \nIn the 11th/17th century, two-thirds of the island had been won over by Wahabism. In the 12th/18th and 13th/19th centuries, the *Nukkariyas*, confined to the eastern zone of the island, progressively converted themselves to Malekism, reinforcing the grip of Tunis as a central power. The system of *‘azzaba*s was from the start based on a vision of power upheld by the original initiators, but its development presents a gradual fissure between the two powers. Dynasties of local governors seized transient power for themselves, leaving the *‘azzaba*s to deal with justice and teaching.  \n  \nOn the 28th July 1881, French troops occupied the great fortress, the Burj al-Kabir, just as they had occupied the rest of Tunisia. Since Independence, Jerba has returned to being the fascinating, mysterious island it once was, with its blond sandy beaches, filled with sea and sun, dotted with small white and curiously shaped mosques, revealing themselves to those with inquisitive gazes and yet how secret they are!  \n  \nThe fruits of a long local tradition, the buildings of Jerba, are scattered according to the image of spatial occupation held by the Jerbian. Breaking away, in effect, from the classical city which for a long time had flourished near the coast, these islanders, for reasons of security, had surged back further into the island, developing thus a dispersed community. From the Middle Ages onwards, they flocked towards different areas in order to exploit the land agriculturally, assuring their self-sufficiency. In this type of settlement, the mosque occupies an essential place in community life. It is the spiritual centre, even though it is located at the periphery. Sources attribute the island as having 360 mosques, that is nearly a mosque for every day of the year, demonstrating thus the profound piety of its inhabitants as well as their dispersion. These monuments were, successively or at the same time, the preferred place in which to live out the cultural, administrative, military, and indeed political life of the population. They assured the formation of the frameworks necessary to govern the island in an autonomous manner. They thus reflect the moments of strength within the Ibadite epic which enabled the island to be kept in the lap of Islam, despite the pressures that weighed down on her during the centuries of trouble. Whether it be religious or used for economic purposes, the island’s architecture is characterised by its sobriety, its minimalism and its functionality. Nothing is superfluous. It is the expression of the egalitarian teachings of a rigorous Islam, believed in by the first initiators of the Ibadite doctrine. Local in origin, most of the monuments described below are built in this mould, as are even the official monuments which were constructed under the orders of the central state, to which the island was more or less attached during various periods of its history.","extra":{"author":"Aziza Ben Tanfous"}},"5f5db974-1421-5a97-9288-53ead780d4fd":{"title":"Noudar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"5f6974c9-bd97-584b-aace-0aa37a73d040":{"title":"Piazza di Corte","description":"","extra":{"duration":"mezza giornata","location_ids":[409]}},"5f8de01b-417a-52a7-a34c-1ce9cc956d92":{"title":"Paderne","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"603250a7-4665-5a6f-8aa8-b1688e75b35d":{"title":"Bologna","description":""},"60390603-06ed-571d-9dd5-99f191d0de83":{"title":"Testour","description":""},"60530d47-fa51-5a8e-af81-c9cc714229b4":{"title":"Daughters of Kings and Nobles: through the St. Clare’s Convents","description":"Some daughters of kings and of the more important families of the Castile and Leon nobility swelled the nuns' communities in the region. The Cistercian and St Clare's orders gladly took them in and entrusted them relevant charges. Their economic contributions gave to many 14th–16th-century Cistercian and St Clare's convents the spacious and stately habitability which is still their characteristic.  \n  \nMaría de Padilla (?–1361) as well as her daughters Beatriz (1353–?) and Constanza (1354–?), born from her relations with Pedro I of Castile (1334-69), stayed in the unfinished palaces in Astudillo and Tordesillas. Women of the families Manrique, Castañeda, Enríquez and others bequeathed their houses and goods to the convents in Calabazanos, Carrión de los Condes and Palencia. It is difficult to find a convent in the region where a family of the local nobility did not leave their mark.  \n  \nBeside the conventual architecture, there is another distinctive style of religious architecture in the main towns of Tierra de Campos. Here, the Mudéjar artists constructed ceilings with rich interlacing, endowed the upper choirs with figurative themes representing figures of the period, and created plasterwork in chapels and pulpits, tile-works and funerary arches.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;es;VII;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[338,325,288,330,334,285,298,345,293,305,300],"territory_ids":[7]}},"60b556a2-980a-5b52-bb6a-8429ea8caa3e":{"title":"Al-Hnaya","description":""},"6154e800-5109-5c20-acdf-fbc643a2586f":{"title":"Telč","description":""},"622c99a7-7db9-5c4a-8c74-1d1133247bd3":{"title":"Ankara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"62570b6b-d213-5f5f-b2c9-2843799a7f9f":{"title":"Sintra","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information Office: Praça da República, 23, tel: 21 923 11 57.","showOnMonument":true}},"6283d35c-5f3a-53bd-bb0d-48d436d74fb9":{"title":"Potsdam","description":""},"6287bd28-26d2-5ad9-85ad-06502c0d17ad":{"title":"Tunis, Bardo","description":""},"629e6bca-19ae-59e8-b2f6-a6c5b0fdbd62":{"title":"VIANA DO CASTELO","description":"Viana do Castelo, or Viana do Lima, as many of its inhabitants like to call it, started out as a small fishing village called Átrio, which existed in the 12th century. D. Afonso III named it Viana when he granted it a charter in 1258, and from then on it developed rapidly, especially during the Manueline Period. The town was, therefore, a Crown estate and, for the first phase of its settlement with new inhabitants, the actions of João Gonçalves proved to be crucial. The king’s representative in the region, he justly came to be known as “the Settler” of Viana.  \n  \nIts excellent anchorage at the mouth of the River Lima first attracted inter-European trading vessels, and then, later, ships carrying goods and people to and from Africa, Brazil and the Far East, at the same time as European trade increased apace. It was an essential trading port for cloth and metal goods from Flanders, England and Germany. This wealth, however, attracted pirates, mainly from France and the Biscay area, so when D. Manuel I passed through the town on a pilgrimage to Santiago do Compostela, he ordered a fort to be constructed on the bar of the estuary.  \n  \nThis golden period created a mercantile and manufacturing class and craftsmen’s guilds, which left their mark on the historic centre of the city. The wealth, piety and devotion of the citizens of the town, along with their personal and professional affirmation, are reflected in churches and many other buildings in the area.","extra":{"about":"Viana do Castelo, or Viana do Lima, as many of its inhabitants like to call it, started out as a small fishing village called Átrio, which existed in the 12th century. D. Afonso III named it Viana when he granted it a charter in 1258, and from then on it developed rapidly, especially during the Manueline Period. The town was, therefore, a Crown estate and, for the first phase of its settlement with new inhabitants, the actions of João Gonçalves proved to be crucial. The king’s representative in the region, he justly came to be known as “the Settler” of Viana.  \nIts excellent anchorage at the mouth of the River Lima first attracted inter-European trading vessels, and then, later, ships carrying goods and people to and from Africa, Brazil and the Far East, at the same time as European trade increased apace. It was an essential trading port for cloth and metal goods from Flanders, England and Germany. This wealth, however, attracted pirates, mainly from France and the Biscay area, so when D. Manuel I passed through the town on a pilgrimage to Santiago do Compostela, he ordered a fort to be constructed on the bar of the estuary.  \nThis golden period created a mercantile and manufacturing class and craftsmen’s guilds, which left their mark on the historic centre of the city. The wealth, piety and devotion of the citizens of the town, along with their personal and professional affirmation, are reflected in churches and many other buildings in the area.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"62c38d35-9a12-5417-ab33-5809a7ad5df4":{"title":"Viana do Castelo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6363f883-935b-595c-a974-95d48df23792":{"title":"Birgi","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"There are regular *dolmush* minibuses from Tire bus station to Ödemiş and from Ödemiş bus station to Birgi.","showOnMonument":true}},"63826ea2-652f-5c29-b2d4-f03cdf3ea402":{"title":"Miranda do Douro","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"63faa6a4-4f55-590a-9192-9db29b957efc":{"title":"Tirol","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"642c6a43-4595-5553-b0a7-4de82d0c1061":{"title":"Lebanon","description":""},"6476e87f-6330-5492-9bed-5873ba0fdc60":{"title":"Berovo","description":""},"64af80fc-b3b8-5c27-807b-4736de93fdd8":{"title":"Gornja Bistra","description":""},"64bb56e8-0f61-53ae-8eaf-e9e556cbf8d6":{"title":"SÉTIF","description":"The town of Setif, capital of Setif province, is located about 300 kilometres east of Algiers at an elevation of 1,100 metres in the High Plains between the Kabylie and Aurès Mountains. It is bounded to the North by the Babors Range, which extends over an area of 100 kilometres in the northern part of the province, and includes peaks such as Mount Babor, at 2,004 metres. The region has abundant natural and historical sites. It also has six hot springs, including Hammam Guergour and Hammam Soukhna.  \n  \nThe city’s history city dates to earliest antiquity. Setif was part of the Numid kingdom of the Massaessyles. When the Romans arrived it took the official name “Colonia Nerviana Augusta martialis veteranorum Setifensium”. It became a colony in 543, under Nerva. It extended over 40 hectares as the capital of Mauretania Sitifensis. When General Justinian Solomon occupied the city in 593, it was a semi-abandoned capital. The Byzantine rampart he ordered was built three to four metres behind the old one. At that time the city enjoyed a certain prosperity.  \n  \nWith the advent of Islam, it fell under the rule of the Abbasids and enjoyed great autonomy. Al-Bakri describes it as “important, well-populated and rich, provided with water and surrounded by orchards”. In the 4th / 10th century it was taken by the *da’i* (Shiite proselytiser) Abu Abd Allah, who destroyed the Byzantine wall and made the Setif heights at Ikdjane his operational base, thus creating the first Fatimid caliphate.  \n  \nThe city would experience a period of political stability and urban expansion until early in the 4th / 10th century. After that the instability produced by the arrival of nomadic groups had a detrimental effect, but the city remained prominent. In 546 / 1152, Abdelmoumen the Almohad, already the ruler of Bejaya, defeated the Beni Hilal, and the city began to decline. At the beginning of the 10th / 16th century, Leon the African described it as almost nonexistent, and it remained so until the first French colonists arrived in 1838.  \n  \nSetif, which is industrialising and experiencing considerable urban development, is currently an important tourist centre. In the city centre, the archaeological park contains a lake and a museum. Also notable is Aïn Fouara, a large Roman-era fountain that was discovered and restored in colonial times, and the mausoleum known as the Tomb of Scipio.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"650eb316-7f5f-51c2-96cf-4e45a3f19520":{"title":"Holešov","description":""},"652c05d0-52e7-5ee9-879b-b6b967772dfc":{"title":"EXPLORE with MWNF"},"652e2fad-3a46-50ec-8e6c-55ee7530b041":{"title":"Castelvetrano","description":""},"655f5bdf-6e9d-576f-a666-1a0d960d23fd":{"title":"San Pedro de las Dueñas","description":""},"656bc9cc-215e-5faa-8d65-68d52b91f121":{"title":"Serra do Buçaco","description":""},"65a2b5a6-143c-5e6a-bbe2-c10820ae66ea":{"title":"Torres Vedras","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"660f62d2-d8ff-5c5d-9199-5612a639fd38":{"title":"Almancil","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"661d4554-e696-5255-bac4-057adfd9af24":{"title":"Almería","description":""},"6646f14c-5bbf-50cd-9780-c676b1e8d95e":{"title":"COIMBRA","description":"This was how the Arab chronicler al-Razi described the city of the Mondego Valley in the 4th/10th century: “The city of Coimbra is very strong: it is a most excellent castle. It is situated upon the Mondego, which has its source in the mountains of Serra da Estrela and passes at the foot of various castles that depend on Coimbra. This river rushes into the sea 24 miles from Coimbra; it abounds in fish of many species. The city of Coimbra is beautiful and endowed with different riches; on the banks of the river it has a plain that is very good for crops, even without irrigation. When the river comes out of its bed, the plain is entirely covered. Later, when the river retreats, so well is the grain sown that the inhabitants harvest wheat enough for the whole year and for the following year, although the plain is no more than 15 miles long and 4 miles wide. The city of Coimbra has many orchards with good yields and numerous olive-groves that provide very good oil. Coimbra is a very ancient land. Coimbra may be considered as the northernmost city with Mediterranean characteristics in the west of the Iberian Peninsula and, in Islamic times, it covered a walled area of roughly 10 hectares inhabited by some three to four thousand people. Built on a hill overlooking the plains of the Mondego Valley, its territory stretched as far as the sea, close to which there stood the imposing fortress of Montemor-o-Velho.  \n  \nA monumental citadel, with an adjoining residential quarter, that dominated the top of the hill, where the old university and its campus of modern faculties now stands. Close to the river, along the top of the road that led to the north, there developed a heavily populated quarter of fishermen, traders and artisans, to which access was gained through the Porta de Almedina.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"66797b89-cb69-5635-9d51-242cd315c9dd":{"title":"Villalón de Campos","description":""},"672b4f56-28de-572f-8c5e-fd6370edc6f4":{"title":"Chefchaouen: The Holy City of the Rif Mountain","description":"Founded by a family of Idrissid *shorfa* (sg. *Sharif*), descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, this city, blessed by God who had offered it so much bountiful nature, was considered by the neighbouring populations to be a Holy Town, in second place to the town of Mulay Idriss Zerhun. It is therefore of no surprise to find, in a town with such little space, a number of significant places of cult worship and prayer: eight mosques, one or two per neighbourhood, nine *zawiya*s, representing the country's leading brotherhoods, and many marabouts, such as the town's founder Mulay 'Ali Ibn Rashid, who was particularly venerated by the surrounding populations.  \n  \nHowever, this piety did not prevent its inhabitants from enjoying the gentle way of life and charm which characterises this beautiful city. This beauty is a result of how best the builders were able to work with the morphology of the sloping terrain, in order to erect a town which does fall in line with traditional urban design of Moroccan *medina*s, but which inarguably has its own style inspired by Andalusian Islamic architecture.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;ma;V;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[507]}},"674f601a-5cad-5e63-b3da-9babbdc3233c":{"title":"Maluenda","description":""},"68246291-2487-579c-8bb6-0dbab95e7099":{"title":"Faro","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Rua Da Misericórdia, 8, tel: 289 80 36 04.","showOnMonument":true}},"687d06e8-f10b-5a74-a12c-fed18e472156":{"title":"Lourosa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"68a02bec-b17b-542a-bde4-56457522209f":{"title":"Mar Musa al-Habashi Monastery","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"68cddb7c-3c03-5044-9b64-a3e58a1da2b9":{"title":"Central Jordan Valley","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"696b4cf4-a6b5-5b59-a559-b86187cef2e1":{"title":"Maqam of Nabi Samuel (St Samuel)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"697130ed-b1c7-5cef-a1c2-7aacc04bef4d":{"title":"Viseu","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6971d113-f478-59cd-b211-ba06c7775fd7":{"title":"Testimonies of the Arabic and Norman Ages","description":"Two apparently distinct themes permeate the story of the presence of both the Muslim and Norman civilisations in the north-east territory of Sicily, where the inaccessible reliefs of the Pelitoriani, the Nebrodi and the Madonie, follow one after the other, from the east to the west. Two powerful themes: that of defence to which the concrete signs of military architecture are evidence and that of water, which inspired a number of works carried out either to protect the purity of the springs (Cuba of Vicari) or for domestic use (the washhouse of Cefalù). Or again, to cross over the River San Michele, using the bridge at Altavilla Milicia, Ponte Saraceno. The contrast between the weight of the military works and the airy consistency of the hydraulic works is, however, only apparent. Both have in the past constituted the indispensable premises to the constitution and the flourishing of a stable civilisation, especially during the uncertain centuries of the early Middle Ages.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;it;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[450,407,411,412,419,445,413,442,423,439],"territory_ids":[10]}},"69824c72-b929-51e9-9164-7c0b25165fce":{"title":"Mahdia","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Leave from Kairouan on the al-Djem, then head towards Ksur Essaf and Mahdia."}},"69c79641-68fb-5120-9f67-04a3f248b5a4":{"title":"Elvas","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Praça da República, tel: 268 62 22 36.","showOnMonument":true}},"69eba0bf-403c-52ae-bdc3-a1ed825c3f9d":{"title":"A Day in the Life of a Taleb in Fez","description":"The system of teaching particular to the Islamic civilisation was based on a multidisciplinary approach, which, with the exclusion of theology, considered to be the pillar of all knowledge, consisted of disciplines (termed secular) such as astrology, mathematics or medicine. The literal translation of the Arab word *taleb* (university student) makes this apparent: the word comes from the verb *talaba*, to ask, and thus signifies “the seeker of science”.  \n  \nA metropolis of humanities, sciences and arts, Merinid Fez, which lasted from the 7th/13th until the 9th/15th century, lay at the pinnacle of this teaching system. The cosmopolitan force of attraction that Fez possessed, particularly during the 8th/14th century, drained the land of various populations of young students, who had come from the furthest regions of the Maghreb and beyond in the quest for knowledge. To be accepted into the University of the Qarawiyin was thus the dream of every young *taleb*, at least of the sort of *taleb* one would want to be like, who studiously divides his day between the *madrasa*, the mosque and the university.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;ma;II;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[508]}},"6a98de95-ff0e-55b8-b6b3-e12834fbd25c":{"title":"Landeck","description":""},"6ad70cd6-6548-5d91-9f01-14ae45d1ac8f":{"title":"Weyarn","description":""},"6b045bdb-331c-5819-b51d-542ef23a5601":{"title":"Citadel of Abu Qubays","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6b0d5527-590d-52ab-9ede-23f803439ae9":{"title":"The Island of Madeira: Between Portugal and Flanders","description":"he Island of Madeira, covering an area of 741 sq. km., is the most important in the archipelago, a mere 1,000 km. from Lisbon and a little over 500 km. from Cape Djouchi on the African coast.  \n  \nPorto Santo, 41 sq. km in size and 50 km. from Madeira, along with the Selvagens and Desertas and a handful of dispersed rocks, completes the archipelago. João Gonçalves Zarco officially discovered these uninhabited islands in 1419. Their relative proximity to Portugal encouraged settlers and they soon became natural extensions of the kingdom and a regular stopover point for vessels sailing south, as well as providing support for the Portuguese fortresses in Morocco.  \n  \nThe first inhabitants included members of the lower nobility and squires of Prince Henry the Navigator’s Household, ennobled for their deeds in the Maghreb. The ordinary people came from various parts of the kingdom, and very many soon rose to a privileged status.  \n  \nThe introduction of sugar cane created an agriculture based on a single crop, broken only by the planting of wheat, which was in short supply at the end of the 15th century. The European preference for sugar from Madeira meant that many Italian, Flemish and German merchants settled on the island, some of whom also became producers, putting down roots and creating new families that later entered the ranks of the nobility. The population of European origin grew very quickly, numbering about 18,000 by the end of the 16th century.  \n  \nAnother important factor in the development of the archipelago was the creation of the Diocese of Funchal, by Pope Leo X, in 1514, at the insistence of D. Manuel I. All the Portuguese overseas territories depended on the new Episcopal see, both those already discovered and those that would later be so. It became an Archdiocese in 1533.  \n  \nThe Manueline epoch was heavily marked by Flemish influences, as many works of art placed on altars in churches, chapels and oratorios were imported from Flanders and surrounding regions. These consisted largely of painting and sculpture, much of which is still to be seen today in museums and churches on the Islands.  \nBesides excellent Manueline architecture, with its *Mudejar* ceilings of Hispano-Moorish tradition, paintings and sculptures were imported from Flanders or made by Flemish masters living in Madeira, proof of the close relationship between Portugal and the northern Europe at the time of the Discoveries.  \n  \n**The South Coast of Madeira**  \nThe development of the Island of Madeira, from the arrival of the first settlers, took place largely in the south of the island, where the coast facilitated disembarkation and communication, due to bays, cliffs, winds and tides. More gentle valleys encouraged planting of different species for the inhabitants’ use, and sugar cane was also planted on these slopes and sugar mills were built on the respective terraced *levadas* (irrigation channels).  \n  \nIt is hardly surprising that these areas produced some of the most important pieces of art and architecture of the Manueline era, and from Caniçal to the Estreito da Calheta there are many villages that deserve a visit. We have chosen only those that seemed most significant for this particular guide, which does not imply any disinterest in the beautiful surrounding landscape or other urban settings, with their memories of different times and other economic cycles.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[100,144,138,80,150,115],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;XIII;en;1"}},"6b0e8180-ca64-50fc-a038-1040396bd8ac":{"title":"Diyarbakır","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6b5ef6bd-e5c6-5812-930c-cb0e51ab3d13":{"title":"Námešť nad Oslavou","description":""},"6be765c5-70c2-51d9-8f52-d48d27f35c2d":{"title":"LAMEGO","description":"The city was important in distant times, at least from the Visigothic period in the 7th century onwards, for coins were minted here in the reign of Sisebuto. When the Muslims began to take over the Peninsula in 713, Lamego was occupied soon afterwards and was only definitively reconquered by the army of Fernando the Great, Emperor of León, in 1057. In 1071, it became the see of the Diocese.  \n  \nThe development of Lamego in Mediaeval times was, in a first phase, due to Egas Moniz, who lived nearby in Britiande and was tutor to the first Portuguese King, D. Afonso Henriques. In 1191, D. Sancho I granted the town its first charter in an attempt to attract a fixed population to this, a depressed area.  \n  \nUntil the 19th century, the town was never very large and any social life was related to the cathedral.  \n  \nThe 12th-century castle stands on a frontier hill. It was frequently restored in the Middle Ages and further work, mainly consolidation, was carried out in Manueline times, giving it the look that it has retained to this day.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo"}},"6c6476aa-1896-5ddd-9f68-4249c24c9ce9":{"title":"Wessobrunn","description":""},"6c6d29d2-a175-5d24-83c3-15bcd9ce393a":{"title":"Btater","description":""},"6c9c6460-35d3-53a0-bdf7-a922e7bd2449":{"title":"Moura","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6cf5a442-512f-5088-bd3c-936d3940c71f":{"title":"Granada","description":""},"6d2bb3f2-9a47-5a1f-b429-480eb82732bf":{"title":"İZNİK","description":"The city was founded in 316 BC by Antigonus I Monophthalmos (380-301 BC), one of Alexander the Great’s generals, and given the name Antigonia. Another of Alexander’s generals, Lysimachus, captured the city in 301 BC, and named it after his deceased wife (Nicea) and made it the capital of the region of Bithynia. After it came under the control of the Romans, the town became one of the most important cities of the Province of Asia. In 325 the First Ecumenical Council gathered in Nicea and laid the foundations of Orthodoxy. In 787, the Seventh Ecumenical Council ended up in moderation between iconodules and iconoclasts. In 1075 the Seljuqs captured Nicea and changed its name to İznik. At the same time, the town became the capital of the Rum Sultanate. However, it changed hands between the Byzantines and the Turks until Ottoman Sultan Orhan Gazi captured it for good in 1331."},"6d7c1e98-0c80-5148-aca6-0a750f823188":{"title":"Ebb and Flow, Shine and Eclipse","description":"Rabat and Salé, situated opposite one another, on each side of the mouth of the Bu Regreg river, were rivals and allies in turn. Today they compose a single administrative entity and a single indissociable tourist compound. Capital of the kingdom since 1912, the agglomeration of Rabat-Salé experienced, throughout the centuries, a single destiny composed of radiances and eclipses, of feverish activity and profound lethargy, of ambition and dashed hopes.  \n  \nThe “site of Bu Regreg”, as termed by historians after the name of the river that flows between and separates the twin towns, was biased towards Andalusian culture and civilisation in the two following terms: in terms of the transfer of Islam and Arabic-Berber culture towards Spain; in terms of the transfer of Muslim and Jewish populations from al-Andalus (Morisco populations) –with their weapons and luggage, ways of life and techniques– towards North Africa. This dual facet of Rabat-Salé's relation with Muslim Spain is reflected perfectly in the monuments and remains of the site: those of the Almohad conquerors, stripped bare, imposing and extrovert in style (Hassan Tower, ramparts, Chellah), those of the Merinid and those of their successors, refined, personalised and introverted in style (*zawiya*s, mosques, residences).","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;ma;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[514,515]}},"6de9eadc-4d34-5ef6-a9b6-d8536eb30cee":{"title":"Málaga","description":""},"6e7af898-4728-5e8e-9c18-2239f1c9f4cb":{"title":"TORO","description":"Resettled from the 10th century, in the 16th century, Toro was a city which was “*prosperous, fertile and with good wine*” according to the historian Marineo Sículo. There are remains of the concrete walls, trimmed with calyons, which Gómez Moreno describes as *Moriscos* (Moorish), and which protected three communities: a Christian one, a Jewish one and a Mudéjar one. It is thought that Samuel Haleví, the famous treasurer of Pedro I, was born into the Jewish community here. As far as the existence of Muslims is concerned, paying attention to the buildings they left rather than to their names or social positions is more fruitful, although in the census of the Inquisition in 1581 and 1589, *Moriscos* from Granada are mentioned.  \n  \nWhat is decisive in Toro is the brick architecture, which makes this town one of the most important centres of Mudéjar art and architecture in Castilla- León. In contrast to the Romanesque Collegiate Church in stone, the apses of the churches of Toro have blind arcades in brick.  \n  \nThe stone foundations of the churches do not recall the first style of Sahagún, rather, the aim of this simple system of laying foundations was to insulate the building against the damp ground. In general, the walls of these churches correspond to the 12th and 13th centuries, while their roofs, where they have been preserved, belong to the 15th and 16th centuries. There is a certain influence of the Church of San Lorenzo, in the same town, with its double arcade on the exterior of the apse and long continuous friezes in the nave, as is usual in the sanctuaries and naves of other churches in Toro.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Lavado Paradinas"}},"6e907092-11aa-540e-974c-721847fe613e":{"title":"Utebo","description":""},"6ed586d4-cf6b-5513-83db-105294093c36":{"title":"Serpa-Vila Branca","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6f0e047e-562f-51ae-a357-cfa5f0e94100":{"title":"Aljezur","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"6f2d8ee7-1c2b-5dd1-bba7-940d4ec9aeff":{"title":"MEHDIA","description":"No other site in the Atlantic coast of Morocco incited as much desire as did the estuary of the Sebou, which in fact dominates the ruins of the *kasbah* of Mehdia. It became, during the centuries, the thoroughfare of populations and nations who surged into Moroccan cities, thus becoming the stage for the country’s important historical events.  \n  \nThe first locality established, in the Middle Ages, close to the mouth of the river was called *Marsa al-Ma‘mora*. It was founded at the end of the 4th/10th century, and, in the 6th/12th century, the Almohad Monarch ‘Abd al-Mumen established a shipyard there.  \n  \nDuring the 5th/11th century, *al-Ma‘mora* was a small but active commercial centre frequented by European merchants. Having become, by the beginning of the 6th/12th century, one of the main centres of North African piracy, it turned itself into an autonomous Republic. The Spanish stormed the fort in 1022/1614, and built a fortress on the hill overlooking the mouth of the river, whose main enclosure constructions constitute the backbone of the perimeter of Mehdia’s *kasbah*. After 67 years of occupation, the fortress was finally conquered by Mulay Isma‘il in 1092/1681. Liberated, it took the name of al-Mehdia, and the name Ma‘mora was restricted to describing the large forest of oak trees to the north-east of Salé.  \n  \nMulay Isma‘il restored the enclosure, inserting a monumental elbow-shaped gate. He erected a large palace with all its outbuildings and established shipyards and warehouses along the river.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"6f2fcc72-8621-55be-8661-8aa0bcf44e70":{"title":"Raqqada","description":""},"6f56cbc1-a8fb-5448-8867-90c3bba18a50":{"title":"Kalocsa","description":""},"6fa70573-08b5-582c-9091-3432c8396508":{"title":"Algeria","description":""},"6fe0489d-65eb-5f9b-92a6-09542d1b6150":{"title":"Weer","description":""},"708b0123-4fb7-5d6f-9a06-f3bcd32700d3":{"title":"Protectors of the Arts and Artists","description":"Mehmed Bey, son of Aydın, founded an Emirate at the beginning of the 14th century (1308) conquering Ayasuluğ (Selçuk-Ephesus), Tire, and Birgi in West Anatolia and later annexing the city of İzmir in 1317. The Aydın Beys wasted no time in opening up to the seas; they launched campaigns to Evvoia Island, Peloponnesos Peninsula, Gelibolu, and Thrace, in particular, with their naval forces stationed in Ayasuluğ and İzmir.  \n  \nA large part of the income from booty brought by these war-filled years, products provided by the bountiful land, and the tariffs, which increased thanks to the treaties with Venice, were spent on the construction of monumental works or religious and social functions. Mehmed Bey's (r. 1308-1334) Great Mosque in Birgi and İsa Bey's (r. 1360-1390) mosque and *hammam* in Selçuk are beautiful examples that are still with us today. Because Tire continued to be a lively commercial centre for many long centuries, a great number of *han*s were constructed in addition to mosques, *madrasa*s, and *hammam*s.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tr;II;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[232,233,212]}},"70c33b58-48ce-580a-a694-c71333ace271":{"title":"Lands of the Sabor and the Douro","description":"The lands bordered by the River Sabor to the west, and the River Douro to the east, make up a unit with quite unique characteristics. Hot in the summer and capable of plummeting to Alpine temperatures in the chill of winter, girdled by stern and almost insurmountable valleys, they have a cultural and social character that has a surprising vitality. It is somehow quite right that here, around Miranda, the other language of Portugal is spoken, *Mirandês*, recently recognised as an official language.  \n  \nPolitically dependent on León until the 12th century, even after the Treaty of Zamora was signed in 1143, the region continued to live turned towards the east, in permanent dialogue with the people of Zamora, León and other inhabitants of important cities and towns like Toro and Sahagún.  \n  \nD. Sancho I wished to develop the region, granting charters to various towns, but the definitive turnabout, an attraction towards the coast, had to wait until the Manueline era. The dry ports, meanwhile, continued to be the most important in the kingdom, and D. Manuel I, known as the “Fortunate”, ordered the reform of a ring of castles, to defend the ports and simultaneously remind his parents-in-law, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, that they were in his domain.  \n  \nFew of the fortresses from that time have survived, but they are known about through the drawings made in 1507 by Duarte D’Armas. At the foot of these castles, villages spread, churches were built, and urban systems were put into place.  \n  \nThe Benedictine monks settled in Bragança, where they developed more prosperous agriculture, guaranteeing their self-sufficiency. On the banks of the River Douro, the Order of Christ had the task of settlement and administration, and many artistic references to the time of the commendaries and commendators have survived to be admired today.  \n  \nThree places are of particular note: Bragança, today the capital of north-east, Miranda, which was the see of the first diocese in Trás-os-Montes, and Freixo de Espada à Cinta (literally, the “ash-tree of the girt sword”), were all equally important at the beginning of the 16th century, but destined to change in the following centuries. Manueline fortresses still mark the landscape and, within them, are Late Gothic churches and chapels different from those on the coast or in the south. Working on them were great artists from León and Castile, like Gregório Fernandez, or from Biscay, like João de Castilho, as well as some Portuguese artists, such as the legendary Grão Vasco, whose magnificent retable, by one of his disciples, is today an emblem of Freixo.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[78,121,123,99],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;VII;en;1"}},"70d06ab4-589d-5c15-b794-9bcea49f8f4e":{"title":"Khan Jifna","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"70fc3c6c-47c3-5942-9606-7479b8aab4db":{"title":"Mulay Idriss Zerhun","description":""},"71fbf9fd-9938-5e89-a5dd-df956b2cf274":{"title":"Hasa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"72058cd4-5034-59d0-8c3b-6c17e1d94b06":{"title":"Zola Predosa","description":""},"7268193f-4ebb-58fa-b4c5-24cf8066ddf9":{"title":"Al-Humayma","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"727db34a-48f8-56b6-8363-0bd4d7150c32":{"title":"ERICE","description":"Its name comes from the Sicanian-Siculian, *erix*, which means “mountain”. Erice was a religious centre of the Elimian, famous for its temple where the Phoenicians adored Astarte, the Greeks Aphrodite, and the Romans Venus. A Punic stronghold, it was contested by the people of Syracuse and the Carthaginians, who razed it to the ground in 260 BC, deporting the inhabitants to *Drepanon* (Trapani). In 247 BC, it was conquered by the Romans who raised the sanctuary of Venus Ericina (from Erice) to the head of a religious confederation.  \n  \nFrom AD 831, following the Arabic occupation, the city was called *Jabal Ahmad* (Mountain of Ahmad), after the name of the *amir* who had built it. The Muslims celebrated and exalted the springs, exploiting its potentialities to a maximum with cisterns and canal systems. In the 12th century the Normans repopulated it with Latins and rechristened it “Monte San Giuliano” (Mount St Julian) in honour of the hospitalier saint who, according to tradition, appeared to Count Ruggero during the decisive phases of the conquest of the impregnable fortress (1077). “… *There appeared a lightly-armed cavalier on a white horse with a red cloak and a falcon on his wrist, and when unhooded, the falcon flew and forced all the Saracens out of their homes with their dogs, who, seeing they were being assailed in the middle of the city, taken unawares, by divine virtue, let fall their arms stupefied and fled, abandoning the city*” (Adragna, 1985).  \n  \nAl-Idrisi, at the time of Ruggero II, identified an unguarded fortress, and praised its abundant water and sowing fields while later, Ibn Jubayr, in 1184, defined it as “*a substantial city*”. In 1934 it acquired, once again, its original name of Erice.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"729568de-d898-5207-8932-ca43649430db":{"title":"Sopron","description":""},"72afffaa-849c-55f5-b36f-1b9f15a46129":{"title":"Messina","description":""},"7331b9e8-0988-59e8-8e8d-e6a57ee70645":{"title":"Sahagún","description":""},"733a8a77-7dd8-5a42-98ff-1a217e385415":{"title":"Bethlehem","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"73543b21-4ef6-5481-8b08-341f7b9d1271":{"title":"Baden-Württemberg","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"73b506df-6967-5a14-8a09-eb6f9889fcf4":{"title":"Silves","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"7419b646-9287-5686-94ae-78b0f25f1330":{"title":"Le Fahs d'Alger","description":""},"74e67b65-06b6-5636-af93-da9c8e78ebe7":{"title":"Schlierbach","description":""},"752b8a64-4b5f-5093-83ac-f64ddb048097":{"title":"Castellammare del Golfo","description":""},"7545fc42-9933-5e91-9cb7-60575a70e2a1":{"title":"Edelény","description":""},"75616349-4bd2-5276-9600-17aaa9dc58b2":{"title":"Sefrou","description":"The town of Sefrou was founded well before Fez in the 1st/7th century, close to the prehistoric site of Bhalil, on the first foothills of the Middle Atlas. Built on both banks of the *wadi* Aggai, it was surrounded by gardens and orchards which it turned into a summer resort, following the example of the neighbouring towns of Ifrane or Immouzer.  \n  \nOne of the first residential centres, dating from before the arrival of the Muslim conquerors, it was originally composed of three townships or *qsur*, divided along the wadi: the *qsur al-Fuqaniyyin*, “high town”, the *qsur al-Wastaniyyin*, “mid-town”, and the *qsur al-Tahtaniyyin*, “low town”. These three separate entities grouped themselves together to defend themselves more effectively against the attacks of nearby tribes. The Jewish community occupied a specific place within the town, having settled in the centre ever since it came into existence. This geographic positioning would have a dual impact on the community.  \n  \nThe Sefriouris were under constant attack from neighbouring mountain people, but as the Mellah was surrounded by Muslim Quarters, the Jews were better protected and better guarded. On the other hand, due its place at the heart of the *medina*, the Mellah could not grow and extend itself outwardly due to the lack of vacant space. Housing ,therefore, grew in height. The community thus became a victim of its own means of protection and survival. The distinguishing mark of the Mellah, the crucial height of its houses in comparison to those in other parts of the city, attracted the attention of the ‘Alawite Sultan Mulay Hassan (1873–1894) during his visit to Sefrou. He began to dream of building a new Mellah to house the growing number of Jews, but the project never saw the light of day in consequence to the sultan’s death. The housing in the Mellah, in line with all those of the town, were built in brick or in stone. The terraces were made of cedar joists covered in planks of the same kind; cedarwood from the Atlas forests close by.  \n  \nEvery Christian and Muslim traveller who visited the town was united in their description of it as a quiet and peaceful city, far from the great battles which shook the neighbouring town of Fez. Charles de Foucault estimated that *“Damnat and Sefrou are the two places in Morocco in which the Jews are the most happy”*.  \n  \nMajor players within the town’s economy, the Jews of Sefrou enjoyed administrative autonomy, managing their own affairs, even though they were reliant on the *qa’id* in terms of politics and the law, and on the *muhtassib* in terms of crafts and commerce. Three Israelite institutions thus busied themselves with the daily affairs of the inhabitants of the Mellah.  \n  \nThe Jewish community of Sefrou did not stop growing in numbers from when the town was founded. In 1880, their population in the Mellah was counted at 1,000. On the eve of the Protectorate, this number had increased to 3,000, which was over a third of the town’s total population, and was the largest concentration of Jews in Morocco. Their number would have increased to over 4,000 in 1951 had a large part of the community not left, in a period of massive immigration, for Palestine, Western Europe and North America. In 1960, the Jewish community was estimated at numbering 3,138 persons, whereas in 1971 this number had dropped to 222. Today, only Jewish women married to Muslims, or pilgrims who come regularly to Sefrou, remember this communitarian past.","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Situated 28 km. from Fez, on the traditional route for the transportation of dates. Leave Fez via the Immouzer road. Once in Sefrou, park in the car park outside the ramparts of the medina."}},"75915489-4aa3-58cd-872b-47535a93946b":{"title":"GUARDA","description":"The origins of the modern city date back to the policy of D. Sancho I, which was to fortify the eastern frontier of the kingdom with people and castles, conforming to a clear line of separation with León and with Castile. In order to re-organise the territory that was sparsely populated, he created new towns, one of which was established on the top of the platform where the old town is situated. He also moved the see of the Diocese of Egitania from Idanha-a-Velha to Guarda in about 1203.  \n  \nGuarda became the most important Portuguese frontier settlement between the River Douro and the River Tagus, with a significant military garrison, and it also carried out the task of economic development, chiefly in the form of trade. Its geographical situation, in the communications corridor between Portugal and Castile, meant that it fell prey to various attacks and struggles in times of crisis, the greatest of which eventually elevated D. João I to the throne, in 1384.  \n  \nAs the Episcopal city, the activity of its clergy was always highly relevant, and the appointment of D. Pedro Gavião as bishop, in 1496, brought considerable benefits.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"759ee0f0-d707-5075-b844-d5f2e83f164b":{"title":"Beçin","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Beçin is situated to the south of Milas, just 4 km. from the city centre. You can reach Beçin by taking one of the Beçin *dolmush* minibuses that leave from the front of the Great Mosque.","showOnMonument":true}},"75c8c879-b877-5aa9-bec2-523a21cd6b52":{"title":"Ráckeve","description":""},"75d41794-03f0-5db8-9ea7-c68f08e138a7":{"title":"Siculo-Norman Art. Islamic Culture in Medieval Sicily","description":"As the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has been a veritable artistic melting pot, shaped by great civilisations that have met there and either fought each other or cohabited, depending on the political priorities of the of the respective dominions. Islamic culture in medieval Sicily, dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries, has been reinterpreted by the Norman dynasty from the 11th to the 13th century, with its culmination under King Roger II (1095–1154). The reign of this tolerant and sovereign unifier was marked by a blooming culture with roots equally in both Byzantine and Islamic heritage, thus turning Sicily into a natural bridge between Europe and the Islamic world. This is how the Arab-Norman style, through the finesse of its decorative art and the gems of its architecture, has harmoniously combined and reinterpreted Arab and Byzantine traditions.  \n  \nThe natural beauties of Sicily serve as a unique backdrop for the castles, gardens, churches and ancient mosques that animate the ten routes through Arab-Norman art.","extra":{"duration":"Ten Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nNicola Giuliano Leone  \nEliana Mauro  \nCarla Quartarone  \nEttore Sessa  \n  \n**Photographer**  \nSandro Scalia","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"75df2664-1cfb-574f-8ff1-d4c507720610":{"title":"Nablus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"763f5b82-70cf-58e1-8eeb-3b674169b8e8":{"title":"Aïn Al-Kabira","description":""},"76bf2347-6f55-5f0e-8a3a-1b62a61ee708":{"title":"Calatayud","description":""},"76fafa55-b4ca-5cbe-825b-5b4e70770c74":{"title":"Manisa","description":"","extra":{"info":"Spil Mountain, located just behind the city of Manisa, offers a rare opportunity for those who want to rest and be alone with nature. For those who would like to spend more time in Manisa, a visit to the Muradiye Mosque Complex and Sultaniye Mosque Complex (16th century) are recommended. Manisa also offers the “Mesir Festival”, organized every year during the last week of April. “Mesir macunu” (a gum-like confection) was first made in the 16th century by Muslihüddin Merkez Efendi, the manager of Sultaniye Mosque Complex at the time. He devised the mixture for use in the medical treatment of Hafsa Sultan, the wife of Yavuz Sultan Selim I. It has become a tradition to distribute “mesir macunu” to the people every year from the Sultaniye Mosque, across the street from the Museum. This is done with great festivity. It is also believed that “mesir macunu”, which contains 41 ingredients including clover, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, vanilla, orange rind and sugar, has, in addition to its characteristics as an energiser and appetiser that eases digestion and eliminates tiredness, an aphrodisiac quality.","showOnMonument":true}},"773f4a73-45ce-5761-87d5-b5aeb5e1d6ec":{"title":"Solomon's Pool","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"774c5c46-01e9-5da1-bf38-1dcabc3034df":{"title":"Castilla-La Mancha","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"776d2a89-68b1-53aa-aa36-724396dc7a49":{"title":"München-Berg am Laim","description":""},"78078ae7-e037-5a6c-9ff3-dcb2940f435c":{"title":"Sidi ‘Uqba","description":""},"782e74a6-c050-51c0-a988-dab162a35f20":{"title":"Hall in Tirol","description":""},"78927feb-9cb7-5a56-8eac-ca7fa126a008":{"title":"The Castles on the River Sado","description":"In ancient times, the estuaries of the River Sado and the River Tagus were connected to one another, which meant that the present-day peninsula of Setúbal was an island. Because of the Atlantic mists and the fertile alluvium plains, this whole region of the Setúbal peninsula, stretching from the area surrounding Alcácer to the suburbs of Lisbon, was covered by dense forests of stone pines, essential for providing the wooden planks needed for building ships. Large trunks of cork-oak trees were transported down the River Sado and the River Sorraia, their curvature proving ideal for building ships' frames. Much farther away, in the woodland close to the banks of the River Zêzere, trees of solid oak and flexible chestnut were felled and used for the masts of ships.  \n  \nLisbon, Almada, Palmela and Abudanis were the most important ship-building yards in the whole of al-Andalus.  \n  \nThe castles of the River Sado formed a system of fortified ports that was quite unique in the Iberian Peninsula, in fact just as extraordinary as the estuary complex that justified their existence and afforded them their livelihood.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;X;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[57,133,154]}},"789b9563-a11d-5ad2-94be-12442ad2c14b":{"title":"Torrijos","description":""},"7925d132-e4fc-5ad9-9963-22df789261ff":{"title":"Kébili","description":""},"796253ca-dabb-5980-85a9-43cde0437cd9":{"title":"Kharab Sayyar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"79876b88-d0e4-5410-b35a-ea8d761a1ab1":{"title":"Sevilla","description":""},"798f4e2b-6703-51c4-9ef9-3dbc3d90348a":{"title":"Olomouc","description":""},"79abde13-444e-51ca-96d5-61e441df1d55":{"title":"Mount Nebo (Siyagha)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"79c2840e-4467-58a1-b781-616565a4a7b8":{"title":"Ulubat","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"79cb6d4b-9618-573f-be7c-cb57dd8dceec":{"title":"Astudillo","description":""},"7a84676b-d97d-5462-8173-540a377ca053":{"title":"Torralba de Ribota","description":""},"7aec01b9-68da-5c14-8f6e-3ad0537b9e8b":{"title":"Matrei","description":""},"7aed6220-6869-533d-af7f-d25a260f9687":{"title":"Toledo","description":""},"7b6ac8d8-c4f7-5ed8-b381-74988545330f":{"title":"San Marco d'Alunzio","description":""},"7b6d4950-f2b5-502b-8dc0-4ee88354bc25":{"title":"Marrakesh","description":""},"7b6da463-0d5a-5dcd-94c4-fdcb585f415b":{"title":"Architecture and Spirituality","description":"General 'Uqba founded the town of Kairouan in the year 49/670, with the thought of being able to assure Muslims of an everlasting presence in the Maghreb. Strategically, the choice of its site was judicious. In fact, Kairouan is a day's walk from the sea, which was still under the domination of the Byzantine fleets, as well as being a day's walk from the mountains, in which Berber tribes, hostile towards Islam, were entrenched. 'Uqba devised the town plan of Kairouan by placing the Great Mosque at its centre, next to which he built the Government Palace and established the basics of the main thoroughfare, later called “Grand Simat”.  \n  \nHistorical sources attest that Kairouan attained its level of growth with the Aghlabids. Its intellectual life was no less abundant, and Kairouan became one of the most brilliant centres of Islamic culture, from where Malekism would spread out across the whole of the Muslim West due in particular to the work of the great scholar Sahnun Ibn Sa'id (159/776–239/854).","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;V;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[472]}},"7ba97a45-9e5f-5308-ba40-6c811f8655b4":{"title":"Caminha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"7c303246-1249-5f4a-8c62-d389b527dd52":{"title":"Győr","description":""},"7c464573-6db4-5be2-b4c0-a0fe3a88253f":{"title":"Atalaia","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"7c634698-1094-5bde-8815-8b1494365cb7":{"title":"Križevci","description":""},"7c6c9c4e-2bb6-5854-ba18-6df918be66d7":{"title":"Dubrovnik","description":""},"7c6fd638-eff4-5666-aac8-d18d1bf752b3":{"title":"Castilla y León","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"7d027371-1a34-52ac-83e3-89fbaf450e5c":{"title":"FREIXO DE ESPADA À CINTA","description":"The town dates back to the time of D. Afonso Henriques, who encouraged settlement in 1152 at a time when there was said to be a castle there. This castle must obviously have been a small defensive structure, which did not withstand the ravages of time. The town became a centre for trade with León and Old Castile, and was granted a new charter by D. Afonso III in 1272.  \n  \nThe negotiations between D. Dinis and Alfonso X, that culminated in the lands of Riba-Côa entering the Portuguese orbit, made Freixo more important and called for a new series of fortifications. The castle, however, was still not completed in 1342.  \n  \nThe area around the town dealt in the production of cereal and cattle rearing, whilst within the walls there was a budding silk- and wool-weaving industry, which encouraged trade with other regions and the frontier area of Castile. In 1527, Freixo was the most important town in the area with 447 dwellings. Many people set out from there on Manueline maritime adventures, the most important of them all being Jorge Álves who served brilliantly in the East.","extra":{"about":"The town dates back to the time of D. Afonso Henriques, who encouraged settlement in 1152 at a time when there was said to be a castle there. This castle must obviously have been a small defensive structure, which did not withstand the ravages of time. The town became a centre for trade with León and Old Castile, and was granted a new charter by D. Afonso III in 1272.  \nThe negotiations between D. Dinis and Alfonso X, that culminated in the lands of Riba-Côa entering the Portuguese orbit, made Freixo more important and called for a new series of fortifications. The castle, however, was still not completed in 1342.  \nThe area around the town dealt in the production of cereal and cattle rearing, whilst within the walls there was a budding silk- and wool-weaving industry, which encouraged trade with other regions and the frontier area of Castile. In 1527, Freixo was the most important town in the area with 447 dwellings. Many people set out from there on Manueline maritime adventures, the most important of them all being Jorge Álves who served brilliantly in the East.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"7d8c4589-f090-5b86-9d03-6af688087002":{"title":"Bursa, the City of Sultans","description":"Bursa, situated on the slopes of Uludağ (Mysian Olympus), has attracted settlers throughout history. An important city of the ancient kingdom of Bithynia, Prusa (today's Bursa) contains evidence of all of the Anatolian civilisations starting from the middle of the first millennium BC.  \n  \nA Turcoman Bey named Ertuğrul (d.1281) and his son Osman (r. 1281-1324) were attempting to settle the region of ancient Bithynia. Founded by Osman Gazi in 1299, the Emirate captured Prusa in the year 1326 during the reign of Orhan Gazi (1324-1362). This city, whose name among the people was transformed into Bursa, became the centre of the newly founded Ottoman State.  \n  \nIn a short time many *han*s were constructed in Bursa, a developed commercial and industrial centre. The city became famous as a weaving- and silk-production centre in particular. The Ottoman sultans who ruled from the beginning of the 14th century until the middle of the 15th century were Orhan Gazi, Murad I, Bayezid I, Mehmed I, and Murad II, all of whom improved the city by having various religious and public buildings constructed.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;tr;IV;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[213]}},"7e00c668-c64a-57cf-a2aa-bd5dd61c2bb1":{"title":"GUADIX","description":"During the Islamic period, Guadix was an important urban centre. It was even the capital on various occasions when civil war divided the kingdom into factions, such as when it was the seat of power of the Zagal against Boabdil in the 15th century. The conquest took place in 1489 and afterwards the Catholic Monarchs founded a completely new Islamic city. A stout wall surrounded the whole city, comprising an *alcazaba* or citadel, a medina with the great mosque and various outlying districts.","extra":{"author":"Rafael López Guzmán, Miguel Ángel Sorroche Cuerva"}},"7e6a3555-d948-57b8-8581-259b39fcf727":{"title":"M'sila","description":""},"7e77f591-12a6-5090-8f29-abdcae130a2d":{"title":"Sárvár","description":""},"7f05e907-1585-51af-92e1-1f399f786d32":{"title":"Piedmont","description":"","extra":{"territory_level":"1"}},"7f1a37a4-06d6-5909-b25a-cba66fdfc0a1":{"title":"LLERENA","description":"Llerena is in the south of the province of Badajoz in the district of the same name. In the varied countryside of this area, the plains stretch out in the north and a more abrupt relief in the south begins the foothills of the Sierra Morena. The town is on a plain where wide extensions of cereals are grown.  \n  \nThe origin of the City of Llerena (given by Charter of Felipe IV in 1641) dates back to the Middle Ages, and from that time on, its history is linked to the Military Order of Santiago, or St James. Once conquered in the mid-13th century, Fernando III handed Llerena over to this Order for defence and resettlement. In 1297, its “*fuero*” or set of Municipal code of Laws was granted. From the 14th century onwards, because some of the Grand Masters of the Order of Santiago came to live here, its prestige increased, since it was the meeting place for some of the important occasions in the life of the Order. In the 15th century, it became the capital of the diocese of the priory of San Marcos de León, belonging to the Order of Santiago, which had some 50 villages depending on it. In 1478, the Catholic Monarchs established the Court of the Inquisition in Llerena, which held wide powers. All of this meant that, by the 16th century, Llerena was an active and prosperous town with a growing economy and flourishing population. The fact that it was one of the most important centres in the region generated a highly diversified architecture and, consequently, great dynamism in construction and building works.","extra":{"author":"María del Pilar Mogollón Cano-Cortés"}},"7f2067ab-d1a9-5ffd-b488-b88b52dad137":{"title":"Traders and Pilgrims","description":"The plateau of Jordan was crossed, from north to south, by two main trade routes. The most famous is the King's Highway, which has been known since the 2nd millennium BC, at least. This road began at Damascus, passed by Amman (Philadelphia), crossed the Wadi al-Mujib (the Arnon), the Moabite highlands, Edom and terminated at Aqaba (Ayla) on the Red Sea.  \n  \nAfter the annexation of the Nabataean kingdom to the Roman Empire (106), and between 111-114, Trajan had this road paved all the way from Ayla on the Gulf of Aqaba to Bostra in the Hawran (modern Syria). Petra, a trading centre and a place of pilgrimage to the shrine of Aaron, was at the junction of three caravan routes. In addition to the *Via Nova Traiana* and the route to Udhruh and Ma'an, a third route followed the edge of the plateau by Ras Dilagha and al-Qanah and was called “Darb al-Rasif”, a pilgrimage bypass to Ayla in the Islamic periods, through al-Humayma (Avara).","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;jo;V;en;1","country_ids":["jo"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[16,11,8,30]}},"7f2141af-377b-54e1-b9da-c6afa22417eb":{"title":"Kavala","description":""},"7f3180fa-e2a2-58b6-820b-9b0c24f002d1":{"title":"Sloup","description":""},"7fa31945-bcd5-593a-a115-0f5c3b5fb7cc":{"title":"GHARDAÏA","description":"Urban planning was a challenge in the area. The M’zab region is considered a “lesson in urban planning and architecture”. For its founders there was this imperative: the establishment had to be long-lasting, unlike its ancestral town, Tahert, followed by the ephemeral Sedrata. It was necessary to ensure the region’s military defence and fertilise the valley, at the same time as living harmoniously with the Ibadite community and the exigencies of the terrain. The solution was to create five cities, upstream and downstream, along the M’zab Valley – cities that would be solidly anchored on rocky peaks, at whose summits a mosque would stand as the organising structural element.  \n  \nGhardaïa’s houses are clustered and terraced on the plateau. The city is surrounded by an uninterrupted enclosure of high walls. Doors with monumental massive towers and wide vaults provide access to the city, which is divided into districts. The narrow streets are all similar, running between a double row of identical walls. The market square is vast, surrounded by traditional white arcades called *qomaïra*.  \n  \nAll Mozabite cities resemble each other: the same essential buildings, the same way of life, the same aspirations produced a unique model that exhibits the harmony of Mozabites in their environment.  \n  \nAndré Ravereau summed up the architecture of M’zab: “The M’zab is esteemed without intending to be esteemed”.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"7fa95edb-214b-59e3-85f6-1b73261b4e3e":{"title":"Province of Rome","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"2"}},"7fc5a2f3-293c-555a-85ff-60149363e6f4":{"title":"TESTOUR","description":"Testour is a small town situated in the middle valley of the Medjerda. The town was founded at the beginning of the 11th/17th century on the site of a Roman city called *Tichilla*. The Morisco *medina* is composed of three neighbourhoods: the Andalusian Quarter, the Tagarins Quarter, and that of the *Hara*. Three main thoroughfares, delineating lengthening blocks, run parallel to each other, each one being relatively wide and linked together by smaller side streets that run at right-angles to it. The large square constitutes an important element, a key stitch, in this urban weave. It is the centre of town life and can be considered as the public space *par excellence*. Several important buildings look out onto it: the Great Mosque, the *hammam*, the cafés and, at one point in time, the *funduq*s. Moreover, this square constitutes an early example of the European-type square in the Maghreb.  \n  \nThe *suq* occupies the central thoroughfare, which carries its name, crosses the town from one end to the other and extends itself via the shops that border the sides of the central square. Not a single residential house can be found amongst the stalls and shops, but the *suq* does house several public buildings, notably mosques.  \n  \nTradition attributes 14 mosques to the town of Testour, the majority of which are small neighbourhood oratories. Five of these are actually open for worship, whilst the others are either in ruins or have completely disappeared. Most of these buildings, like the town, were built in the 11th/17th century. Testour also houses other religious or civil buildings such as *madrasa*s, a synagogue, an Israelite mausoleum, a *hammam*, *zawiya*s, all of which date from the 11th/17th century.  \nIn terms of the *zawiya*s, that of Sidi Nasr stands at the far western end of the “rue *al-Hara*”. It contains all the characteristic elements of a *zawiya*\\-*madrasa*, encompassing two domed funerary chambers, an oratory, two courtyards – the larger of which is surrounded by porticoes, and several outbuildings whose rooms are reserved for accommodating students.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"7fc8d738-4b15-52b6-b311-597bc83b731d":{"title":"Divriği","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"807595a2-8a0d-5851-aab9-b1dc209f869c":{"title":"MÉRTOLA","description":"“And Mértola lies on the banks of the River Odiana; and it is a very old castle and has some old buildings”. The literature of the period can tell us little more than this reference by al-Razi about Mértola in Islamic times. We do, however, know that the city was far more important than such scanty information would suggest.  \n  \nTaking full advantage of its exceptional positioning on a rocky outcrop between the Guadiana and one of its tributaries, the ancient city of Mértola was already famous amongst geographers of ancient times for the imposing nature of its fortifications.  \n  \nMértola covered an area of roughly 60,000 sq. m. and had a population of no more than 2,000. In its golden period, the city would undoubtedly have had more inhabitants if the existence of at least two outlying residential districts were considered. One in the area beyond the river (Além-Rio) and the other at the entrance gate of the Porta de Beja, close to an early Christian chapel that was later dedicated to Santo António dos Pescadores (Saint Anthony of the Fishermen).  \n  \nThe streets of the present-day city run parallel to the river and are interconnected by narrow passageways, certainly they make use of the earlier urban layout of the Islamic period. However, despite the fact that the walls, constantly repaired over time, still respect their original mediaeval design, occasionally only can it be attributed to the Islamic period. All that can be recognised of the Almohad period, for example, is the northern perimeter wall with its massive quadrangular towers.  \n  \nAmongst the exuberance of the city’s Roman and Christian remains, and after two decades of archaeological studies, significant features have now been found from the Islamic period that clearly justify the importance enjoyed by the city until its conquest by the Knights of the Order of Santiago in 635/1238.  \n  \nIn addition to the walls, the basic layout of which has remained unaltered since the Roman period, and which still retains small sections dating from Islamic times, the most important data is almost certainly provided by the remains of the former mosque. Also significant were the excavations of an extensive residential district built in the 6th/12th century, on which part of the archaeological work has been centred.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"807a3208-fd74-5098-a078-bbe9d4a665f4":{"title":"Maqam of al-Qatrawani","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"80c4a6b8-15f2-53aa-83df-bef4da2876a9":{"title":"Tafessera","description":""},"80c97588-3473-5f34-af5f-90dbac53709e":{"title":"Sédrata","description":""},"80f91833-1686-5eaf-ae88-809b988de55d":{"title":"The Euphrates Region: Window onto Mesopotamia","description":"The area to the east of the Euphrates belongs geographically to the northern half of Mesopotamia. This area, called *al-Jazira*, “the Island”, due to its geographical position, lies engulfed between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Historically, the Jazira was divided into three parts, each named after the early Islamic tribes that controlled the area, and it is the western part, named Diyar Mudar, which now largely constitutes the north-eastern part of modern Syria. The area of the Jazira owned the communications routes between Iraq, Anatolia and the Armenian-Iranian regions that bordered on Syria. Thereby it was a fertile and cultivated area supplied with water from several rivers such as the Balikh and the Khabur, tributaries of Euphrates. The abundant water nourished livestock including sheep and horses, as well as agricultural produce such as cereals, rice, olives, other fruits and cotton. The production of charcoal also supported light-industry. Shipping trade and local crafts flourished on the Tigris and the Euphrates, with Balis being one of the main Syrian ports out of which left exported goods.  \n  \nFrom the beginning of the 4th/10th century, the area witnessed a period of destabilisation. The central power of the ‘Abbasids declined, while regional dynasties such as the Tulunids, Ikhshidids and Hamdanids came to power. Successful Byzantine campaigns in northern Syria and the Jazira further weakened ‘Abbasid authority in the area, while the Fatimids from Egypt attempted to take hold of Syria from the south, conquering Damascus in 358/969 and reaching as far north as Aleppo in 404/1015. Perpetual raids of local Bedouin tribes were an additional destabilising factor. In this atmosphere of chronic warfare and insecurity, local rulers, among them numerous Bedouin chiefs, fortified significant positions to establish strongholds for protecting their own entourage. As a consequence, strongholds were not only established at major towns and commercial centres but also in rural areas, serving as protective outposts for the people settled in the neighbourhood and guarding commercial roads and strategic points such as river crossings.  \n  \nQal‘at Najm was one such rural fortification established in the 4th/10th century, and known as Jisr Manbij in historical sources. Here, either a bridge or a shallow part of the river provided a crossing over the Euphrates to reach Qal‘at Ja‘bar and Harran, major centres of the Diyar Mudar. Positioned on the main road to Harran, Ja‘bar also gained considerable strategic importance during these insecure times.  \n  \nThe Seljuq Atabeg ‘Imad al-Din Zangi (r.521–40/1127–46) was the first to unite and stabilise Syria. In 522/1128, he began his conquest of the Jazira and took Raqqa, the main city of the Diyar Mudar, in 529/1135. His son Nur al-Din (r.540–68/1146–74), continued the expansions begun by his father and succeeded in 549/1154 to unite all of Syria under Muslim rule, with the exception of the coastal strip held by the Crusaders. Nur al-Din was patron of a vast range of building and restoration activities all over his territory, especially after the destructive earthquakes of 552/1157 and 565/1170. Ja‘bar is an interesting example of the politics of alliances during the time of the Crusader states established after 492/1099. In around 497/1104, Ja‘bar Citadel was taken by the Crusaders and incorporated into the County of Edessa. From then on, the fortress mainly came under the rule of the local dynasty of the ‘Uqailids who in turn became important allies of the Franks.  \n  \nTheir close relationship was probably due to the fact that one of the ‘Uqailid lords married a Frankish woman. In 540/1146, during an attempt to conquer Ja‘bar, ‘Imad al-Din Zangi was killed in front of the walls of the fortress by a Frankish eunuch. Finally, his son Nur al-Din ibn Zangi succeeded in taking the castle from the ‘Uqailids in 564/1168. He gave it as an *iqtâ‘* to his milk-brother but, after his death in 569/1174, his son who was lord of Aleppo, violently regained control of the place. The struggle for power over Ja‘bar reflects more or less the changes in supremacy in Aleppo and shows its strategic importance, since it controlled the major communications routes in the region. It was not only the principal crossing point on the Euphrates but also an important trade route between Aleppo and Mosul, thereby commanding control over virtually all movement in the region.  \n  \nThe history of the medieval city of Balis, also known by its modern name of Maskaneh, shows that it was closely related to Ja‘bar and that it can be described as the economic centre of the area. Throughout medieval history Balis was continuously conquered together with Ja‘bar. Nur al-Din gave both cities away to his son as a fief and although Balis was the main shipping port in the Middle Euphrates, its importance was not only based on economic-strategic considerations, but also on agricultural strength, as it was situated in the middle of rich and fertile land and, therefore, an utmost profitable fie.  \n  \nAs for the city of Raqqa, once the capital of the Abbasid Empire under the famous caliph Harun al-Rashid (r. 179–93/795–809), it too benefited from the restored safety and refortifications brought about by the Zangid father and son. Their patronage improved the communications routes and revived longdistance trade for their Ayyubid successors. Raqqa became the main town of the Diyar Mudar. Historical sources have recorded the establishment of *madrasas*, a (*bimaristan*) and *khanqa*. It is also probable that one of the Zangids built a palace called Qasr al-Banat. Nur al-Din in particular continued the architectural development of the city and extensively restored the Friday Mosque in al-Rafiqa in 544/1149. Glass and ceramic industries started to flourish and Raqqa became the main production centre for a typical ceramic style using innovative techniques in decoration.  \n  \nAlthough isolated as a frontier province the north-western area of the Jazira remained critical to the Ayyubid state in the face of the hostile Zangids of Mosul. Under Zangid rule, the Ayyubid state was a confederation of local principalities, each led by a more or less autonomous ruling member of the Ayyubid family, thereby keeping the fortresses on the Euphrates in Arab hands. The founder of the dynasty, Salah al-Din established his son al-Zahir Ghazi as ruler in Aleppo bestowing on him both Balis and Ja‘bar, and demonstrating once again the close ties with Aleppo. Also, in Qal‘at Najm, several inscriptions attributable to al-Zahir Ghazi document his sovereignty over the place.  \n  \nFollowing the Ayyubid conquest in 578/1182, Raqqa remained under the rule of the Zangids of Sinjar, but under the supremacy of the new Ayyubid authority. Salah al-Din’s successor in Raqqa, al-Ashraf Musa (r. 626–34/1229–37) laid out several gardens within the city as well as palaces and a hammam. There are also reports of the construction of a citadel but, unfortunately, none of these Ayyubid buildings has survived. Only the abundance of the delicately produced and extensively traded Raqqa-ware ceramics found in excavations all over the Bilad al-Sham testify to the continuation of the second flourishing of Raqqa during the Zangid and Ayyubid periods.  \n  \nAttempts at centralisation of government and increasing warfare between the principalities weakened the Ayyubids power and made them easy prey for the Mongol raids of 657/1259. Cities throughout the Euphrates region were subject to decisive destruction and abandonment. There are records of only smaller restoration works in the following periods. The re-appointment of Raqqa as the main city of the province did not happen until 994/1586.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[196,192,193,201,204],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;VIII;en;1"}},"810a5375-3c86-5f33-886c-fb7f59d9c8d0":{"title":"White Towns","description":"The plains of the Alentejo, stretching as far as the eye can see, are green at the end of winter, and in spring, and golden in the hot summer and at the beginning of autumn. The colours are broken here and there by the blinding white smudges of towns with their immaculate whitewashed houses. These towns, often dating back to Roman times, when they grew up around extensive farms, were later to become Islamic and, even when conquered by the troops of D. Sancho I, still retained their southern character formed by the land and climate.  \n  \nToday the towns people still live from the sales of agricultural produce or the cattle they raise, though some have developed important cottage industries, such as woollen goods, and in particular the handmade carpets, first made in Arraiolos.  \n  \nThe people of the Alentejo did not prosper as in other parts of the country, but by the end of the 15th century, with many towns coming under the control of the monarchy, the Dukes of Bragança and other members of the Court nobility, things began to improve. Beja was made a city even before it became the see of the Diocese, but it was, most importantly, the residence of the Dukes of Bragança, D. Fernando and D. Beatriz, the parents of D. Manuel I, whilst, as is known, D. Fernando was also the brother of D. Afonso V.  \n  \nThese peaceful, white towns and their inhabitants have a relative view of time, far from the hustle and bustle of modernday life. Many doorways and window surrounds are still bordered in bright blue or ochre, as they were long ago, for this is seen as a way of warding off evil spirits. This is a journey with a warm welcome, excellent food and a fascinating heritage that includes reminders of Islamic times in the Iberian Peninsula, with Moorish or *Mudejar* architecture.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[168,66,170,76,153,128],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;X;en;1"}},"811e43a8-be2c-5b2c-8a07-7b2d7299822b":{"title":"Mudejar Art","description":"The vast estuary of the River Tagus formed an inland sea that was prolonged by a dense network of canals. Here was the origin of a settlement capable of allying the most advanced arts of fishing and the cultivation of the fertile mud flats to the most careful tendering of orchards and vegetable gardens. The various harbours in this inland-sea were the westernmost points of the Mediterranean routes, making it possible to successfully blend together shipbuilding techniques with naval experience. Then, at the end of the period of Islamic civilisation, sea routes were opened up across the Bay of Biscay and the northern seas.  \n  \nThe Christian Conquest does not seem to have affected the riverside populations of fishermen and sailors. Lisbon and its surrounding areas benefited from the activities of the Moorish community until the end of the 15th century. Besides leaving its stamp on the region's place names and the people's careful tendering of their vegetable patches and gardens, the Mudejar way of life influenced the architectural fashions of the palatine arts of the 16 th century Manueline style and even the Romantic revivalism that was to follow on much later.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;I;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[110,158,60,130,152]}},"8192ebfd-2898-5761-90e0-0869085cebaa":{"title":"Mansoura","description":""},"821b4cb7-5f58-5527-88ee-49a2628aaac7":{"title":"PALMELA","description":"The town and castle of Palmela were won back from the Moors by the troops of D. Afonso Henriques in 1148, although it was briefly re-occupied shortly afterwards. The first King of Portugal then granted it to the Order of Santiago da Espada, and it was granted a charter in 1185. It was the main castle in the region and, in the second half of the 15th century and the first half of the 16th century, it benefited from the patronage of the Master of Santiago, D. Jorge, the natural son of D. João II. He was responsible for many improvements, including the maintenance and enlargement of the castle and the completion of the Igreja de Santiago.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"82ab49b9-c1c5-5b86-b017-f1754e218677":{"title":"Tamezret","description":""},"82ae283c-19ac-524a-a183-4bf756dc809a":{"title":"Aniñón","description":""},"833f4c2e-4119-57ea-b97e-cb78d3d39c51":{"title":"Castles and Walled Cities","description":"In the same way as the Mudejar style played an important part in the religious and civil architecture of the Middle Ages in Castilla and León, it was also a very useful style for military architecture where economy of resources and time were important assets.  \n  \nFrom the 14th century onwards, the *meseta* of Castilla and the valley of the River Ebro suffered an instability that lasted until the union of Castilla and Aragón. Some defensive systems were renewed, and the passages between the barbicans and ravelins were widened, the towers were improved with lookout turrets and other elements jutting out from the walls. In this era we no longer find enormous fortresses, but rather small castles able to lodge one family and the troops needed to protect them.  \n  \nAlongside the battering walls and drawbridges typical of the Western world, in Mudejar military architecture the keep is at one corner of the castle just as in the Hispano-Muslim citadels, the cupolas on *trompas and* the multifoil arches and the ceramics from Seville.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;VI;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[287,317,301,324,321],"territory_ids":[7]}},"8347d57f-43f1-531b-933a-3799d69ce328":{"title":"BARCELOS","description":"In the 13th century, Barcelos was a walled town, a strategic point on the road that linked the Douro coastal area with Galicia, dominating the plains of the River Cávado. D. Dinis granted these Crown lands to the High Steward of the Kingdom, João Afonso, whom he named a Count in 1298. The land and title reentered the orbit of the Royal Family in 1314, when they were passed to D. Pedro, the natural son of D. Dinis, poet and author of *Nobiliário*. The title of Count of Barcelos also passed into, and remains, in the House of Bragança, through Prince D. Afonso, the son of D. João I.  \n  \nBy the end of the Middle Ages, Barcelos had developed considerably through the activities of the Dukes of Bragança and their representatives, and Jewish and Christian families who built or rebuilt houses within the walls, while in the surrounding countryside agriculture prospered. It was a time when the bourgeoisie and lower classes settled in the new peripheral areas of *Porta do Vale*, Cruz and Salvador.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"8386f3b1-4413-5c26-9620-7bd3742be7d3":{"title":"Fertőd","description":""},"83abc0e0-26a7-5bbe-93ec-8f5a423204f7":{"title":"Water and Hydraulic Works","description":"The generally arid climate of most Middle Eastern countries placed a high value on water, making it a central feature in religious and royal iconography and an important vehicle for technological innovations. The provision of water is one of the great meritorious acts of Islamic piety, so that both the Atabegs and Ayyubids spent considerable efforts on canalisation, water-elevating machines, as well as cisterns, pools and public fountains. In Ayyubid Aleppo, water, brought from a northern source through Qanat Haylan, led to an elaborate system of canalisation that fed the entire city. These waters also fed the moat around the citadel, in addition to its various wells, a *hammam* and fountains. While in Ayyubid Damascus, the seven branches of the Barada river were channelled to nourish every private home and public space.  \n  \nOnce inside a religious or a palatial structure, water became almost a semiprecious substance: pouring out of a lion’s mouth, running through narrow channels, filling a decorative pool and spurting from a central jet. Ibn Jubayr (d.614/1217), who visited Damascus in the late 6th/12th century, described several such fountains, including one that remained until recently in the Madrasa al-Nuriyya (I.1.d.). Water entered the *madrasa* from beneath a *muqarnas* canopy in the western *iwan*, ran through a channel and emptied into the central pool. Found also in the Ayyubid palace in Aleppo Citadel (VII.1.h), this is a fountain type known as *salsabil*.  \n  \nNowhere in Syria is water used more effectively and picturesquely than in Hama, a city that straddles a bend in the River Orontes. Its world-famous *nawa’ir* (sing. *noria*) or waterwheels probably date to Roman times, although Arab technologists were constantly rebuilding and enlarging the concept and, in fact, spread their use to North Africa and Spain. Still extant until recently was a *noria* that carried water to the Mosque and Bimaristan of Nur al-Din, and another across the river that served the Kilani Palace. It also seems likely that the Mosque of Abu al-Fida’ had its own *noria*. In fact, Hama underwent major reconstruction and urban development under Nur al-Din’s patronage, including the construction of a new Friday Mosque, the Mosque of Nur al-Din and the restoration of the old Umayyad Mosque. He also sponsored *madrasas*, *hammams* and *bimaristans*, all of which were well supplied with water, thanks to his efforts to maintain the *nawa’ir*.  \n  \nThough not much survives of Nur al-Din’s original constructions, the status of Hama remained important as one of the more secure cities along the trade routes. Arab rural citadels, such as Shmemis Citadel (supplied by water from deep wells) to the east near the village of Salamiyya Plateau, and Shayzar Citadel (supplied by the river) to the west near the coastal mountains, remained continuously in Muslim hands under the Atabegs and Ayyubids. Even when the Mamluks took over the Ayyubid’s leadership and most of Syria, Hama remained a quietly prosperous Ayyubid city in the hands of the last of the Ayyubid rulers, Abu al-Fida’ (d. 733/1334). He was a poet-prince who composed significant manuscripts regarding the history and geography of the known world. The Mosque of Abu al Fida’, which still stands today, and within which is his mausoleum, exhibits fine stone- interlacing on its courtyard windows. He also built a palace and a garden nearby, known as the Garden of Wonder, nourished by its own *noria* named “al-Dahsha” or “al-*Duhaisha*”, a diminutive of “Wonder” after his garden.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[203,185,198],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;IV;en;1"}},"83e4b364-3a82-5144-8f5b-9e5bda8ee229":{"title":"The Decapolis in the Umayyad Period","description":"Initiated by Pompey when he occupied Damascus in 64 BC, the *Decapolis* was a union of cities in Syria, Palestine and Jordan, and as the name indicates, originally 10 in number. The member cities must have varied, however, as there are ancient lists, which name any number from 11 to 18 cities.  \n  \nAfter the Arab-Islamic conquest in 15/636, the passing of power into Muslim hands was peaceful and the Christians continued to practise their religion and pave their churches with mosaics (see Historical Artistic Introduction and The Umayyads: The Rise of Islamic Art). When the Umayyad *caliph*s established their capital in Damascus, the *Decapolis* of Gerasa, now Jerash, continued to be an important station on the way to Philadelphia, now Amman, and the holy cities of the *Hijaz* in Arabia.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;jo;IV;en;1","country_ids":["jo"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[10,20,19,34,29]}},"8490643c-81c5-55d8-9cfe-2b50eb18d75e":{"title":"Ebbs","description":""},"84cef1a4-1d33-5fb1-b827-310a62dc6e90":{"title":"Alagón","description":""},"8521f6e1-2dec-5ca3-bb08-da4c2f64436a":{"title":"Khan al-Lubban","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"85c6322f-8028-56fc-aa42-ced97ffd1686":{"title":"Chefchaouen","description":""},"864a5440-10db-52d1-9a51-c1175348639c":{"title":"Jerash (Gerasa)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"86b0c5e9-59ab-514f-9820-244be7e03a59":{"title":"Amman","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"86c9d537-dd6a-53b5-868b-d60faf37ccd0":{"title":"Halhul","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"86d9703e-3b46-50e3-8e87-ed7243ff4210":{"title":"Morocco","description":""},"87225fe4-8f5c-54c5-9c1c-0b6cf9e18420":{"title":"Çamiçi","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"874a4728-6bec-5a66-98f7-f592592fabc7":{"title":"Sufism","description":"The old Numid city of Sicca had already emerged, under the protection of the Oriental Ishtat, goddess of love and war. The town was christened and known of in Antiquity under the name of Theodore of Sicca Veneria, derived, through its Latin root, from *Shikabeneria*, which the Arabs transformed into *Shaqbanariya*. Popular good sense wanted to attribute it to “*shaq bi-l-nar*”, he who travelled across hell.  \n  \nBuilt in a series of steps on the side of the original rock, at the foot of the citadel and on the same level as the sanctuaries, the Medina of al-Kef cascades its building blocks out and downwards, dominating the large Ra's al-'Ayn source and its green enclosures. A landscape that reveals a happy synthesis between an exceptional, natural, site and an ancient and rich history. From its past military grandeur, the old town has retained both its *kasbah* and its fortifications. The minarets and uncountable number of domes are reminders of the brotherhood metropolis and the centre of marabouts that described the town long ago.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;IV;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[458,469]}},"878950a6-95d1-5161-9276-aca8539e29eb":{"title":"Beirut","description":""},"8849721b-bc80-576e-af0a-7ccf86c62138":{"title":"Alvito","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8960cb05-f872-5116-9688-84e99dec0a20":{"title":"Orta San Giulio","description":""},"898711aa-0972-5da9-9e55-756aa27b9de6":{"title":"MALUENDA","description":"The village of Maluenda had three extremely beautiful Mudéjar churches, built at the same time (in the last decades of the 14th and the early 15th centuries), which form a group with its own powerful artistic personality. This is due in part to the material used – puddle or gypsum mortar – obtained directly from the hills, which dominate the valley. The Church of San Miguel, perched on high, is at present not consecrated and in ruins, but the other two (Santa María and Santas Justa y Rufina), situated at opposite ends of the village, are still intact and in use.","extra":{"author":"Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualís"}},"899a1093-37c6-5dee-aaaf-5c2a61ff4183":{"title":"Brandenburg","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"89ad9dce-7f00-5495-a832-46b18dd5501c":{"title":"Al-'Ula","description":""},"89b9c466-b99d-5080-aab5-eb1670753330":{"title":"BEJA","description":"Beja was one of the most important Roman cities in the western peninsula, a position it maintained throughout the Islamic period, although successive, very destructive attempts were made to regain it by the Kings of Asturias and León. It was taken by D. Afonso Henriques, the first king, but was soon lost again and only came fully under the control of Portugal in 1232.  \n  \nThe town began to develop during the reign of D. Dinis, when the castle was rebuilt and various monasteries were founded. Considerable progress was made when the town was granted to Prince D. Fernando and his wife, D. Beatriz, with whom he founded one of the most powerful families in the country in direct competition with the House of Bragança. They were the parents of D. Leonor, and D. Manuel I.  \n  \nThese nobles endowed the town with important structures, building imposing residences and sponsoring religious orders, hospitals and the Misericórdia charitable organisation, amongst other works. During his reign, D. Manuel I elevated Beja to city status, making a number of improvements, many of which are still visible today.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"89cf8234-4f0c-507a-b94f-c01159eda8a0":{"title":"Timimoun","description":""},"8a209e09-e20c-5e03-8a7a-57147c10675c":{"title":"The Cisneros Style","description":"At the end of the 15th, beginning of 16th century, the Gothic style which was already in its last stages joined with Mudejar art to create a courtly art. It was the era of the Catholic Monarchs. The Reconquest was ended and Granada had fallen into the hands of Castile and Aragon. Their political project did not take long to spill over the national frontiers and the products of their commerce arrived from all sides. What was shortly to develop in Spain was in one of the most outstanding growth periods of its history.  \n  \nIn the artistic sphere, the new phenomenon of hybridisation appeared. Now the architectonic forms of Centro-European Gothic and the ornamental variants of Flamboyant Gothic were to be blended again, this time with the multicoloured and geometric decoration of Mudejar.  \n  \nThe activity carried out by Cisneros as Archbishop of Toledo and Regent (1495–1517) was especially important in his own archdiocese. The Cisneros period saw a resurge of Mudejarism thanks to the large number of Morisco artists who immigrated to Castile after the fall of Granada.","extra":{"duration":"Half day","et_title":"IAM;es;II;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[283,309],"territory_ids":[8,9]}},"8a6a3b01-97c7-57c8-b163-416430093c65":{"title":"Alenquer","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8ad96e47-bfe3-5ff4-ab0b-e2331376dc1b":{"title":"Cacela Velha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8ba25b16-eea4-5859-9891-edabdf3c8282":{"title":"Queluz","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"8c050798-6235-5949-bdda-f7a2c2ce8e75":{"title":"Ouargla","description":""},"8cbd9c41-14dd-5eaf-b2bd-d423e2a367cc":{"title":"Qsar Zénata","description":""},"8d4b1b6a-4b98-58f5-9dc4-fe05a6899363":{"title":"Monteporzio Catone","description":""},"8db6d4c1-9393-5139-851b-6cc331ff2747":{"title":"QAL‘AT BANI HAMMAD","description":"The Qal’at Bani Hammad was built in 397 / 1007, at an altitude of nearly 1,000 metres, on Mount Takarboust (1,418 metres high), in the Hodna Mountains located about 250 kilometres southeast of Algiers.  \nAs in Achir, about 150 kilometres away, the site has real strategic value: a single road to access the city, steep ravines, high buttresses and a vantage point above the surrounding plains. The mountain had been the refuge of Abu Yazid, the “donkey man” whose revolt against the Shia Fatimids lasted 20 years, and who ended his days in this *djebel* (mountain) region of Maadid.  \nLike his grandfather Ziri in Achir, Hammad ibn Bulughin settled the Qal’at by forcibly relocating the inhabitants of M’sila and Souk Hamza, who would use their traditional knowledge to contribute to the beauty of the city. The abundant water, pastures and orchards, along with the influx of city dwellers, scholars, students and merchants, would assure its success.  \nNine years after its foundation, in 405 / 1015, Hammad rebelled against his uncle Badis. This Zirid emir, having disapprovingly observed the development of the Qal’at and Hammad’s domain to the east, ordered Hammad to divest himself of those territories. At his refusal, Badis occupied the Qal’at, which survived, six months into the siege, due only to the sudden death of the emir Badis on 28 Dhul Qaada 406 / 8 May 1016. The Zirid forces lifted the siege and returned to Ifriqiya.  \nWith the arrival of the Beni Hilal in the Maghreb, the two rival principalities were confronted with a common enemy, and family ties tightened: al-Qaïd, the Hammadid emir, sent 1,000 horsemen to aid al-Mouiz, the Zirid emir besieged by the Beni Hilal. The Qal’at soon saw the immigration of refugees from Ifriqiya, which had been ravaged by the nomads.  \nAl-Bakri, who lived there in the 5th / 11th century, described the city as “a great and strong place of war … and a centre of commerce that attracts caravans from Iraq, Hejaz, Egypt, Syria and all parts of the Maghreb”. Ibn Khaldoun pointed out that this influx of travellers was due to “the great resources that the new capital offered to those who cultivated science, commerce and the arts.” The Qal’at of the Bani Hammad attracted many scholars, poets and doctors of theology, especially after the capture of Kairouan by the Hilalians.  \nThe founding of the city of Bejaya by the Hammadid Emir al-Nasir, in 459 / 1067, is an important event in the history of the Qal’at. It was in that city that the Hammadids would take refuge in 482 / 1090, under pressure from the Beni Hilal, who imposed taxes soon after they settled in the central Maghreb. With al-Mansur, son of al-Nasir, Qal’at remained successful: the Hammadids won a victory at Tlemcen against the Almoravids and thus escaped occupation. Al-Mansur would build four palaces: the Palaces of Government, Manar, Salvation and Star. The pressures from the nomads increased. Yahia ibn al-Aziz, the last Hammadid prince, moved to Bejaya, thus promoting the second capital of the Hammadids, where relics of their empire can still be found. Emptied of its inhabitants, Qal’at slowly decayed.  \nIn 573 / 1152, Qal’at fell into the hands of the Almohads, who set it on fire and left 18,000 corpses. The armies of Abdelmoumen settled there and kept a garrison, restoring some ruins and installing a small oratory on the ruins of the Great Mosque. The remaining inhabitants, unable to provide for the mosque’s maintenance, had decided to establish the smaller oratory. The city was then taken over by the Beni Ghanya, descendants of the Almoravids, who had taken refuge in the Balearic Islands before returning to the Maghreb. They would be dislodged, in turn, by the Almohads who reclaimed the city in 580 / 1185, and destroyed it from top to bottom. Thus silence descended on the ancient capital of the Hammadids.  \nExcavations have revealed the layout and extent of the city that had been inspired by Achir. To the east and west, the site is protected naturally by deep gorges and high mountains. A wall seven kilometres long surrounds the city, follows the crests of Mount Gourayan and ascends the flanks of Takerboust to the summit, where a military outpost was built. This wall enclosed remarkable military constructions, such as the dungeon tower of Al Manar, religious buildings such as the Great Mosque and the small oratory, palaces and public buildings.  \nThe city had three gates: to the north, Bab al-Aqwas; downhill, Bab Djarawa; and Bab Djenane. Only the first remains. A main street crosses the city from east to west. South of this street are the ruins of the Great Mosque, inspired by that of Kairouan, with a portico courtyard and prayer hall with 13 naves, of which only the minaret remains. This rectangular room measured 63 x 53 metres and – after the mosque in Mansoura (Tlemcen) – was the largest in Algeria.  \nNorth of the central axis are the ruins of several palaces: Kasr al-Salam, or Salvation Palace, only partly excavated. To the east, Kasr al-Kawkab (Palace of the Star) and Kasr al-Bahr (Palace of the Sea), in the centre of which was a large lagoon where, according to chroniclers, water jousts took place.  \nAs in Achir, the architecture of this Berber capital already displayed characteristics that would be seen in future great cities of the Maghreb like Tlemcen or al-Djazaïr, evidence of architectural continuity. This included housing units comprising courtyards surrounded by rooms (including a reception room); entry to each unit preceded by an anteroom; and T-shaped rooms. Andalusia also would inherit influences from the Qal’at when Hammad’s two brothers founded small principalities in which they reproduced Maghrebi artistic styles.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"8dbc403d-a7ad-57dc-9c3f-cc37cfd205c6":{"title":"Ettal","description":""},"8e20b067-90d3-5c2f-93ce-54db044d6059":{"title":"TOMAR","description":"The origin of Tomar as an important Roman settlement is verified not only by the information from the 3rd-century *Antonin’s Itinerary*, but also by many archaeological finds. It was known then as *Sellium*, on the military road that led from *Olisipo*, Lisbon, to *Bracara Augusta*, Braga, and was integrated into the *Conventus Scallabitanus*. It was also called *Nabância* during the period of occupation by the Suevi about 570, and was then taken by the Visigoths. Conquered by the Muslims, probably in 716, it only attained any real importance after the Reconquest in 1147 and developed rapidly when it became the headquarters of the Military Order of the Knights Templar.  \n  \nThe Master, Gualdim Pais, installed the Order on the hillock on which the Convent of Christ now stands. After the disbanding of the Templars throughout Europe, the successor Military Order of Christ, created by the King of Portugal in 1317, was granted all its property and revenue. The siting of their headquarters here breathed life into the town, which spread down towards the River Nabão and, by the mid-16th century, formed a compact and organised centre between the river banks and the foothills of the castle. The knights-friars lived in the town at this period, though with the reform of the Order in 1529, they took up residence in the monastery and the town was left to labourers, servants, administrators and an important Jewish community. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that the Convent of Christ was to determine the town’s appearance forever more.","extra":{"about":"The origin of Tomar as an important Roman settlement is verified not only by the information from the 3rd-century *Antonin’s Itinerary*, but also by many archaeological finds. It was known then as *Sellium*, on the military road that led from *Olisipo*, Lisbon, to *Bracara Augusta*, Braga, and was integrated into the *Conventus Scallabitanus*. It was also called *Nabância* during the period of occupation by the Suevi about 570, and was then taken by the Visigoths. Conquered by the Muslims, probably in 716, it only attained any real importance after the Reconquest in 1147 and developed rapidly when it became the headquarters of the Military Order of the Knights Templar.  \nThe Master, Gualdim Pais, installed the Order on the hillock on which the Convent of Christ now stands. After the disbanding of the Templars throughout Europe, the successor Military Order of Christ, created by the King of Portugal in 1317, was granted all its property and revenue. The siting of their headquarters here breathed life into the town, which spread down towards the River Nabão and, by the mid-16th century, formed a compact and organised centre between the river banks and the foothills of the castle. The knights-friars lived in the town at this period, though with the reform of the Order in 1529, they took up residence in the monastery and the town was left to labourers, servants, administrators and an important Jewish community. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that the Convent of Christ was to determine the town’s appearance forever more.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"8fa83989-7071-56ea-b8b0-efb5a7400c46":{"title":"BRAGA","description":"Braga, the ancient *Bracara*, was a very important city in the Hispano-Roman period. Named *Augusta* at the time of Caesar, it became the headquarters of the new province of *Gallaecia*, Galicia, in 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla.  \n  \nIt was also one of the main centres of Christianity and had a resident bishop, D. Paterno, in 400. In 448, under Rechiarius, King of the Suevi, the *Bracara conventus*, a smaller unit of a province, became the first Orthodox Christian Kingdom in Europe.  \n  \nTaken by the Arabs, it was under constant attack from Asturia, even before 765, but the area was resettled and developed under Bishop D. Pedro, who governed the diocese from 1070 to 1091, when the first cathedral was constructed to replace the one built before the Suevo-Visigothic period.  \n  \nIn the Middle Ages, the city was poised between royal ownership and that of the archbishops, the latter with the title of Primates of Spain, which they contested, with the archbishops of Toledo.  \n  \nThe 15th century was an era of rapid development, stimulated by the archbishop, D. Fernando da Guerra (1416-1467), with new constructions going up both inside and outside the city walls and constant improvements and additions being made to the cathedral and Episcopal Palace, fountains and gates. The Manueline period was even more spectacular under Archbishop D. Diogo de Sousa (1505-1532), back from Rome and imbued with the Renaissance spirit for splendour and luxury.  \n  \nThe archbishop planned and built new streets and squares, donated fountains, built hospitals, such as the Hospital de São Marcos, shelters for muleteers, a leper hospital, a large Town Hall, churches and monasteries of which he was patron, such as São Jerónimo de Montélios and Vilar de Frades. Not to mention setting up schools and a printing press.  \n  \nThe wealth of the cathedral and the Misericórdia under his administration also made these institutions the richest artistically in the entire Peninsula.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"8ff8b68c-4eee-56c9-8e00-78163837348d":{"title":"Máriapócs","description":""},"9074ed35-1ec7-5ee2-a8ea-88cd6ca92702":{"title":"Sümeg","description":""},"907b6d8b-bc0c-563b-9a8c-bb8cae97637c":{"title":"Rovinj","description":""},"9086b101-ac2e-5419-90f1-538ce32fdb34":{"title":"OPORTO","description":"The historic centre of the city of Oporto has been classified as a World Heritage site, and since the 12th century has been the principal pole of development in the Northern Portugal. The port was enormously important until the beginning of the 20th century, for it was both the entry and exit for people and merchandise, creating within its walls, an active, hard-working population, who earned the area the title of the “capital of work” for the city.  \n  \nIt was from here that generation after generation of Portuguese left to settle in overseas territories, particularly Brazil. The city is linked to expansion for a number of other reasons too, not only because it was the birthplace of Prince Henry the Navigator, but also because of trade. Agricultural products, such as wine, were loaded here, together with manufactured goods, whilst ocean-going ships were built and outfitted, consolidating various industries closely linked to the Voyages. These ranged from modest cooperage to the more complex production of gold and silver objects and statues that were sent to churches in Portuguese territories in the four corners of the world.  \n  \nDevelopment after the 16th century provoked great changes in the city; other buildings, larger and richer, substituted the Manueline. Not only the clergy, but also some bourgeois families were elevated to the nobility and appointed to high positions in public governance. They were responsible for many important buildings, such as chapels in convents and monasteries and even brotherhoods and the Misericórdia charitable organisation itself.  \n  \nWhile not a lot is left of the Manueline art, historical places remain, with the waters of the River Douro testifying to the success or the sorrow of such an adventure.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"9135f18e-4154-541c-8b8f-e63844ebfcec":{"title":"Engelhartszell","description":""},"915a3582-9322-53ad-8d87-3cbe06a7faa9":{"title":"Social Solidarity","description":"After Bilecik and İnegöl, the Ottoman Emirate also took Yenişehir, where Osman Gazi built new houses for his soldiers and thus the city became known as Yenişehir or “New City” (1299). Yenişehir served as the Ottoman capital until the capture of Bursa 27 years later (1326).  \n  \nThe first Ottoman sultans were very close to some heterodox religious personages. Sultan Murad I had a *zawiya* built in Yenişehir for Postinpuş Baba and his *dervish*es. The town of Mihalıç (today Karacabey) came under Ottoman control in 1336. During the reigns of Sultans Murad II and Mehmed II, Karaca Pasha undertook important duties on behalf of the state and rose to the position of Beylerbeyi of Rumelia; he had an *imaret* established and endowed at Mihalıç. In the rooms of the *imaret* that stood apart from the prayer hall, *dervish*es and learned men were received as guests and were given food without charge. Later Karaca Pasha died in the siege of Belgrade (1456) and the name of Mihalıç was changed to Karacabey in his honour.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tr;VI;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[236,222,225]}},"917a3316-25ac-5faf-a7ac-eb9eed2246d4":{"title":"TORRE DE MONCORVO","description":"The present town of Torre de Moncorvo dates back at least to the 12th century and the beginnings of the Portuguese nationality, but nearby there are villages, such as Santa Cruz, that lay at the origins of the modern town. Its first charter was granted in 1062, confirmed by D. Afonso Henriques between 1128 and 1140. D. Dinis renewed this charter in 1285 and D. Manuel I granted the town a new charter in 1512.  \n  \nThe development of the town was largely due to the cultivation of flax and cereals, as well as to the mining of iron ore. Yet, due to its geographical position, it also soon became an important trading centre. It is, therefore, not surprising to discover that D. João I granted the town the right to hold a free fair, in 1385.  \n  \nDuring the Manueline period, rope that supplied many of the vessels involved in the Discoveries and maritime expansion was manufactured here, with the result that the town, with 300 houses in 1507, soon spread beyond its Mediaeval walls.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"918adf61-9a8a-5d60-9c4f-749b27c81b10":{"title":"Medina","description":""},"9221bc6b-1208-5771-8dac-f0493ede5e91":{"title":"Amman, the Governor's Headquarters","description":"The site of Amman, ancient Rabbath Bani 'Ammon, was occupied as early as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period, around 8500-5500 BC. Occupation of Amman in the subsequent periods was revealed mainly on the Citadel. This is a natural hill, 840 m. above sea level, protected by deep ravines, except on the north side where the Jabal al-Hussein's gentle slope constitutes a vulnerable approach.  \n  \nThe decline of the city began in the late Byzantine period, around the mid- 6th-1st/ early 7th century, which aided the Arab Muslim troops, led by Yazid Ibn Abi Sufyan, to conquer Amman in 13/634, at the same time as the conquest of Damascus. The Citadel always had been the “symbol” of Amman and, therefore, the governors' headquarters. It appears obvious that the Umayyads retained this nucleus of the city for their own governor. As a capital of the Belqa, Amman became the residence of the governor in the Umayyad period.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;jo;I;en;1","country_ids":["jo"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[10]}},"924900f0-d804-55e2-9f67-3a0738e7480b":{"title":"Santarém","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Rua Capelo e Ivens, 63, tel: 243 30 44 37.","showOnMonument":true}},"92520a49-8540-5a70-aab7-9c4fc3a8ef85":{"title":"BIZERTE","description":"Bizerte is a maritime town in northern Tunisia, and it lies along the mouth of a canal that links the sea to the lake. It occupies the ancient site of *Hippo Diarrhytus*, a Roman colony, and was named *Binzart* after the Arab Conquest. The Mediaeval town, with its bazaars, its Great Mosque and its baths, was enclosed by walls. Following a period of lying dormant, it experienced a certain amount of prosperity when it became the seat of a small independent principality governed by the Banu al-Ward (444/1053–599/1203). During the late Middle Ages, the town once again went into decline and became, throughout the 10th/16th century, the site on which terrible confrontations took place between the Spanish and the Turks. During the modern era, and particularly during the 11th/17th and 12th/18th centuries, the town profited from the relative stability secured by the Ottoman *Bey*s and *Dey*s. As the seat of the Admiralty, Bizerte had one of the highest rates of Barbaresque piracy, which contributed greatly to its prosperity. The arrival of the Andalusians around 1017/1609 in numerous villages across the Bizertine Sahel and into one of the neighbourhoods of the *medina*, which still to this day carries their name, also had a positive effect on the demographic expansion and on the revival of military, commercial and agricultural activities of the town. Up until the end of the 19th century, Bizerte, enclosed behind town walls, was composed of various distinct units: the *medina*, the *kasbah*, the *qsiba* (a small citadel), the Frank Quarter and the Andalusian Quarter.  \n  \n**The Medina**  \nThe *medina*, which lies to the west of the *kasbah*, was, until the end of the 19th century, encircled by ramparts that were pierced by several gates. Only two sections of these walls, mostly ruins, remain, one of which links the Spanish Fort to the Andalusian Quarter. A study of the sections that remain reveals that each section of these walls were high, about 6 m. long and 3.5 m. thick, and were crowned by a parapet pierced by loopholes.  \n  \nThe Great Mosque which rises up from the *medina* was built on the site of a Mediaeval Mosque in 1060/1650 by the Dey Mohamed Laz. It stands at the centre of the *medina*, on the quays of the old port. The building is constructed on top of a platform, the area beneath which is occupied by five small shops that open out onto the banks of the port.  \n  \nThe minaret, which is distinct in that it has an octagonal shape, is situated on the north side of the courtyard. Supported on a square base, it is crowned by a balcony which is protected through the presence of a canopy. An octagonal lantern rests above the octagonal tower, and is topped by a pyramidal roof. This minaret, though less slender than those of Tunis, is no less original; it too reveals the Ottoman influence on the religious architecture of this town, which once housed one of the principal ports of this period’s Regency.  \n  \nThe Zawiya of Sidi al-Mostari, the Patron Saint of the town, is situated not far from the Great Mosque. Built on a platform below which there are shops, it was constructed on the orders of Murad Bey in 1083/1673. It forms an architectural complex that includes all the regular elements of a *zawiya*\\-*madrasa*, that is to say an ablutions hall, a domed funerary chamber branching into a long hall that leads out onto a beautiful, paved courtyard, surrounded on all four sides by galleries. Several chambers, a *kuttab* and a prayer room branch off these galleries.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"93549f8b-099f-522d-a86b-a7a643c095d0":{"title":"SALÉ","description":"Whilst it only took three years (154/771–156/773) for Spain (al-Andalus) to submit to the Arabs, it took the Euro-Christian Reconquest several centuries, from the Almohad defeat at Las Navas de Tolosa in 608/1212 to the expulsion of Muslims edicts signed by Philip III in 1017/1609, via the capitulation of Granada in 897/1492. A wave of Andalusian immigration towards Morocco is attached to each of these fateful dates. But the one which is of particular interest to the Bu Regreg riverbanks is the most recent one listed (Philip III’s expulsion edicts), which chased the Moriscos out of al-Andalus at the beginning of the 11th/17th century, making the town of Salé a globally renowned name. This town, situated on the right bank of the Bu Regreg, and whose establishment date remains unknown, was probably in the 4th/10th century the capital of the Kingdom of the Beni Ifren. It became, at the end of the 6th/12th century, a lively port town which in the 7th/13th century wetted Spain’s appetite and political ambitions. Thus, taking advantage of the conflict between the Almohads and the Merinids, Alphonse X of Castille pillaged it in 658/1260 on the day of ‘Id al-Fitr, “Feast of the rupture of the youth of Ramadan”, and 14 years then went by before Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub was able to seize it back. This Merinid sovereign then raised a wall to protect the city, and built a *madrasa*, a *zawiya*, a School of Medicine and an aquaduct within the enclosure.  \n  \nThe Merinids were just that: defenders of the arts and humanities. Like their contemporaries, the Kings of Granada, they embellished the principal cities of their kingdom. During that time, Salé became the main port of the Kingdom of Fez, and the most important commercial depot of the west coast, frequented by merchants from the whole of the Christian world: Mediterranean, Flemish and English, all of whom attracted the commercial aptitudes and hankerings of the merchants of Salé, who sold hides, wool, textiles, rugs, ivory, wax and honey and who in return bought fabrics and manufactured items from merchants from Pisa, Catalonia, Genoa and Venice. When the Moriscos (both Muslim and Jewish) were expelled from Spain, entire families from Castille, Catalonia, al-Andalus and Murcia settled on the ribats of Bu Regreg: ancient Salé, actual Salé and new Salé, Rabat. Under the impetus of the Hornacheros, wealthy merchants from the Bajadoz area who were out of touch with the techniques of maritime navigation, they decided to specialise in a new form of Jihad: buccaneering, to which they dedicated themselves wholeheartedly for over half a century, to earn their fortunes as well as to avenge themselves against the Christians who had robbed them of their homeland. The arrival of these Moriscos coincided with fratricide wars between the Sa‘adian Princes, wars which brought the dynasty to an end and which rendered the central political authority very weak. Having stood their ground against Christian Spanish power, by refusing to abandon the Arab-Muslim element of their cultural heritage, they showed themselves, on the other side of the Mediterranean, to be equally resolute against a Moroccan government in a state of decay, against which they refused to abandon the European elements of this same cultural heritage. In the space of 10 years, more than 1,000 ships were captured, and “These Andalusian Sirs, Governors of the Castle and its outbuildings”, as they were referred to by their captives, decided to break themselves off from the authority of the Sultan of Marrakesh. They stopped giving him a tenth of the profits they were making, and set up an autonomous City-State headed by a Governor elected for the period of a year, who was to reinforce the defensive barrier against Europe’s general instinct for war and domination. In tandem with these buccaneering activities, Salé sustained fruitful commercial relationships with various European nations (Spain, France, Holland, Italy), and signed, along with some of these countries’ delegates, non-aggression treaties, or truces that had been carefully negotiated.  \n  \nIn the meantime, the ‘Alawite Dynasty had replaced that of the Sa‘adians, and this “Republic of the Two Riverbanks” ended up being considered by the ‘Alawite shorfas, the country’s new masters, who took over the banks of the Bu Regreg in 1076/1666, as a first-class centre of excess and debauchery. They put the privateers under their supervision, entrusting them occassionally with diplomatic missions, like that undertaken by Ra’is ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Aicha to Louis XIV in 1109/1698.  \n  \nIt is within this period, as noted by Charles-André Julien, that one finds the origins of modern Morocco, a Morocco which would continue to come against the Imperial ambitions of European states who did their utmost to dominate and fragment it. Mulay Isma‘il (1082/1672–1139/1727) put members of the nomadic Udayas tribe in charge of guarding the fortress, and it was their successors who consolidated and fortified it, developing its armoury.  \n  \nAfter having been one of the main centres of commercial trade with foreigners, and having contributed to Morocco’s exposure to the outside world, the port of Bu Regreg saw a decline in its activities with the creation, in 1177/1764, of the great port of Essauira (Mogador). Both Bu Regreg towns gradually turned their backs to the sea, but remained a mandoratory thoroughfare between Fez and Marrakesh.  \n  \nRabat became the Royal City during the reign of Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ibn ‘Abd Allah, who built the Sunna Mosque, opened in 1199/1785. But the plague epidemic, which spread rampantly from 1211/1797 to 1214/1800, decimated over a third of the country’s population, which at the time was estimated at five million, reducing the number of Rabat’s inhabitants to less than 20,000, heralding a new Dark Age. In 1248/1833, Sultan Mulay ‘Abd al-Rahman placed members of the Udayas tribe between Rabat and Témara to create a shield against the fierce tribes of the Zaers.  \n  \nIt was the French occupying forces that chose Rabat as the kingdom’s capital in 1912, so as to establish the seat of their Protectorate at a distance from Fez, Marrakesh and Meknès, which stood as symbols of Morocco’s great Empires. The Kasbah of the Udayas was thus restored and turned into a museum and embellished with an Andalusian garden, and Salé dedicated itself to activities of a more pacifistic nature: religion, and arts and crafts.  \n  \nHowever, the peaceful bourgeois agglomeration of 20,000 persons quickly became the cradle of a new Nationalist movement for independence. The town expanded significantly following the establishment of independence in 1956, and it was this that, in particular, perpetuated the deep imprint of Andalusian Arab-Muslim civilisation, as much in the form of religious as well as government buildings, as in the form of certain noteworthy residences, on both sides of the Bu Regreg River.","extra":{"author":"Kamal Lakhdar"}},"936e663d-f070-555d-8938-5b48ad247c02":{"title":"Jerusalem: the Centre of Religious Study and Knowledge","description":"Pilgrimage, Sufism and science were the three elements that distinguished Palestine and Jerusalem. Following Itinerary II, which explored Sufism in Jerusalem, this itinerary will deal with the scientific institutions that developed in the proximity of the Haram al-Sharif.  \n  \nOur journey here starts where Itinerary II ends. The visitor is advised to start the itinerary from Bab al-'Amud, although, equally, it could be started from the end of the itinerary (al-Taziyya) and continued in reverse order. Focusing on the areas adjacent to the Haram – on Tariq Bab al-Hadid and Tariq Bab al-Silsila – this itinerary covers an important sector of Mamluk Jerusalem. Visitors will also experience the city's topography, the diversity of its main and side roads, plus the pressing problems of the Old City.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;III;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[42]}},"937c6cbb-6bb8-598d-b6f2-c71534f17c6c":{"title":"Kremsmünster","description":""},"938a149d-4a20-5ba8-9ee0-5bcd13aaa59f":{"title":"São Sebastiaõ","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"93afc2c5-63c1-5930-839e-06f09e83f981":{"title":"Gaza: the Gate to Africa","description":"Although far away from the capitals of successive Islamic states, Gaza held a special position, becoming a renowned centre for Islamic Studies. It was also the place in which the *imam* al-Shafi'i (150/767–204/820), the greatest Muslim scholar and the founder of the Shafi'i School, was born.  \n  \nMany Arab historians and geographers emphasised Gaza's role as a centre of agriculture and trade during the Fatimid period (358/969–492/1099).  \n  \nDuring the Mamluk period (648/1250–922/1517), Gaza became the most important town in the region and enjoyed a peaceful era. Many buildings were erected such as mosques, *madrasa*s, *zawiya*s, *ribat*s, *khan*s and *suq*s, some of which still survive today.  \n  \nThis itinerary aims to highlight the history of some of the most renowned Islamic buildings in the city and their functions during successive Islamic eras.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;IX;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[38,45]}},"940a5f1f-8c43-5139-8936-2dfdf09ebd96":{"title":"Porches","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9434fc2d-bf6a-57e1-b885-f61f7b7dde87":{"title":"Madrid","description":""},"94640d52-156a-5b91-a3eb-d888839f39b8":{"title":"Stuttgart","description":""},"95866ba7-a4f6-5105-9177-29822c22607f":{"title":"Mafra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"95890ae2-7248-57f2-a227-cb3a2708b5d9":{"title":"Tétouan: The Patio of a Civilisation","description":"The fall of the kingdom of Granada marked the renaissance of the town of Tétouan. Its reconstruction, undertaken in the 9th/15th century by Sidi al-Mandri, a native of Granada, in joint forces with the first Mudejars who were fleeing from the Christian Reconquest, turned it into a town created in order to welcome Andalusian civilisation. Protected by the natural frontiers formed by two mountains, situated on the Mediterranean coast, Tétouan's location offered a strategic position to these exiles, who had little if no rest in pushing back the threat of Christian menace.  \n  \nThe Tétouanese art of living bore the trademark of an Andalusian inheritance even more strongly than its architecture. Cookery, music, or indeed even Tétouanese jewellery and embroidery were impregnated with their Andalusian origin. Nasrid and Mudejar motifs disappeared out of Tétouanese embroidery, which can be admired today in the Ethnographic Museum of Bab Okla.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;ma;VI;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[518]}},"95cc2385-d8ee-551b-a542-d81a8cc64d19":{"title":"Ksar es-Seghir","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Situated 25 km. from Belyunesh. Cast your gaze along the Spanish coast, and in good weather you should be able to see very distinctly the Rock of Gibraltar."}},"963a15fc-ac9c-56e5-bcc8-5de1dcc200a6":{"title":"Al-‘Ayzariyya","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"965b3e98-b613-5063-a674-e935a8025c6c":{"title":"Petra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"96a7a9ec-0476-5e06-a2c4-01e9dd3811ae":{"title":"Bani Isguen","description":""},"96b52a44-1c73-5c98-8aa3-d84123e2e3c2":{"title":"Temples and Palaces of Seville","description":"Immediately after the capture of Seville in 1248 work was begun on the mosques to convert them into Christian churches. Almost at the same time as the Muslim buildings were being re-stored, work began on new churches in which a clear dependency on the Courtly Gothic style can be seen, although this did not hide the survival of the construction techniques and compositional schemes of Islamic origin. Starting from these precedents and under the ever-increasing influence of Hispanic-Muslim art, during the 14th century the model of Seville Mudejar church originated. This type of Parish Church illustrates that the Almohad Muslim heritage and the Gothic proposals harmoniously combined.  \n  \nThe Muslim palaces were also converted into the houses of noblemen and into monasteries. This meant there was a certain degree of familiarity with Muslim architecture, which led them to adopt much of the lifestyle and culture of the people who had been defeated politically.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;XI;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[333],"territory_ids":[5]}},"9763089a-c9d5-527e-a5fa-34bb11d626af":{"title":"Noble and Monastic Patronage","description":"During the period of Almohad domination in al-Andalús, what is now Extremadura was the military frontier between the Christians to the north of the Tajo, and the Muslims to the south of the Sierra Morena. The towns in Extremadura had as a result an essentially military function, as can be seen from the important Almohad defence systems which survive at strategic points such as Cáceres or Badajoz.  \n  \nIn the mid-13th century, when the Transierra was finally conquered and with the intention of consolidating the advance of the Christians towards Andalucia, a large part of what is nowadays the region of Extremadura and which was then practically uninhabited, was given over into the control and power of different Lords. Among the landowners, the Military Orders were the ones who accepted most Mudejares.  \n  \nIt is to these political and religious organisations, which were also Military Orders, that we owe the majority of the Mudejar art works in Extremadura. To them should be added those works carried out in the Conventual Priory of Guadalupe, a Marian centre of special devotion and extraordinary historical importance in the Middle and Modern Ages.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;es;X;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[310,315,347,297],"territory_ids":[4]}},"976d26b0-ff1e-5bfa-a604-8d0261ef987f":{"title":"Mazara del Vallo","description":""},"978579a0-3764-5c74-a922-83c504f7dc27":{"title":"Tabuk","description":""},"97eb2052-294e-5762-a90a-1a870dd042d7":{"title":"Centro Storico (Da Porta Napoletana a Porta Romana)","description":"The construction of the great palace we can see today in Piazza della Repubblica (formerly known as Piazza di Corte and Piazza Roma) was begun in the second half of the sixteenth century by the. noble Roman Savelli family on the site occupied by the acropolis of Ariccia in ancient Roman times. The Savellis moved into their new palace in 1589 whereas work on the building had already started by 1572. The great drawing-room on the first floor dates back to this period as is splendidly evidenced by the fireplace in local peperino stone with caryatids and trabeation on top in clear Mannerist imprint.  \nIn addition the main doorway onto the courtyard characterized by a system of giant parastas is also 16th century; unfortunately the architect's name is unknown.  \nThe changes made by the Chigi family who come into possession of the Ariccia estate in 1661 beginning a complete reconstruction of the little town, including the Church of the Assumption and to be exact the manorhouse of the Savellis.  \nThe architectural work was assigned to Gian Lorenzo Bernini who basically engaged the help of a young assistant, Carlo Fontana. Fontana spent considerable time studying a solution for the completion putting various possibilities down on paper and submitting them for approval to Bernini and Pope Alexander VII. The Chigis also purchased the Park from Savellis: they extenderi bringing its limits to the rear of the Palace enlarging it through numerous purchased till it reached its present maximum dimensions. They introduced many trees, including some American Sequoias which have been preserved till the present day. The Chigis carried out the Bernini project in two stages: 1667- 72 and 1740-43.  \nThe characteristic element in the new project was the large room built onto the side of the main staircase known as “the summer dining-room” which was used only during the hot months, given its northern exposure.  \nInterior decorativ work during the seventeenth century as the work of Tempesta with animals and the signs of the zodiac and in the eighteenth century with the rooms with themes taken from Ariosto landscapes by G. Cades, F. Giani, G. Campovecchio and L. Coccetti.  \nAfter purchasing the Chigi palace on December 29th 1988, the Ariccia Town Council began the restoration and reconstruction with financing from the Ministry for the Development of the South. The Palazzo Chigi project has extraordinary importance both for the architectural value of the complex, and the high artistic quality of the interior decorations and furniture. In fact the Palace is furnished with works by Baciccio, Salvator Rosa, Maratta, Cavalier d’Arpino, Morandi, Mario de’ Fiori and Gian Lorenzo Bernini himself; architect of the Palace, the Square and the Cathedral of Ariccia.  \nThe vast Park ( the last remaining fragment of the original vegetation of the Alban Hills) with its ruins, grottoes and an aviary dating back to the 16th century is extremely valuable.  \nThe Palace is destined to be used mostly as a museum with conference rooms, meetings, concerts and other cultural events. In particular it is planned to hold a series of residential courses which would comprise the setting-up of a post-graduate degree for scholars who wish to deepen their knowledge of Roman Baroque art.","extra":{"author":"Francesco Petrucci","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"other-intro#3","location_ids":[409]}},"9803d218-f80c-5d9d-ba9d-7776bc6a8af5":{"title":"DAMASCUS","description":"The Islamic history of Damascus is important as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, heralding the first expansion of Islam outside the Arabian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean region in the 1st/7th century. In Damascus, the Great Umayyad Mosque was built by the caliph al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik in 96/715 and it was the first monumental construct of its kind, proclaiming Damascus as the vibrant capital of a new world order, and setting the standard architecturally for subsequent mosque constructions.  \n  \nWhen the Umayyads were overcome by the ‘Abbasids in 132/750 and the Islamic capital shifted to Baghdad, Damascus became a provincial city for a long time. Not until the advance of the Seljuq Turks in the 5th/11th century did it begin to experience a revival in its regional importance. When Nur al-Din succeeded in taking control of Damascus in 549/1154, the different parts of Syria were strategically united and the status of Damascus as the capital city was established once again. Nur al-Din was zealously devoted to the triumph of Islam and in Damascus he established a robust environment of theological and legal education. The construction of 100 new *madrasas* in Damascus alone reflects his desire to change and re- educate society and revamp its urban structures. These civic developments are recorded by the historian of Damascus Ibn 'Asakir (d. 571/1176), a contemporary of Nur al-Din and a witness to the vivid architectural and religious mark he left on the city. Damascus became a magnet attracting scholars and ulama (teachers) from all across the lands of the Islamic faith. They came from Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), the Maghreb (North Africa) and Egypt as they fled the Crusaders, the *Reconquista*, and the Mongols. They found refuge in Damascus together with a fertile teaching ground.  \n  \nDamascus expanded to Mount Qasyun, some 2 km north of the old city, in what is known as the Salihiyya Quarter, and south along the pilgrimage route in what is known as al-Maydan. Both areas became important religious centres and Salihiyya in particular was famous for its *madrasas*. Salihiyya was founded when Nur al-Din invited a handful of refugee families from Jerusalem to settle along the banks of the River Yazid. These families were of high religious standing and well educated; most famous among them are the Banu ‘Asakir and the Banu Qudama, who settled there in 556/1161 and played crucial roles in Nur al-Din as well Salah al-Din’s campaigns. Salihiyya expanded rapidly as a highly respected neighbourhood and a centre for anti-Crusader propaganda. It was a selfsufficient and independently functioning district, a separate city almost. The ruling elite as patrons, members of the Ayyubid family and their brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, courtiers and freedslaves, all participated in its growth. The Ayyubids practiced an exceptionally generous patronage of writers and scholars. By the end of the Ayyubid reign in 658/1260, the Salihiyya district had become an area of thriving urbanism nestled between the Qasyun slopes of the River Yazid, attracting the best of noble patronage and charitable institution.  \n  \nUnder Nur al-Din and then the Ayyubids, the city walls, *burgs* and gates of Damascus were refortified and the Damascus Citadel completely redressed. The Ayyubids ensured the security for the city to thrive. *Madrasas*, *Dar Hadiths* and mausoleums (*turbas* or *dareehs*) were never too far away from *suqs*, *bimaristans* and *hammams*. Prior to all these institutions, it was the mosque that served – and continues to serve to this day – as a basic centre for education, with larger mosques generally including libraries too. Thus public education is not new to the Muslim world, and the development of *madrasas* can be seen as a continuation of what was already offered in mosques and public libraries. It in is their quantity and specialisation that attention is drawn to the systematic approach applied to the re-education of society.","extra":{"author":"Abd al-Razzaq Moaz, Zena Takieddine"}},"98087b47-c20e-57d8-807c-277f4034c456":{"title":"Bragança","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9893c66f-592e-5071-8fa8-a2f680f58b4c":{"title":"Bitushe","description":""},"98c7ad17-67da-5183-b309-97ed7de4e81a":{"title":"Jerusalem","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"990ed27c-5d36-50ab-939b-66034ba161c2":{"title":"Calheta","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"993034ab-4b19-549e-b9cc-0dddc44f13b3":{"title":"GHAR AL-MELH","description":"Ghar al-Melh is a small coastal town situated half-way between Tunis and Bizerte; its foundation, which dates back to 1047/1638, was decided upon by the Dey Usta Murad for strategic reasons. The city, created around a Portuguese and military compound, was colonised by the Andalusians mostly from Tunis, who were attracted by particularly favourable concessions. Squeezed in-between the mountain and the lake, Ghar al-Melh is located on an exceptional site. Its plan is based on a regular design: two large thoroughfares run across the town from one end to the other. The median thoroughfare crosses the central square, whilst the meridional crosses the small covered suq. The two thoroughfares are linked via smaller perpendicular streets.  \n  \nThe Medina of Ghar al-Melh, which has suffered relatively little from the renovations and reconstructions that have recently taken place, contains several buildings of a certain architectural and archaeological value, including a few old houses, two *hammam*s, the maritime complex, the fortifications and several religious buildings (mosques, *madrasa*s and *zawiya*s).  \n  \nThe Madrasa of Ghar al-Melh, which dates back to the 11th/17th century, is actually known under the name of Mosque of the Madrasa. Of medium height, it is composed of an oratory, an open-top (roofless) courtyard, an ablutions hall, a recently rebuilt minaret and eight rooms. When it was founded, this building was intended for the teaching and accommodation of young, rural men who came to learn and attend classes for several years.  \n  \nThe 11th/17th century Mosque of the *Rahba* is located at the centre of town, bordering the central square, which gave Mosque of the *Rahba* its name. Its small square minaret, rising up in the courtyard of the building that precedes the oratory, dominates the town square and the neighbouring houses.  \n  \n**The Port Complex and its Fortifications**  \nGhar al-Melh is distinct for the importance accorded to its maritime buildings and fortifications. Its naval dockyard, the artificial port to which it belongs, and its three defensive forts, all of which date back to the 11th/17th century, constitute an architectural complex, one of a few that best represent the military architecture of Ottoman Tunisia. In addition, these works were constructed by Morisco engineers and carry the mark of the Andalusian school.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"9949333b-f61a-5981-8b6b-730c70ac86be":{"title":"Bkerki","description":""},"99636532-54d3-561d-8e1b-9c82bfe36c4c":{"title":"Pombal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"997448ad-cec9-519b-8278-34b8aa4d5bf6":{"title":"Soma","description":""},"999a2268-9710-5ed0-8012-19ebff66a973":{"title":"Villalpando","description":""},"99d9db3e-1464-51ab-943f-121b6e7df24c":{"title":"Extremadura","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"99fae180-5cc0-5865-bfd3-68b539909e42":{"title":"Itàla","description":""},"9a0fac77-a5c2-533c-be61-9f2846d68648":{"title":"Schwetzingen","description":""},"9a104cf2-615c-51d1-a33c-3deb81005928":{"title":"Azraq","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9a12b00b-dc42-5a4a-92d4-7c8cc7e04662":{"title":"Balat","description":"","extra":{"info":"Located 20 km. to the south of Balat, the Didyma Apollo Temple (Didim) still preserves its magnificence in spite of being largely in ruins today. The Altınkum beach is just 5 km. from the temple.  \n16 km. north of Balat, on the Balat-Söke main road, the ancient city of Priene charms its visitors with its magnificent location.  \nAnother corner of the region worth visiting is the Dilek Peninsula National Park which functions as a plant and animal reserve and is located 30 km. south of Kuşadası. However, the Büyük Menderes River Delta, part of the National Park, can be visited by turning north at the village of Tuzburgazı; also the old village of Doğanbey will give a taste of Aegean and Mediterranean cultures.","how_to_reach":"Balat is the Turkish name of the ancient city of Miletus. To get from Milas to Miletus you must take the main road D.525 in the direction of Akköy for approximately 55 km. If you are using public transport, go to Söke first and board a dolmush minibus to Balat. İlyas Bey Mosque Complex stands among the magnificent remains of buildings from the ancient world.","showOnMonument":true}},"9a7c0f56-f865-566e-8877-48b08f0721b5":{"title":"Gmunden","description":""},"9ac899da-b170-56dc-abc7-2f5bdd89f7a6":{"title":"SELÇUK","description":"We know that throughout history some cities have changed their locations for socio-economic or natural reasons. Ephesus too changed its location at least three times for various reasons. There are different views as to where the exact location of the ancient city of Ephesus, an important trading port beginning in ancient times, was first settled. Not directly connected to the process of relocation, it is also known that the city changed its name frequently too. The ancient settlement of Ephesus, known as Hagios Theologos in the Middle Ages, took the name Ayasuluğ in the Turkish period and the name Selçuk in 1914. The city, which was re-established towards the end of the 4th century BC, in a narrow valley between Panayır Mountain and Bülbül Mountain, lived in prosperity during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. However, as a result of its harbour filling up with alluvium carried by the Küçük Menderes River, its connection to the sea was cut off and therefore, it lost the special feature of being a city port. In addition to being an important religious and commercial centre (the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was in Ephesus), it is clear that it was an important cultural and artistic centre as well. The large-scale 25,000-person capacity theatre still stands as proof of this. Ephesus is one of the seven churches of Christianity in the Book of Revelation. The spread of Christianity during Saint Paul’s lengthy stay here, the presence of the tomb of Saint John, and the claim that the Virgin Mary lived in Ephesus for a while and died there means that the city holds great importance for Christians. Moreover, the Third Ecumenical Council was held in Ephesus in AD 431 debating the divine and human nature of Christ and concluded with the victory of Monophysitism and Nestorianism’s conviction as heresy. In 449 a synod also gathered here to enforce Monophysitism.  \n  \nIntense building activity took place in Selçuk, one of Aydın Emirate’s important cities that served as the capital of the Emirate between the years 1348-1390. The great majority of the buildings in the city that have survived up to the present day, stem from this period. Mehmed Bey’s son İsa Bey commissioned Selçuk’s most magnificent edifice, İsa Bey Mosque; some western travellers have thought that the building was converted into a mosque from the church of St. John."},"9ace23c5-bff3-507e-bacc-71dafe129e33":{"title":"Castel Gandolfo","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1,2]}},"9b00bbb6-1cd8-5d2b-b9e8-a4a4798c29a7":{"title":"Budapest","description":""},"9b090c54-9b80-55f3-8754-a98add250309":{"title":"Toro","description":""},"9b845428-8fad-515d-b15b-ef0a3a013445":{"title":"Salé","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Salé is 3 km. from Rabat, separated from it by the river Bu Regreg. It is possible to cross the river by ferry."}},"9b87b73d-fd65-5bc3-9c55-470248b003a5":{"title":"Karacabey","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9b989181-85ca-5403-9ad4-8a6e2908beea":{"title":"Frazzanò","description":""},"9bce70ab-11ae-5b53-a559-6a769a41821c":{"title":"Spital am pyhrn","description":""},"9c5014ef-4faf-5e9f-971f-5509ac42e398":{"title":"Palatial Residences","description":"Jordan has the largest concentration of Umayyad complexes usually referred to as “desert palaces” or “desert castles”. Although the construction of such estates outside urban centres was a short-lived phenomenon in the Islamic world, they are among the earliest known examples of Islamic architecture, and also the earliest examples of secular, and more specifically, palatial architecture from the Islamic world. They provide one of the few examples in ancient and medieval architecture where a significant number (more than 20) historical buildings of the same period, the same geographic area and the same building type are still extant. In addition to being important material evidence of princely life in the early Islamic period, they also provide continuity with the Roman country villa that survived into late antiquity, and, therefore, can shed some light on this building type.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;jo;III;en;1","country_ids":["jo"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[6,35,7,31]}},"9da9be23-db54-59a3-94b1-e0c8b9ec42ca":{"title":"Lienz","description":""},"9e28559d-36f6-59bc-b865-d45841d69423":{"title":"Patronage and Court Life under the Atabegs and Ayyubids in Syria","description":"Syrian cities witnessed a pronounced rise in architectural patronage in the 6th/12th and 7th/13th centuries, likely to be attributable to the development in economic and dynastic factors. Economically, the systematisation of the *waqf* as an instrument of architectural patronage made it possible for a larger sector of the aristocracy, court officials and urban notables to build various religious, charitable and educational institutions. Dynastically, Atabeg and Ayyubid sultans, as with the rulers before them, used architectural patronage as a means of projecting an image of Islamic piety and royal power. While early Islamic monuments reflected the power of the great dynasties that ruled in the name of the *umma*, the “entire Muslim community”, those built in the medieval period link more directly with particular patrons who personally provided the funds for construction. This personal identification is often reflected in the naming of these institutions – for example, that of al Zahir Ghazi – Madrasa al-Zahiriyya – and by the fact that the patron and members of his or her household were often buried within their own foundations.  \n  \nBeyond their symbolic image, the *madrasas*, mausoleums, *khanqas* and *bimaristans* built by Atabeg and Ayyubid sultans also fulfilled important urban and social functions. Some of these institutions, for example the Ayyubid *madrasas* south of Aleppo, or in the Salihiyya district north of Damascus, became nodes for subsequent urban development. Socially, *madrasas* and *khanqas* in particular provided employment and sustenance for generations of jurists and mystics, whether students or teachers, in accordance with the provisions of their *waqfs*. While conforming to the precepts of Islamic charity, this linkage between royal patrons and scholars of theology also served to influence their religious outlook and manner of teaching. The three *madrasas* in the Maqamat Quarter – al-Firdaws, al-Zahiriyya and al-Kamiliyya – exemplify Ayyubid religious architecture in Aleppo.  \n  \nThis period also witnessed a remarkable expansion in the basis of patronage, to include, in addition to the sultans themselves, state officials, urban patricians and women of the court. Court officials, such as Shadbakht, Toghril and Ibn al-Muqaddim (VI.1.i) often completed their master’s buildings, in addition to founding their own institutions. Patrician families, such as Banu al-‘Ajami and Banu al-‘Adim in Aleppo, built numerous mosques and *madrasas*, some vying in size with those built by the sultans themselves. The case of Kamal al-Din Ibn al-‘Adim (d. 662/1262), the greatest historian of Aleppo, is quite telling in this regard. Historian, jurist, poet and calligrapher, he founded an important *madrasa* outside Bab al-Nayrab, known as Madrasa al-Toruntayya and, as seen in the previous itinerary, also donated a magnificent wooden *mihrab* to the Madrasa al-Hallawiyya, in which he was a teacher. *Madrasas*, even more than mosques, formed the core of Atabeg and Ayyubid patronage, as seen in Damascus, since they were dedicated to the theological and legal analysis of the four rites, or *madhahib*, of Sunni Islam, which dictated the precept of public and private life. Political patrons also renovated shrines dedicated to martyrs, known as *mashhads*, in order to tap into their religious resonance and popular appeal. The pious act of building khanqas, centres of learning dedicated to spiritual and Sufi knowledge, was another form of Atabeg and Ayyubid patronage. The elegant Madrasat al-Firdaws was dedicated to the more mystical aspects of Islamic experience and was sponsored by the female regent of Aleppo, Dhayfa Khatun, who ruled for nearly 20 years. Unlike Iranian or Anatolian *madrasas*, which closely follow the four-*iwans*\\-in-axial-symmetry plan, Syrian *madrasa*s adopt a more flexible canon that calls for a tripartite prayerhall, a single *iwan* and rooms for study and residences on two floors, all disposed around a courtyard with a central pool. Perhaps the most striking feature of Ayyubid *madrasas* in Aleppo are their exteriors, which appear like massive stone blocks whose severity is only partly softened by one or more domes, *muqarnas* portals and inscription bands. The ruling dynasty provided the provision of security and protection, implemented most directly by the building of fortifications By the 6th/12th century, walls and citadels had become an absolute necessity, to the extent that urban life was inconceivable without them. The rebuilding of Aleppo’s enclosure and gates, not to  \nmention the magnificent citadel, began under al-Zahir Ghazi (581–613/1186–1216) and continued under his successors until the middle of the century.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[180],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;VII;en;1"}},"9e886212-6b1c-5d1d-bde1-7bfa3ef32cbb":{"title":"Beja","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9e9878b3-e01d-5b8d-a16c-68c7b9c71553":{"title":"Jeita","description":""},"9ecaecb4-b8f7-57a1-b9e3-f1aca41cd5f9":{"title":"Jericho","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9f75ebec-8466-58fe-8c7d-bb675954dac2":{"title":"Braga","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9fa1f589-dd1b-5d78-a534-9a288fc52bdd":{"title":"Crevalcore","description":""},"9fab020a-7189-531f-9e0f-7cc1d4a84dcc":{"title":"Vilar Torpim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"9fcee625-bec3-5af1-83d3-e640496b0988":{"title":"Rijeka","description":""},"9ff000e8-4f6e-5535-b750-94ac0d439c28":{"title":"CHÉBIKA","description":"Chébika clings to the mountain about halfway up, sitting on a platform which allows it to dominate the oasis and the gorge of its *wadi*. The village was once ancient *ad-Speculum*, a Roman defence outpost on the Tacape–Theveste, Gabès–Tébessa track. Built in stone and earth-coloured clay, it blends into its environment. Chébika has actually been abandoned in favour of banal constructions built on the slope. The fabric of the historic village, like a chessboard, evokes that of Tamerza. The axial road, onto which are grafted the secondary roads, leads up to the market square.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"a12302f0-1769-5eea-94bc-5285e13bf1ff":{"title":"Pinhel","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a15da2ac-4665-509a-9057-ef8af7984bbc":{"title":"Monreale","description":""},"a16d6454-8872-5852-b87b-7cc858d3761e":{"title":"Sperlinga","description":""},"a1c57301-fa70-51ae-9590-7a1f6807f99b":{"title":"A Journey into the Wilderness","description":"The journey from Jerusalem to Jericho is special from both a geographical and historical perspective. Captivating views of mountains and valleys, semi-desert scenery, historic sites, Islamic sanctuaries and Christian monasteries lie along the route. The winding road from the top of Jerusalem's Mountains (800 m. above sea level) descends towards the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea (the lowest point on earth at 400 m. below sea level) and finally reaches Jericho (the lowest city on earth at 250 m. below sea level).  \n  \nThe visitor will start the journey from the observatory of the Mount of Olives at al-Tur Village. To the west, north and south there unfolds a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem, its surrounding mountains and valleys, and the western slopes of the Mount of Olives that are rich in archaeological sites and historic monuments.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;IV;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[50,36,47,41]}},"a1d6455c-9f8c-5ee6-a19f-ae621ac863da":{"title":"The Seat of the Sultanate","description":"When Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi had his Citadel built, his desire was for it to be both a defensive fortress and the seat of the Sultanate. His initial lack of trust in Cairenes led him to have the Citadel located at a distance from the city. Architectural innovations were introduced, however, mainly ideas gathered during Salah al-Din al-Ayyub's time spent in Aleppo and on campaigns carried out in and Palestine against the Crusaders. The Citadel was sited in an ideal defensive position, overlooking the city of Cairo to the north and Fustat to the south, the desert and rocky hills bordering to the north and east.  \n  \nLater, Sultan al-Kamil Ibn al-'Adil al-Ayyubi would have the royal palaces built and it was then that he had the seat of power established in the Citadel to which he brought his family and government.  \n  \nAround the Citadel, numerous religious buildings were erected, among them the Madrasas of Sultan Hassan, Gawhar al-Lala and Qanibay al-Rammah.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;eg;I;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[2]}},"a2166dd0-3bf9-5488-a7cc-c18f73e2a45b":{"title":"Explore Tyrol","description":"Tyrol, situated in the heart of Europe, is home to many prominent works of art, surrounded by the majestic backdrop of the Alps. With this project Museum With No Frontiers returns to the place where its adventure began: the development of a network of 30 thematic itineraries relating to Gothic Art, Baroque Art and the artistic legacy of Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I. Explore Tyrol is a work-in-progress; at present it provides access to monuments from the Baroque period. After completion, visitors will be able to discover 269 monuments and sites.","extra":{"country_ids":["at"],"country_texts":[{"text":"If we walk through the remote side valleys of Tyrol, we come across a wide variety of works of art at every step. The deeply rooted popular faith of the region gave birth to religious testimonies everywhere, mostly embedded in a grandiose alpine landscape. Thanks to the Tyrolean salt mines and the flourishing trade associated with them, noble and bourgeois residences have been built all across the country, often richly decorated with frescos and sumptuously furnished. Between 1490 and 1519, Innsbruck was the residential seat of the first Habsburg Emperor Maximilian, whose monumental tomb in Innsbruck’s Hofkirche (court church) offers a living testimony of Maximilian’s understanding of self-representation.  \n  \nExplore Tyrol – a work-in progress – invites to discover the artistic legacy of three periods: Gothic Art, Baroque and Rococò and Maximilian I. At present it provides access to monuments from the Baroque period. After completion visitors will be able to discover 269 monuments and sites.","langId":"en","countryId":"at"}],"legacy_status":"e"}},"a2439333-c2f2-5d06-bc16-6ea4495f95f5":{"title":"Évora: City of the Court","description":"Towards the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Era, which coincided with the Golden Age of the Discoveries and the maritime expansion of the Portuguese, the city of Évora, in its cultural and artistic splendour, was unequalled on the Portuguese scene and became one of Europe’s main centres of Renaissance culture.  \n  \nThe Portuguese monarchs of the Avis dynasty, attracted by the mild climate, fertile land and excellent hunting, spent much of their time in the area, and it was here that D. João II celebrated the marriage of the heir to the throne with the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.This solemn act presaged the possibility of Iberian unity and turned into one of the greatest celebrations ever witnessed in Europe in the late Middle Ages.  \n  \nTowns in the province of the Alentejo, particularly those around Évora, grew and developed, as leading figures in the country became the Counts of Arraiolos, Vidigueira and Olivença. As populations settled, land was cultivated and religious institutions were built, as well as churches and manor houses. Courtiers played their part by constructing roads and adding to the defensive system.  \n  \nThe Court nobility settled in Évora and the surrounding district, following D. João II, D. Manuel I and D. João III, in particular, that lived in the city for many years.They wished to be near the king, to serve him and also to benefit from his consideration or friendship.They also commissioned works of art from the many artists who travelled there from all parts of Europe, as well as importing works from Flanders, Italy, Spain or the Far East. The result was the embellishment of the town with noble mansions belonging to the Counts of Sortelha, the Counts of Basto, the Counts of Vimioso, and with the beautiful houses of Vasco da Gama and Manuel de Sousa Sepúlveda. Artists, such as Nicolas Chanterène, Francisco Henriques, Olivier of Ghent, Frei Carlos, António and Francisco de Holanda, Francisco and Miguel de Arruda and Gil Vicente, had homes there too.  \n  \nIn the surrounding area, the nearby towns of Montemor-o-Novo and Arraiolos also thrived during this period.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[95,69,126],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;IX;en;1"}},"a26e1cdc-e8e0-50df-a5ff-2cc85e86aaf3":{"title":"ELVAS","description":"The existence of Elvas as a settlement in Islamic times is clearly documented in Islamic sources from the 4th/10th century, but it may have existed well before this. Two linear remains of what were the walls, forming part of the Islamic defensive system at Elvas, testify to the impressive size of this urban centre, described by the geographer al-Idrisi in the 12th century as a *medina* or “city”. Whilst this author was not indifferent to the beauty of the women that he encountered here, other 5th/11th century writers were pleasantly surprised by the richness of the countryside surrounding Elvas. This information is clearly reflected in the many different marks left on the region’s toponymy. At an urban level (with names such as Alcamim, Alcalá and Almocovar), and at a rural level (with names such as Torre do Mouro (the Moor’s tower), Seixo dos Mouros (Moors’ rock), Herdade do Mouro (the Moor’s estate), Horta do Mouro (the Moor’s orchard), Vale do Mouro (the Moor’s Valley), or even Fonte(fountain) de Axá, Poço (well) de Almourim, Alcarapinha, Alpedrede, Alfarófia, etc.).  \n  \nElvas underwent a major building programme under the period of Almohad rule, with works that inevitably transformed the citadel (see Porta do Templo) and the wall of the *medina*. This wall enclosing an area of roughly 10 hectares still retains some evidence of the original dry-mud wall built around most of its perimeter for defensive purposes, and it was further strengthened with L-shaped gateways (which have since disappeared). Amongst today’s remains of the fortifications, attention is drawn to a partly altered polygonal tower, known nowadays as the Arco da Encarnação.  \n  \nBoth in the citadel and the ancient *medina*, the urban layout still consists today of narrow winding streets that evoke memories of an Islamic heritage of several centuries. The Islamic presence in Elvas did not cease when the city was brought under the control of the Portuguese crown. In the 15th century, the community of “*mouros forros*” (emancipated Moors) or Mudejars was the second most important of its kind in the whole of the Alentejo. The Moors of Elvas made a living as craftsmen, whilst also mastering the technology required for tending their crops and maintaining close trading links with the neighbouring kingdom.  \n  \nElvas must also be included in the list of Portuguese places where the epigraphy of Islamic times has clearly left its mark.  \nIn fact, although foundation stones incised with Arabic characters, which until at least the 17th century were still to be found in the walls of the *medina*, have since disappeared a tombstone was recently found in a place that has not been identified with great exactitude. Judging by the type of calligraphy used, however, it probably dates from the mid-6th/12th century.","extra":{"author":"Fernando Branco Correia"}},"a329d19c-f34f-5577-bddd-658a0344fe90":{"title":"Zirc","description":""},"a33c5207-733e-543e-b889-8c84d1803223":{"title":"Dougga","description":""},"a3ae44f0-6c1d-56af-b693-e7cf65231b99":{"title":"The Towns of the Princes","description":"Raqqada and Mahdia constitute, alongside Sabra and al-'Abbassiya, the only Capitals in Tunisia to have been founded by princes between the arrival of Islam up to the present day. Their destinies differed, even though one was heir to the other, confirming the definite influence exerted by the geopolitical context on the evolution of Ifriqiyan princely towns in the Middle Ages.  \n  \nRaqqada was built in 262/876 by the Aghlabid Prince Ibrahim II, and was transformed into a holiday retreat equipped with grandiose hydraulic installations and luxurious palaces. It reflects the relative symbiosis that existed between the Aghlabid Dynasty and the Kairouanese population.  \n  \nIn contrast to Raqqada, the founding of Mahdia marked a rupture between the reigning dynasty and the Ifriqiyans, but, simultaneously, it revealed the Fatimids' ambitious gaze eastward, and , after the Fatimid fleet imposed itself as the most powerful of the Mediterranean, it denoted the start of Tunisia's maritime age.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;VI;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[483,475]}},"a3be8190-adf3-563f-90c8-7d2a5c9fe27d":{"title":"Irbid","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Dept. of Antiquities office at Irbid 02-7277066.","how_to_reach":"Is 88 km. north of Amman and can be reached easily from Jerash by car or bus, taxi or service-taxi, the station being near the Roman East-Baths complex. The road goes directly to Irbid through the town of al-Husn.","showOnMonument":true}},"a3d1869d-826d-5517-9287-0db7e35b765d":{"title":"Saida","description":""},"a417f913-533e-5bc2-a1b7-cec17d46b854":{"title":"GUIMARÃES","description":"Guimarães is one of Portugal’s most mythical cities, as it was the birthplace of the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, son of Count Henry of Burgundy and Teresa, daughter of the Emperor of León. He gained independence from his mother, and the Galician warlords who fought by her side, at the Battle of São Mamede in 1128, thus beginning his effective domination over the territory that was to give birth to the Portuguese nation.  \n  \nThe city was important throughout the Middle Ages, being in the centre of fertile agricultural land and close to other large centres of population, particularly the Archdiocese of Braga. Of the various institutions in the city, the Collegiate Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira is of interest, being a favourite of Countess Mumadona, who held sway in this region. One of its priors was João das Regras and one of its patrons was D. João I.  \n  \nThe development of Guimarães is also closely associated with a number of religious orders that were installed here, such as the Dominicans and Franciscans. In the Manueline period, it was remarkable for its urban grid of streets and houses and also for the Ducal Palace belonging to the House of Bragança.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"a41ea48e-e4d3-51b9-b3fc-83b26958a90f":{"title":"Greece","description":""},"a43ba613-8d7c-5b2b-9951-d8e8243baf40":{"title":"CAMINHA","description":"The old town of Caminha stands at the mouth of the River Minho, facing Galicia and the imposing Monte de Santa Tecla, in Spain. It was an important Mediaeval town that, along with many others, prospered greatly during the era of the Discoveries. The small fishing port that already existed in the 10th century had undergone its first real development thanks to the efforts of D. Afonso III in fortifying and settling the frontiers by creating a defensive frontier cordon that also included Melgaço and Valença beyond the river line. The first wall round Caminha dates from this period. D. Dinis granted the town a charter in 1284. By this time, a clear division had been formed between the original village, located at Vilarelhe, and the new town, which was to develop into modern-day Caminha.  \n  \nIn 1507, Duarte D’Armas depicted Caminha as an oval town with a wall and twelve towers as the first line of defence.  \n  \nThe keep, rising from a low *barbican* and begun in the time of D. João I, was very much stronger and was concluded in half of the entire *enceinte*. This part of the wall was studded with dozens of embrasures. Outside the walls, a few dwellings belonging to fishermen are shown, as well as some shipbuilding activities, for, in this particular case, the author drew a caravel undergoing extensive alterations.","extra":{"about":"The old town of Caminha stands at the mouth of the River Minho, facing Galicia and the imposing Monte de Santa Tecla, in Spain. It was an important Mediaeval town that, along with many others, prospered greatly during the era of the Discoveries. The small fishing port that already existed in the 10th century had undergone its first real development thanks to the efforts of D. Afonso III in fortifying and settling the frontiers by creating a defensive frontier cordon that also included Melgaço and Valença beyond the river line. The first wall round Caminha dates from this period. D. Dinis granted the town a charter in 1284. By this time, a clear division had been formed between the original village, located at Vilarelhe, and the new town, which was to develop into modern-day Caminha.  \nIn 1507, Duarte D’Armas depicted Caminha as an oval town with a wall and twelve towers as the first line of defence.  \nThe keep, rising from a low *barbican* and begun in the time of D. João I, was very much stronger and was concluded in half of the entire *enceinte*. This part of the wall was studded with dozens of embrasures. Outside the walls, a few dwellings belonging to fishermen are shown, as well as some shipbuilding activities, for, in this particular case, the author drew a caravel undergoing extensive alterations.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"a477bdb9-31e8-59e3-8f61-9e06181ab35e":{"title":"Longroiva","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a4a70dfe-c3a7-5988-b70c-5bab87d2b075":{"title":"Munich-Nymphenburg","description":""},"a4a75d39-e259-5ed3-8963-9a7055bce8f2":{"title":"SYRACUSE","description":"The Corinthians founded a colony here in the 8th century BC. The urban structure given to it by the Greeks was extremely regular, marked by parallel and orthogonal streets. It had the indisputable primacy among the Sicilian *poleis* and was a truly great power of the Hellenistic Mediterranean, to the extent even of rivalling Athens.  \n  \nBesieged for over two years by the Romans, it fell to their power in 212 BC. They established the base there of the *praetorium* and confirmed it as the capital of Sicily.  \n  \nAfter a barbaric interval, it was reconquered by Belisario in 535, and from 663 to 668 was chosen as the residence of Constans II and Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.  \n  \nIt maintained its primacy among the cities of the island during the Byzantine period. Then the Arabs, having hardly disembarked in 827, and believing that its fall would mean the Conquest of the whole of Sicily, assaulted it in vain for over a year under the command of Asad Ibn al-Furat, but they only won, finally, several years later following a devastating battle.  \n  \nDuring the Arabic era it became the capital of Val di Noto, while its administrative primacy was ceded to Palermo; the Muslims built the Castle of Marieth, mentioned up to the time of the disastrous earthquake of 1544, on the ruins of the royal palace of the *exarch*.  \n  \nIn 1038 the Greek Captain Giorgio Maniace succeeded in the difficult attempt to restore it for a time to the Byzantine domain, counting among his mercenaries a handful of Normans. The latter, from the short occupation of the city and their sallies into south-east Sicily, drew many useful lessons for their undertaking of reconquest, launched about 20 years later against Islam.  \n  \nThey only retook Syracuse in 1086, having put to flight its Amir, Ibn ‘Abbad (Benarvet), a brave warrior at the centre of epic encounters during the period of the Norman Conquest, recounted in the Chronicle of Goffredo Malaterra. Peace having been restored, they restored the bishopric as main authority in the town and began to exploit again the potentials of the mercantile port. Al-Idrisi in about 1150 found there: “*markets, great arteries, caravanserais, spas, superb buildings and vast squares*”.  \n  \nFederico II of Swabia, recognising his central position on the routes of the Mediterranean, seemed to fully foresee his strategic importance in a political design that projected the empire eastwards, and probably his court towards the “*extreme point of Ortigia*”. But the programmes of the emperor were abruptly interrupted by his death in 1250.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"a4b36c4b-0956-5961-b691-9dfe08dd4c62":{"title":"Sanlúcar la Mayor","description":""},"a4f326fd-72be-5c67-8afb-f645b3a38545":{"title":"El-Khemis","description":""},"a4ffa604-f96b-5af6-9e81-52b7985036ed":{"title":"Ma‘arrat al-Nu‘man","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a507611d-e148-5f9e-b868-1cb7b3c68015":{"title":"Vila Nova de Cerveira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a51931d8-6d4d-5677-9600-e20e5a6a6f04":{"title":"Cefalà Diana","description":""},"a5d242f9-2738-5386-8516-0d87a7e54517":{"title":"Rosetta: Trading Centre of the Delta","description":"The city of Rosetta was one of 's ancient ports, known to the Greek geographer and historian Strabo as Bolbitine, for it was located at the mouth of the west branch of the Nile of the same name.  \n  \nFollowing the conquest of Alexandria in 21/642, 'Amr Ibn al-'As led the conversion of Rosetta to Islam. He signed a peace treaty with the city's Coptic governor to allow churches to continue to function for those who still professed Christianity.  \n  \nDuring the Mamluk era, Rosetta became one of 's major ports, her importance overtaking that of the larger city of Alexandria. Historical records indicate that ships left her port for both distant lands and on military expeditions.  \n  \nWith the discovery of the sea route round the Cape of Good Hope in the 9th/15th century, trade routes diverted around and Rosetta declined in importance. Nevertheless, the town maintained its role as a trade centre and one of the largest rice stores in the country. From the 10th/16th century, Rosetta reached her height of development when became one of the provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Funduqs, qaysariyyas, wikalas and lodgings were built.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;eg;VII;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[4]}},"a5eda8ee-cbec-54c4-8a21-2ad7fbe32e1d":{"title":"Toujane","description":""},"a5f65a64-3dc4-5ec4-90bd-01b4c78a41f2":{"title":"Wilhering","description":""},"a6826fe6-eba4-5f36-8f48-fa2c6a7232f7":{"title":"Sa‘ir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a6a54bb1-b9c8-557a-8fe6-f5515b9e5712":{"title":"Kaltenbrunn im Kaunertal","description":""},"a6ddd072-bada-53d1-8e93-b7e99aa47ac6":{"title":"Tunisia","description":""},"a6ee59d7-67a1-5553-ad60-666721398733":{"title":"Cefalù","description":""},"a70b4fd7-48f1-5919-a3da-b783ce86b1c5":{"title":"Hungary","description":""},"a7250edd-0d99-51f0-a59c-175f897aeb4d":{"title":"Alandroal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a743b6f7-ecc4-5665-83e5-867604ed31a4":{"title":"Zaragoza","description":""},"a776c0ed-ffba-522d-939d-776b98d4f23f":{"title":"Óbidos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a7cbf775-cf58-5896-b435-28a1fc4f7808":{"title":"SANTARÉM","description":"The city of Santarém (previously known as Scalabis, the capital of the Roman *conventus*) dominates the immense plains of the Ribatejo, the former territory of Ballata, which had been referred to and praised by both Roman and Arab chroniclers. The river continuously flooded the land here and the farming techniques used were compared by the chronicler al-Himyari to those used on the mud flats of the River Nile.  \n  \nApparently, Santarém was organised into three quite distinct nuclei. The citadel was certainly protected by a wall and had three gates, continuing as far as the area of São João de Alporão. Close to the River Tagus and around the church dedicated to Saint Irene, the city’s patron saint, there spread the suburb of Alfange and in particular the suburb of Ribeira, which formed the most important nucleus of the Islamic city.  \n  \nDue to the continuation of this important Christian cult, as proved by the very name of the city (Xantarin), a sizeable Mozarab population was to remain, particularly in the riverside areas.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"a8648347-4e9d-5624-bacd-d939658bd5b6":{"title":"BISKRA","description":"Biskra (128 metres above sea level), is located in the southeast of Algiers. The climate is cold in winter, hot and dry in summer. At the foot of pale mountain ranges, Biskra, the “Queen of the Ziban” – with its plains and green oases, its cultural sites that witnessed succeeding civilisations – has long been one of the most popular tourist areas.  \nBiskra is famous for its dates, the Deglet Nour variety being considered the best in the world. The palm plantation extends along the valley and includes thousands of palm and fruit trees. The water is abundant, accessible by artesian wells. Each locality is known for its artisanal activities. The thermal baths known as Hammam Salihine have enjoyed an excellent reputation dating back to Roman colonisation.  \nIbn Khaldoun, who stayed in Biskra in 784 / 1382, asserted that the city dated to 65 / 685, and that it was the capital of the Zab or Ziban, which means oasis. It is built on the site of ancient Vescera, a Roman post. Subjugated by the Aghlabides of Kairouan, Biskra supplanted Tobna, then capital of the eastern Hodna. Under the Hammadids, in the 5th / 11th century, it was autonomous.  \nAl-Bakri describes Biskra’s beauty and prosperity, its ramparts, the lushness of its oasis and the Maghrawa and Sedrata Berber herders who roamed the area. According to the geographer al-Idrissi, the city was fortified in the Almohad era. Under the Hafsids it became the capital of the entire southwestern part of their territory.  \nDuring the Ottoman period, in 948 / 1542, Hassan Agha and Salah Raïs settled there and built a fort. Under French colonisation, in 1844, Biskra was occupied by the French Duke of Aumale.  \nToday Biskra houses the Great Mosque of Sidi M’barek, which dates from the 5th / 11th century; the Nassiriya *zawiya*, famous in the 6th / 12th century; the mausoleum Sidi Abdarrahman and the Khaled el-Abassi Mosque.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"a86663cb-253b-59ee-b179-573e66e59f6f":{"title":"Brixen im Thale","description":""},"a8ef80bf-cf95-561d-9b9e-2b214621e03e":{"title":"Villamuera de la Cueza","description":""},"a9146007-50e5-5104-a6a4-da29d198eafd":{"title":"Alcamo","description":"","extra":{"info":"Thermal Baths of Segesta  \nOn the border between the Comunes of Alcamo and Castellamare, on the banks of the river Caldo, there is a group of springs of sulphuric water that were already known at the time of the Arabic era,which flowed from inside the caves at a temperature of 45o C making a natural sauna.The hot water is channelled through structures of baths and thermal pools, which offer the visitor the chance of some therapeutic medicinal bathing, and which is also freely usable in the few stretches of the river not restricted by cement dykes."}},"a91716a0-a73a-5580-85e9-5bec409dd8d4":{"title":"Mudejar Cities: From Islam to Christianity","description":"This itinerary includes two of the great Mudejar cities of Aragon, two border towns on the frontier of Islam. In this way we can contrast two different Medieval town plans of different provenance: on the one hand the fairly regular grid of the city of Teruel, a Christian foundation; on the other, the irregular plan of the city of Daroca, an Islamic foundation. In the former, the Mudejar towers of the parish churches are perfectly integrated into the streets, which run under them. In the latter there still persists the irregularity of the streets which run through the site of the *medina*, while those in the district built round the calle Mayor, are regular in their layout.  \n  \nThere are three essential values in the Mudejar art and architecture of Teruel, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. First, the Mudejar ceramics from Teruel; secondly, the open character of the Mudejar style of Teruel; and thirdly, the figurative decoration on the ceiling of Teruel Cathedral.  \n  \nIn the visit to Daroca, Mudejar art appears as an alternative system to the Romanesque art of the conquerors.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;IV;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[335,303],"territory_ids":[6]}},"a9386e25-86e8-59a9-848d-f88f8ba9ab0f":{"title":"Fuwa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a95b0c32-ecfc-5ad4-9db2-9a986f11bca0":{"title":"Montemor-o-Novo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a966d007-2f83-5f97-b87a-5221f821358c":{"title":"BELYUNESH","description":"Belyunesh, an archaeological site, where a village of fishermen and border merchants had rooted itself, was during the Mediaeval times the orchard and water tower of Ceuta, and came under the jurisdiction of the *Qadi* of the Strait’s city.  \n  \nSituated in a deep verdant valley which descends steeply towards the sea, amply watered by the water from its natural sources, it was considered during Mediaeval times to be an idyllic place, sung of by poets such as the famous Qadi ‘Ayad. Dominated by the Jabal Musa, known also as the “Mount of monkeys”, on which stood, so mythologers believed, one of the columns of Hercules (the antique Abyla), and which was covered in a thick forest, the area of Belyunesh served as the hunting ground for the inhabitants of Ceuta, the *Sebti*s. This enchanting corner, which strikes the imagination, is also where the sorceress Circé is said to have held Ulysses prisoner.  \n  \nIn the 5th/11th century, under the reign of petty King Saqut – a contemporary and equal of the Prince of Seville, al-Mu‘tamid Ibn ‘Abbad, whose reign marked out one of the most glorious periods in Ceuta’s history – notables possessed beautiful mansions placed at the centre of gardens in which the most evolved techniques of irrigation were employed. These holiday villas or *munia*s, constructed and ornamented with great care, were in fact agricultural centres which fulfilled the same functions as Roman villas. The valley produced an abundance of fruit, and fine-quality coral could be fished from the waters in the bay which, after being treated in the specialised workshops of Ceuta, were exported to the sub-Saharan continent, in particular to Ghana and the Sudan.  \n  \nThis opulence, which lasted until the end of the 8th/14th century, disappeared completely by the 9th/15th century with the Portuguese occupation of Ceuta. The Portuguese nonetheless failed to exploit Ceuta and its surrounding environment due to the difficulties involved in reaching it. Abandoned, it thus fell into ruin, and was only visited by fishermen.  \n  \nArchaeological excavations, undertaken in recent decades, have enabled certain remains of the town to be discovered and have brought the famous *munia*s to light, with their countryhouse towers and dancing water fountains as described in texts.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"a967a957-2ebf-5eb8-bce9-abd66c6ce8dd":{"title":"Qal‘at Shayzar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"a96e0ae6-f1cc-5742-8334-014c6bdb3236":{"title":"MAHDIA","description":"The growing hostility of the *Sunnite* Kairouanese in opposition to the Shi‘ite Doctrine, coupled with the various different rebellions that kept rising up all over the Maghreb, resulted in al-Mahdi’s decision, in 301/914, to seek a suitable site for the foundation of a town-refuge. Furthermore, the *caliph*’s designs on the East – focused on the conquering of Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid “usurpers”, in view of dominating the Muslim world by right – were not inconsistent with the final choice of a site on the eastern shores of Ifriqiya. The site of Mahdia presented ideal guarantees for the security of a dynasty that was heir to an important naval fleet and that dominated a central area of the Mediterranean.  \n  \nBuilt on a spur rising 1,400 m. above sea level, the town was impenetrable if approached by land. Only 25 years after its foundation in 303/916, it was put to a hard test. Indeed, after having devastated the whole of the Ifriqiya, Abu Yazid, the “man on the donkey”, took siege of Mahdia in 329/941. The Fatimid Caliphate was at a hair’s breadth from losing its position of power, and found its saving grace in Mahdia’s defences. Having crushed the revolt, al-Mansur built a new capital at Sabra. Nevertheless, Mahdia continued to be the fleet’s naval base, and the central pivot of Maghrebi maritime commerce. Its port constituted a point of departure for Kairouan in the exportation of oil and textile goods towards the East and Sicily.  \n  \nMahdia rediscovered its role as Capital of a tiny principality following the Hilalian invasions that had forced al-Mu‘izz Ibn Badis to seek refuge there in 448/1057, face-to-face against the assaults perpetrated by Christian fleets. In 479/1087, the Pisans and Genoans became the masters of Mahdia, burning and pillaging the suburb of Zawila. The fratricide struggle between the Zirids and the Hammadites, who took siege of Mahdia in 528/1134, weakened the town’s resistance against the Normans, who succeeded in enslaving it in 542/1148. The town was liberated by ‘Abd al-Mu’min Ibn ‘Ali in 555/1160, during his campaign to reconquer Ifriqiya.  \n  \nThe end of the 6th/12th century proved to be a turbulent one for the population of Mahdia, following the Revolt led by the Town Governor against the central Almohad Authority in 595/1199.  \n  \nIn the 7th/13th century, Mahdia returned to a state of relative prosperity thanks to the development of its trade with Italian towns, and to pirateering, which provoked the exasperated Christians to mount a Crusade against the town in 792/1390. Despite the failure of the expedition, Mahdia had to pay a ransom and a tribute for a further 15 years.  \n  \nIn the 10th/16th century, Mahdia was stage to various conflicts between the Turks and the Spanishs over Western Mediterranean supremacy. The Ra’is Dragut succeeded in seizing Mahdia in 951/1545, and turned it into a Port of Registry for his fleet which spread terror along the Christian coastlines. These misdemeanours provoked a strong reaction from Charles Quint, whose Admiral, André Doria, prevailed in penetrating the town following a memorable siege. In 961/1554, the Spanish abandoned the town, having attacked its maritime ramparts with canon-gun powder. From then on, the town played but a secondary role in the country’s history.","extra":{"author":"Mourad Rammah"}},"a97a1028-8888-5d9e-ba4c-f13a4db86b2b":{"title":"Korčula","description":""},"a9aa2baa-d59d-54cb-b60c-99419e458903":{"title":"Dhab‘a","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"aa2699c1-17cc-5201-be21-a2044df69ea0":{"title":"Brno","description":""},"aa2ed067-ceb2-505a-8f02-1ef8031255ee":{"title":"Lagoa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"aa56143c-7c93-5543-9b74-78adaadda4fc":{"title":"Alcalá de Henares","description":""},"aaab286e-9305-59bb-b688-0c21f0593c7a":{"title":"BEÇİN","description":"Built on top of a flat plateau on the edge of the Milas Plain, and 200 m. above, the fortress rises majestically on a weird looking rocky outcrop, like a crown over the head of the modern town. The remains on the top and outskirts of the steep slope to the north have given rise to speculation that this area was used as a necropolis during antiquity. The remains of foundations dating to the Hellenistic period to the east, along with the temple (4th century BC) at the southeast corner of the city walls, are evidence that the fortress existed before the Turkish period.  \n  \nThe town of Beçin was probably a small settlement when it passed into the hands of the Menteşe Beys towards the end of the 13th century. The small dimensions of the Byzantine chapel situated in the ruins of the town supports this thesis. The famous Arab traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited the city in the 1330s, lends further credence to this theory when he writes that it was “a newly founded city with new buildings and *masjid*s”. That the majority of what remains of the ruined city dates back to the Turkish period, is proof that the city developed rapidly during the period. Due to a rapid increase in population and development, the majority of the town’s buildings originate in the 14th century.","extra":{"author":"Rahmi H. Ünal"}},"aab9da67-df4a-5be1-88ef-c90e88783946":{"title":"Oberschleißheim","description":""},"ab36e855-ad5f-5b8b-972b-9eb42bfe59eb":{"title":"ALVITO","description":"Alvito gained importance in the mid-12th century, when it came into the possession of the son-in-law and chancellor of D. Afonso III, D. Estêvão Anes. In 1279, it was transferred to the Order of the Most Holy Trinity (*Santíssima Trindade*), which did much to develop the region. By the end of the 14th century, it was already an important town, thanks to the contributions of various donors, and particularly so in the 15th century when the second Baron of Alvito, D. Diogo Lobo da Silveira, built his palace there.  \n  \nThe town was granted a charter by D. Manuel I, in 1516.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ab457bec-c8f5-543b-8dc0-ce406454c54c":{"title":"Rott Am Inn","description":""},"ab75fc10-5655-5709-a596-496d9625501c":{"title":"St. Florian","description":""},"abe7fc1d-9f6e-5e96-9cff-a6fa3fa3d0d5":{"title":"SINES","description":"The Roman occupation of Sines is documented, but it only became important as a fishing port during the Islamic period.  \n  \nThe Knights Templar recaptured the town, which came definitively under the Portuguese Crown in 1217, in the time of D. Sancho II. During the Middle Ages, it lived in the shadow of the Order of Santiago and was the residence of the Da Gama family, which produced Vasco da Gama, the commander of the first fleet to find the sea route between Portugal and India. D. Manuel I granted the town a new charter in 1512.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ac1682a6-8962-5601-ad17-e0bccebfcd60":{"title":"The Caravan Staging Posts","description":"The Jérid, an abbreviation of Land of the Palm, *Blad al-Jerid*, was known during the Middle Ages under the name of *Qastiliya*. Grouping together oases cultivated on the tiered plains formed by Tozeur, Nefta, Dégache, al-Hamma and mountains like Chébika, Midès, and Tamerza, they, along with the Gafsa region, composed the northernmost oases of Tunisia.  \n  \nThe Jérid entered the history books with the Roman construction of a *limes* which was meant to contain *“the roving nomadic populations to the margins of the Mediterranean world”*. The fall of the Empire opened up the frontiers and led to waves of camel-driving Berbers, the first Arabic groups of the occupation, and later to Hilalian tribes. Made more effective following the submission of the Maghreb to Islam in the 1st/7th century, the liberation of the frontiers allowed caravans to perform their duties more effectively, and enabled oases to prosper. Kairouan, engaged in both African and Maghrebi commerce, made the Jérid an appendage.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;tn;IX;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[467,462,487,497,464,473]}},"ac32fd13-5caa-5b10-b821-629a1edf4ac6":{"title":"Lamego","description":"The city was important in distant times, at least from the Visigothic period in the 7th century onwards, for coins were minted here in the reign of Sisebuto. When the Muslims began to take over the Peninsula in 713, Lamego was occupied soon afterwards and was only definitively reconquered by the army of Fernando the Great, Emperor of León, in 1057. In 1071, it became the see of the Diocese.  \nThe development of Lamego in Mediaeval times was, in a first phase, due to Egas Moniz, who lived nearby in Britiande and was tutor to the first Portuguese King, D. Afonso Henriques. In 1191, D. Sancho I granted the town its first charter in an attempt to attract a fixed population to this, a depressed area.  \nUntil the 19th century, the town was never very large and any social life was related to the cathedral.  \nThe 12th-century castle stands on a frontier hill. It was frequently restored in the Middle Ages and further work, mainly consolidation, was carried out in Manueline times, giving it the look that it has retained to this day.","extra":{"prepared_by":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo","showOnMonument":true}},"ac45321f-3cf5-5584-923f-06ea34ad4155":{"title":"Artena","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"ac4bb5c8-cabf-5e7f-a3bf-ab39449edb03":{"title":"Castelo Rodrigo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ac507c4c-d15a-5b7d-9dcc-36541c6d751d":{"title":"Al-Badiya","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ac5752bb-2ae7-54fe-b28f-2dbcb058b27e":{"title":"Lisboa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"acad19da-1459-524b-ac74-3bd66e0ad049":{"title":"Madrigal de las Altas Torres","description":""},"ad074b25-9cc4-520a-8714-ff041c8623e5":{"title":"Germany","description":""},"ad4ebc6f-612d-5cc9-89bf-96f9794605b4":{"title":"Rajhrad","description":""},"ad5deb87-622b-579d-a106-19abf17d5e56":{"title":"Campofelice di Roccella","description":""},"adc76208-536e-51b2-ae8b-1df26ad1c1d6":{"title":"Aydin","description":""},"adf50ef9-91f4-55b1-89b8-c3cad645ab45":{"title":"Piódão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ae37cd83-0dc1-5150-900c-0de4dddaa46a":{"title":"Zagreb","description":""},"ae5c7e3e-3dc2-59c5-9dc5-36da77eab43c":{"title":"Qsar Aouadide","description":""},"ae965108-4458-52b3-ba58-2aeb2867ac0d":{"title":"Porto","description":""},"aeb6263b-cb4d-5927-80f3-e1d0eac262c3":{"title":"Latium","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3,4],"territory_level":"1"}},"aed1d0b8-0373-54c0-998b-abf3bce6ec44":{"title":"Sultan of the Coasts","description":"The Byzantine Empire found itself unable to overcome the devastating effects of the Fourth Crusade (1204). The Anatolian Seljuq Sultans also fell in defeat against Mongolian attacks (1243). Distressed by Mongolian oppression, hundreds of thousands of people under the command of Turcoman *Bey*s broke the resistance of the Byzantines, already weakened in West Anatolia, and settled in the region.  \n  \nMenteşe Bey and his successors occupied the area that was antique Caria and founded the Menteşe Emirate there (1280). They proceeded to co-operate with the local seamen, that is, the Rums, in order to develop themselves further by opening up to the seas. That Ahmet Gazi saw himself deserving of the title “Sultan of the Coasts” must be an expression of his aspiration to establish sovereignty over the seas.  \n  \nThe Menteşe Emirate's economy, based upon bountiful plains and safe trade, created an important source for the country's development as it aspired to a rich and prosperous condition. Thanks to this healthy economy, monumental works were constructed in Beçin, Milas, and Balat.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tr;I;en;1","country_ids":["tr"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[230,210,214,209]}},"af6f8510-f882-596c-aa52-8181555526dd":{"title":"Angra do Heroísmo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"afd07a22-1d0d-5685-a304-0186063fc28c":{"title":"Hebron: the City of Abraham","description":"Hebron is situated south of Palestine's central mountain range, 30 km. south of Jerusalem and 900–950 m. above sea level.  \n  \nThe city is named in Arabic after Abraham's title “al-Khalil” (beloved of God), whose tomb and those of his wife, sons, and their wives, are found in the centre of the city. The presence of Abraham's tomb – who retains a special status in Islam – made Hebron the fourth holiest city in Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, and one that has been regularly frequented by Muslim pilgrims throughout all the Islamic periods.  \n  \nThis itinerary consists of a visit to the Haram al-Ibrahimi Mosque, the oldest shrine of Palestine that is still in use, despite the religious changes that have occurred during the last two Millennia. Having bestowed such importance upon Hebron, it is the place where the Tombs of the Prophets lie.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[40]}},"b09f9f67-a86e-57eb-baed-0a2002b2cd44":{"title":"Ghawr al-Safi (Zoar)","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"Lies 170 km. south of Amman in a village called Safi, 2 km. north of the phosphate mining town. The site can be reached from the Dead Sea following the Araba route heading south for about 60 km. Visitors from Amman are advised to follow the Dead Sea road from Na‘ur and continue south to Ghawr al-Safi. The best transport is by private car. The site can be visited during the day and the entrance is free.","showOnMonument":true}},"b0d7a46e-dd7b-54b0-9b12-fc3712165d33":{"title":"Castelo Branco","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b1274cbe-dcd8-50c0-94f7-7e57224602cf":{"title":"Vidigueira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b23fbc21-9065-52ee-9ecd-ff654328c6ee":{"title":"Crato","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b29d260f-442a-59b3-8590-4fb204f47e7f":{"title":"Belmonte de Perejiles","description":""},"b305bb73-74da-5b24-820b-89a7fe76e906":{"title":"MİLAS","description":"Known as Mylasa during Antiquity, Milas was the Carian capital in ancient times; however, Halicarnassus (present day Bodrum) assumed this title during the reign of Caria’s Persian Satrap Mausolus (4th century BC). Due to the good relations he established with the Persians, Mausolus was able to rule without hindrance. Upon his death, his wife had a monumental grave (mausoleum) constructed for his burial: one of the Seven Wonders of the World, only traces of whose foundations are visible today.  \n  \nMylasa continued to be important during the Hellenistic period due to the proximity of the religious centre Labranda (13 km. to the east), and later, during the Roman period, it served as an administrative centre. Not very much is known about Milas during the Byzantine period. We do know, however, that the city regained its importance with the founding of the Menteşe Emirate."},"b310eff3-ab99-5b91-90fc-9dc8c19f4491":{"title":"Mudawwara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b363da64-c52e-5115-985a-b8e962f4f62b":{"title":"Noszvaj","description":""},"b392ded9-370f-58fe-aaa1-43d63679c331":{"title":"Tire","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b3b415da-371d-5df2-9769-e7f43bb87fc5":{"title":"Douiret","description":""},"b41493fa-ec4b-5f49-9991-010d1687aa75":{"title":"Saudi Arabia","description":""},"b426a06d-a0df-5f7a-b620-3dade95b08c1":{"title":"Silves: The Capital of Almohad Art","description":"References to the territory of Silves were scarce until the 4th/10th century. Mention of it became more frequent thereafter and underlines the growing importance of this city by the River Arade.  \n  \nThe Silves of Islamic times stood at a crucial point on a major communication route. This route, originating in Seville and Niebla (in Spain), ran along the whole Algarve coast through Cacela, Tavira and Santa Maria do Garbe, as far as the westernmost point where there once stood the famous old centre of pilgrimage, the Igreja do Corvo.  \n  \nAlthough there are several known references to the *Taifa* Kingdom of Silves in the mid-5th/11th century, it was really only in the 6th/12th century that this region reached its most important turning point. From a place of secondary importance, it suddenly became a city of such influence that it was soon regarded as the real capital of the southern region of the Gharb.  \n  \nBetween the period of Abbadid domination and the end of the process of Islamicisation in the Gharb, the region was subjected to almost constant rebellions and periods of unrest. Only the Almohads were able to exercise any form of effective control over the region.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[156,124,139]}},"b42c1410-2751-5eab-8e8d-7914f6471bf4":{"title":"Minerbio","description":""},"b43f7d30-ab5b-5801-8816-9d02c3942836":{"title":"KSAR ES-SEGHIR","description":"Situated not far from the Spanish coast, facing Tarifa on the opposite side, this site, placed deep within a bay, by the mouth of a river, offered a safe shelter for ships. This is why a fortress was erected there in 89/708–90/709, at the start of the campaign of Islamisation, under the orders of Azziani. It was named *Ksar Masmuda*. However it was equally known as *Ksar al-Awwal*, “First Castle”, and as *Ksar al-Majaz* “Passageway Castle” during the era of the Almoravids, after having fallen to the port of *Marsa Musa*, west of Ceuta, a port used exclusively for the embarkation of Muslim troops heading for Spain. In about 588/1192, the Almohads rebuilt and embellished it, re-christening it *Ksar Es-Seghir*. They established shipyards there and transformed it into an important industrial centre by moving in numerous artisans, weavers, carpenters and gunsmiths.  \n  \nBy keeping Ceuta as their commercial centre, they turned *Ksar Es-Seghir* into their military centre, through which Muslim troops came and went to and from the Iberian Peninsula.  \n  \nIn the 8th/14th century, the Merinids built a circular enclosure around the town, which one can still follow traces of today, and erected public and private buildings. The second port after Ceuta to have been conquered by the Portuguese in 862/1458, it remained under their rule until 956/1549. The Portuguese reinforced the enclosure wall and built a fortified hideout linked to the sea via a long channel, *Curaça*. They transformed Muslim monuments into churches, and adapted the public buildings to suit their needs.  \n  \nAfter its Portuguese evacuation, the site served, in the beginning of the 11th/17th century, as a debarkation port for the Moriscos thrown out of al-Andalus.  \n  \nExcavations undertaken in the 1970s revealed Portuguese remains as well as certain sections of monuments dating from the Merinid era. A significant collection of both Muslim and Portuguese objects were discovered there.","extra":{"author":"Naïma El-Khatib Boujibar"}},"b523ae39-9bb9-5499-a589-afcc12afb694":{"title":"Jerez del Marquesado","description":""},"b56332cc-9423-5e37-9e54-e67c34a6f258":{"title":"Mount of Olives","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b5cdf490-2a66-5a8a-8615-912ace476df7":{"title":"Emilia-Romagna","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"b61e581c-6f65-51e6-87a2-07473182756d":{"title":"Bejaya","description":""},"b678c759-e01f-581f-904e-2bbb69e496b3":{"title":"Arraiolos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b6d561c8-5e75-50b4-8121-b4b4b6e0fd80":{"title":"Mittenwald","description":""},"b7f46ba6-55f4-536e-a2e1-36df2844d9aa":{"title":"Tordesillas","description":""},"b81caf79-175b-5c03-95f6-c05290f93479":{"title":"Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"b81ee3dd-b7cf-5eee-b238-5ebfe1f88c17":{"title":"Fuwa: Rice Province on the Banks of the Nile","description":"Historical sources refer to the city as Poei, locating it near the site of the City of Metelis, a name dating back to Pharaonic times. Fuwa began to acquire regional importance when Christianity arrived in the area, and with it, the city became an Episcopal Seat. It was later mentioned in accounts of the Arab conquest of and in a letter 'Amr Ibn al-'As wrote to Caliph 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab informing him of the conquest of Maryut (Mareotis), Alexandria, Rosetta, Fuwa, Damanhur, Beheira and Damietta.  \n  \nFrom the beginning of the 5th/11th century, Fuwa was the main city in the region of al-Muzahamatin, nowadays the province of Kafr al-Shaykh, covering the area between the region of al-Beheira and al-Gharbiyya. Along with al-Muzahamatin, Fuwa made up one of the *iqta'at* (singular *iqta*'), or land endowments given by Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi to his nephew al-Muzaffar Taqi al-Din and the town formed the second line of defence for Alexandria, Rosetta and Damietta on the coast.  \n  \nIn the Mamluk era, the Alexandrian canal was dredged twice, first by Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad and later by Sultan Barsbay, facilitating the development of agriculture and trade. Fuwa became an important trade centre and many European ships docked in her port on their way East through the Alexandrian canal.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;eg;VIII;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[3]}},"b851bd5a-801a-5687-8244-3088dfb66618":{"title":"Segesta (Calatafimi)","description":""},"b890cd47-170b-545a-92bf-e3126a246bc8":{"title":"Teruel","description":""},"b8e173fa-3a23-581d-8c95-c98dcaa436c1":{"title":"Al-‘Ubbad","description":""},"b9594d06-3271-5291-9d50-2a254ab31847":{"title":"Vomp-Fiecht","description":""},"b96ca566-49ac-52dc-a011-7b65de3461cf":{"title":"Avô","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"b9a93341-72a8-5f9f-b102-fa9930bbcf2b":{"title":"Trški Vrh","description":""},"b9c17b5d-beb6-5dbc-9940-c8848adae070":{"title":"CASTRO MARIM","description":"This settlement came into the Portuguese orbit in 1242, during the reign of D. Afonso III, who granted it a charter, later confirmed by D. Dinis, in 1282 and by D. Manuel I, in 1504.  \n  \nIn 1313, D. Dinis made this the headquarters of the Order of Christ, when it took over the land and powers of the extinct Order of the Knights Templars in Portugal, and the Order remained here until 1334. In the Manueline era, it was the main centre for the defence of the River Guadiana and of considerable importance in supplying the Portuguese strongholds in North Africa.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"b9f9c1e6-e988-5d4d-8fdc-d50701602035":{"title":"Biskra","description":""},"ba74c92d-510d-5f0b-952e-1b317521c8d9":{"title":"Andalucía","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"ba7d8d55-c367-5fe2-bfab-fdb3c1139f2d":{"title":"The Ayyubid Era. Art and Architecture in Medieval Syria","description":"All texts refer to the pre-war situation and are our expression of hope that Syria, a land which witnessed the evolution of civilisation since the beginnings of human history, may soon become a place of peace and the driving force behind a new and peaceful beginning for the entire region.  \n  \nThe Syrian Itinerary takes both, to the urban areas such as Damascus, Aleppo or Bosra as well as across the desert plains. Its eight Sub-Itineraries exhibit the specificities of Atabeg and then Ayyubid art and architecture (5th/11th to 7th/13th centuries), the latter distinguished by harmony, sobriety, logic and clarity. Developed in the Near East between the 11th and 13th centuries, these artistic movements were strongly influenced by the medieval art of the Christian Crusaders.  \n  \nWith the centre of Ayyubid power moving between Cairo, Damascus and finally Aleppo, Syria did experience a significant courtly patronage that oversaw the development of remarkable architectural achievements, particularly the plethora of mausoleums and madrasas that mark the landscape. One of the finest examples of military architecture is undoubtedly the citadel of Aleppo, whose stone construction bears witness to the climate of political insecurity within the period. The Madrasat al-Firdaws, a highlight of Aleppo’s religious architecture, houses a masterpiece of Ayyubid art: its mihrab, result of a specifically Syrian technique known as the *ablaq*, where bands of coloured marbles form characteristic geometric patterns.","extra":{"duration":"Eight Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nAbd al-Razzaq Moaz  \nMona Al-Muadin  \nDina Bakkour  \nVerena Daiber  \nWa’al Hafian  \nZena Takieddine  \n  \n**Local Coordinator**  \nZena Takieddine  \n  \n**Technical texts**  \nKhaled Malas  \n  \n**Photographer**  \nMuhammad al-Roumi (among others)","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"ba858aac-ede1-5da2-8ccb-eb538daf3e53":{"title":"Amusco","description":""},"bb0fbe9e-ef5b-5f22-91b4-f60d7ee6bf5a":{"title":"Religion, Science and the Transmission of Knowledge under the Atabegs and Ayyubids","description":"The Islamic history of Damascus is important as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, heralding the first expansion of Islam outside the Arabian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean region in the 1st/7th century. In Damascus, the Great Umayyad Mosque was built by the caliph al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik in 96/715 and it was the first monumental construct of its kind, proclaiming Damascus as the vibrant capital of a new world order, and setting the standard architecturally for subsequent mosque constructions.  \n  \nWhen the Umayyads were overcome by the ‘Abbasids in 132/750 and the Islamic capital shifted to Baghdad, Damascus became a provincial city for a long time. Not until the advance of the Seljuq Turks in the 5th/11th century did it begin to experience a revival in its regional importance. When Nur al-Din succeeded in taking control of Damascus in 549/1154, the different parts of Syria were strategically united and the status of Damascus as the capital city was established once again. Nur al-Din was zealously devoted to the triumph of Islam and in Damascus he established a robust environment of theological and legal education. The construction of 100 new *madrasas* in Damascus alone reflects his desire to change and re- educate society and revamp its urban structures. These civic developments are recorded by the historian of Damascus Ibn 'Asakir (d. 571/1176), a contemporary of Nur al-Din and a witness to the vivid architectural and religious mark he left on the city. Damascus became a magnet attracting scholars and ulama (teachers) from all across the lands of the Islamic faith. They came from Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), the Maghreb (North Africa) and Egypt as they fled the Crusaders, the *Reconquista*, and the Mongols. They found refuge in Damascus together with a fertile teaching ground.  \n  \nDamascus expanded to Mount Qasyun, some 2 km north of the old city, in what is known as the Salihiyya Quarter, and south along the pilgrimage route in what is known as al-Maydan. Both areas became important religious centres and Salihiyya in particular was famous for its *madrasas*. Salihiyya was founded when Nur al-Din invited a handful of refugee families from Jerusalem to settle along the banks of the River Yazid. These families were of high religious standing and well educated; most famous among them are the Banu ‘Asakir and the Banu Qudama, who settled there in 556/1161 and played crucial roles in Nur al-Din as well Salah al-Din’s campaigns. Salihiyya expanded rapidly as a highly respected neighbourhood and a centre for anti-Crusader propaganda. It was a selfsufficient and independently functioning district, a separate city almost. The ruling elite as patrons, members of the Ayyubid family and their brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, courtiers and freedslaves, all participated in its growth. The Ayyubids practiced an exceptionally generous patronage of writers and scholars. By the end of the Ayyubid reign in 658/1260, the Salihiyya district had become an area of thriving urbanism nestled between the Qasyun slopes of the River Yazid, attracting the best of noble patronage and charitable institution.  \n  \nUnder Nur al-Din and then the Ayyubids, the city walls, *burgs* and gates of Damascus were refortified and the Damascus Citadel completely redressed. The Ayyubids ensured the security for the city to thrive. *Madrasas*, *Dar Hadiths* and mausoleums (*turbas* or *dareehs*) were never too far away from *suqs*, *bimaristans* and *hammams*. Prior to all these institutions, it was the mosque that served – and continues to serve to this day – as a basic centre for education, with larger mosques generally including libraries too. Thus public education is not new to the Muslim world, and the development of *madrasas* can be seen as a continuation of what was already offered in mosques and public libraries. It in is their quantity and specialisation that attention is drawn to the systematic approach applied to the re-education of society.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["sy"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[184],"et_introduction":"IAM;sy;I;en;1"}},"bb6f4207-cef3-5c63-add9-0f12af03f817":{"title":"Landsberg am Lech","description":""},"bb727c30-2b5f-50ed-87c7-d402d37de87d":{"title":"Szirák","description":""},"bc46b68a-1c87-5bdf-901c-68b2c26d107f":{"title":"Safita","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"bc9640a6-0c95-58bb-b6fb-b975a7413fec":{"title":"Urban Fabric and Fortifications in the Territory of Agrigento","description":"Some of Sicily's most significant remains from the Arabic period are to be found mainly in the area of the current provinces of Agrigento and Trapani.  \n  \nThis collection consists of finds from art works, cycles of buildings with figural and typological similarities, fortifications, urban structures and relevant historical areas. There are also remnants found that have more extensive cultural implications, in for instance the language and toponymy and the persistence of certain myths in popular traditions. There are also traces of the agrarian re-organisation that ripened during the Fatimid era.  \n  \nIt is a matter of places and architecture both of which reveal the layers of different cultures: Byzantine, Arabic and Norman. Thus, in Sicilian art of this period, a system of historical continuities and discontinuities is apparent, which lead to the idea of a world of differences living together in a composite pluralism finding new harmonies in the syncretism of a skilful combination of contrasts.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;V;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[432,437,433,405,443,441],"territory_ids":[10]}},"bcc96c58-daa1-5b83-868b-a9074b0e44d7":{"title":"Bjelovar","description":""},"bcd7f5e6-668e-5ad6-bf6c-b4fc7330e164":{"title":"A Day in the Life of an Artisan in Fez","description":"The city of a thousand and one shops and of countless *suq*s, or markets, where local products were sold next to those from the Far East and West, Fez became, in the 6th/12th century, under the Almohads, an “industrious” town. According to chroniclers at the time, on both sides of the river stood nothing but industrial and craftwork establishments. But having become the political capital under the Merinids, Fez was referred to, in the 8th/14th century, as an economic metropolis. Being at the centre of caravan commerce, Fez – a city which, according to Ibn al-Khatib, “*made fortunes grow*” – attracted the most flourishing of commercial and craft-producing activities.  \n  \nA descendant of an old family of tanners having come from al-Andalus in the 6th/12th century, the artisan, who we propose to follow, whose day is divided between going to the mosque, the sales' room, the workshop or the *funduq*, is a tanner by trade. Dressed in a white *jellaba* and a *selham*, wearing a turban, he mounts his mule at dawn as he always does, once a week, to get near to the Bab Ftuh, where animal-hide merchants, who had arrived during the night, had come to sell their raw materials at auction, not far from the Andalusian Mosque.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;ma;III;en;1","country_ids":["ma"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[508]}},"bce21b35-0f6d-5527-b6e4-a87e456b994d":{"title":"VILA DO CONDE","description":"The city was originally a hill fort overlooking the River Ave and the lower area later became the site of a Roman villa, a large agricultural complex. In the first document that refers to Vila do Conde, dated 953, the most heavily populated area corresponds to the upper area. By the mid-13th century, the town had more than 50 pinnaces for fishing and transporting goods, the basis of the local economy, along with salt and salted fish.  \n  \nAt the beginning of the 14th century, the town became the domain of D. Afonso Sanches, the natural son of D. Dinis and his wife, D. Teresa Martins, daughter of the Count of Barcelos.  \n  \nWith expansion into the Atlantic, followed by the Indian Ocean, the maritime activities of the port were of prime importance, and in this context there was considerable restoration and construction work carried out during the Manueline period, when many houses were built near the mouth of the river. D. Manuel I granted the town a charter on 10th September 1516, giving it autonomy from the seigniorial rights of the nuns of Santa Clara.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"bd320ebc-80b5-58fe-9e48-124ef1219c6a":{"title":"Rattenberg","description":""},"be254aa3-f17b-5f51-9816-49b24380fec7":{"title":"Siracusa","description":""},"be6060b2-6b82-5173-b81d-8a6871b07453":{"title":"Qatar","description":""},"beb08fe4-fe7c-538a-9834-670318b535b4":{"title":"Satriano di Lucania","description":""},"bef5dbed-cd5e-5f0f-954c-e79b34057edd":{"title":"Szombathely","description":""},"bf4d5519-9d62-5f46-ae72-263b636ca477":{"title":"Fulpmes","description":""},"bf70258d-f38f-5b16-902f-4f853a53b78f":{"title":"Munich","description":""},"c03adb9d-b0e0-559a-be6e-ebcfe7944006":{"title":"Les Ksours","description":""},"c07de289-e078-55a9-bcc9-a9332b123263":{"title":"Umm Qays (Gadara)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c083b0b9-795e-57d4-a33c-6df3aebebe2d":{"title":"Imola","description":""},"c084dd48-b2eb-5c52-bae9-e706786e0884":{"title":"Tlemcen","description":""},"c0c5cbde-6749-540c-8701-e014896fdf55":{"title":"Mértola","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Largo Vasco da Gama, tel: 286 61 25 73.","showOnMonument":true}},"c152317c-2770-5eb7-8fc1-3a9e72ef4cc9":{"title":"Haffouz","description":""},"c1592bfa-a2a2-5720-b31d-d2ef72f9f034":{"title":"Ariccia Archeologica","description":"","extra":{"duration":"due ore","location_ids":[409]}},"c17b72cd-43e1-51a4-a646-b884b39ecc4e":{"title":"Alcoutim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c1a540ef-96d4-549b-aa51-a54c071643f6":{"title":"Early Ottoman Art. The Legacy of the Emirates","description":"In the 14th and 15th centuries, Turkish control over the coasts of the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara saw the advent of the Mentecheid, Aydinid and Saruhanid dynasties and the beginnings of the Ottoman Empire. Very quickly, the Ottomans took advantage of the weakness of their neighbouring emirates to annex them and extend their hold on Byzantium. In less than a century, the nascent empire would control much of the Mediterranean, from the Balkan Peninsula to the gates of Vienna.  \n  \nThe advent of this empire is narrated in eight Sub-Itineraries, spread out from south to north of Western Anatolia and Thrace: a journey that invites to discover works of art and architecture that best reflect Turkish art during the early Ottoman period, with regions along the Aegean Coast, such as Manisa or Birgi.  \n  \nThe political will of the new powers to leave their imprint all over Anatolia could count on the wealth and diversity of new technological innovations that had lasting impact on Turkish art and architecture in that period. Today, mosques, *zaouia*, hammams and other religious schools bear witness to the exceptional artistic flourishing of this earlier age, a precursor to the stylistic legacy visible in the period of the later well-known architect, Sinan.","extra":{"duration":"Eight Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Head of Project:**  \nGönül Öney  \n  \n**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nGönül Öney  \nLale Bulut  \nŞakir Çakmak  \nErtan Daş  \nAydoğan Demir  \nYekta Demiralp  \nInci Kuyulu  \nInci Turkoglu  \nRahmi H. Ünal  \n  \n**Local Coordinators**  \nMehmet Kahyaoğlu  \nYavuz Tuna  \n  \n**Photographer**  \nErtan Daş","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"c1b2957f-2e43-5680-b954-2496c30d598c":{"title":"Al-Kef","description":""},"c1cdd130-711c-52d1-b8ed-bb23fcd96ba2":{"title":"Debar","description":""},"c223a18c-9957-58ed-9629-257cc0787d52":{"title":"In the Footsteps of Boytac","description":"Manueline architecture reached its peak in the second decade of the 16th century, with the power of the king D. Manuel I now stabilised, and overseas expansion providing economic benefits. Tomar, Lisbon and Tavira were among a number of artistic centres that affected building methods, though the most important was Batalha, where the greatest monastery ensemble in Portugal, the Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória was begun in 1389. The site became a school where the major 15th-century and Manueline master builders were trained and it was there that D. Manuel I recruited architects, whom he later sent to Morocco, Africa and parts of India. One of these was Boytac.  \n  \nBoytac, or Diogo de Boytac, was not of Portuguese origin, but he arrived in the country while still young and served his apprenticeship with João de Arruda and Mateus Fernandes. He served D. João II and, after his death, continued in the service of D. Manuel I, making his name building forts in Morocco, though he also built palaces and churches in Portugal.  \n  \nSome of Boytac’s most important works, and those of his leading disciples, are to be found in the provinces of Estremadura and Beira Litoral, particularly Coimbra, though he is also said to have been one of the first master builders to work on the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Lisbon.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[75,136,143,160,93,89,148,127],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;III;en;1"}},"c2570fa4-c21d-5f15-b4c2-85f6b41eea66":{"title":"Sabugal","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c270b0e9-ce7a-5cf9-9ffc-4db3133c2563":{"title":"JÉDEIDA","description":"Amongst the four bridges erected over the Medjerda by the Andalusians, two function also as dams: the Jédeida Bridge and the al-Battan Bridge near Tébourba. The latter’s name comes from the Spanish “*batanar*” which means “to press or tread upon”, “to give a dressing to a piece of cloth”; this name is due to the mill press that is used for the fabrication of Fez hats (*sheshiya*s). These two bridges provided the water for the *sheshiya* presses and irrigated the plains of the river by raising the height of the river to the required level.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"c2b50e78-afa7-5e66-979f-1871eb513ead":{"title":"Pella","description":""},"c3f94560-2a0e-507b-a975-f9e313d07e53":{"title":"Vicari","description":"","extra":{"info":"The “Serre” of Ciminna  \nAlong the road to Vicari there is countryside characterised by the presence of macrocrystalline chalk outcropping on the surface and rocks in the form of intriguing ruins emerging in a territory where small cultivated fields of wheat and oats, almonds and olives alternate, as well as beans, tomatoes and vines. The most scenographic and oustanding part of this land, in the municipal district of Ciminna called “*serre*” (sierras), is a natural reserve where, above all in spring and in the autumn, it is possible to observe the spectacular flowering of garrigue and a large variety of species of migratory fauna."}},"c40b9903-5d2e-5877-8c73-0638c59ed4e0":{"title":"Eben-Maurach","description":""},"c4513d86-2e35-52a4-b6d0-52caf31b62c0":{"title":"The Sultan's Procession","description":"Since Fatimid times and thereafter throughout the reign of the Ayyubids and the Mamluks, Caliphs and Sultans held processions to celebrate important events. Such celebrations were among the few occasions in the year that ordinary people would view the display of wealth of the Sultan and his court.  \n  \nWhile these events varied greatly the most spectacular and the richest in symbolism and vestments was the procession in honour of the accession of a new sultan, an occasion of great pomp and ceremony for the palace, which ended with the celebration of a magnificent procession through the city.  \n  \nThe fact that the majority of sultans and high-ranking officials of State had their monuments constructed along the route bears testimony to the importance of the procession.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;eg;II;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[2]}},"c461e6f7-a6b8-56fa-a354-a62a03c180a2":{"title":"The Coronation of the Kings of Aragon","description":"The city of Saragossa with its Cathedral of San Salvador where the Kings of Aragon were crowned, was the creative centre of the Mudejar style in Aragon and responsible for the dissemination of the style, thanks above all to the royal patronage it enjoyed. This unique style was developed in the first place in the Palace of Aljafería, an Islamic palace from the 11th century, which after the conquest of the city by Alfonso I el Batallador (the Fighter) in the year 1118, was converted into the palace of the Kings of Aragon. They conserved it and added Mudejar rooms, using for them Muslim master craftsmen.  \n  \nOur itinerary through the Mudejar part of the city of Saragossa follows the same route as the Coronation procession. The visit begins in the Mudejar rooms and the apartments of the Catholic Monarchs in the complex of the Aljafería Palace, both excellent examples of royal patronage. Then it continues through the busy district of San Pablo, with its Mudejar church and tower to finish in the Cathedral of San Salvador, in which there are magnificent testimonies to the patronage of the archbishops and Popes. The visit can be continued in the eastern part of the city, by visiting the bustling Mudejar parishes of La Magdalena, San Miguel de los Navarros and San Gil.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;III;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[331,343,282],"territory_ids":[6]}},"c48e0ec5-caae-58dc-8e4c-09e70bdc7dc0":{"title":"Figural and Structural Commixtures in the Val Demone","description":"Val Demone was the last territory to be subjugated by the Muslims, and the first to interest the Christians in their campaign of reconquest. The Diaspora of the Basilian monks towards Calabria happened from this part of Sicily, while the enclaves of the invincible mountain warriors fell one by one. Even after the conquests and reconquests of the heavily guarded Taormina and the indomitable Rometta, Muslim control over the entire north-eastern region was never stable and often was reduced to the two strips on the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts.  \n  \nIn fact, in the ecclesiastical architecture of this area there is a deft synthesis to be found between, on the one hand, Romanesque archaisms (cultural baggage of the Altavillas), and the autochthonous provincial figural models of the Byzantine period, while, on the other hand, the Greek repertories and building methods (coming from the Byantine domains in southern Italy) and also Islamic construction techniques.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;IX;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[427,428,425,421,447],"territory_ids":[10]}},"c4b08c01-0d14-5057-8e84-955b062eaf93":{"title":"Ghardaïa","description":""},"c4bfd3b6-9aa2-501c-a9e4-e2901fcca61c":{"title":"Ottobeuren","description":""},"c55715c7-c955-52de-b90c-9419cb3d7305":{"title":"Tata","description":""},"c6174877-d8dc-5b3d-a817-921bb0ea7657":{"title":"Styria","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"c65278e2-4679-54e8-b11f-f905208f95b6":{"title":"SFAX","description":"Sfax is situated where the Sahel and South Tunisia meet, on the shores of a calm harbour facing the Eastern Mediterranean. Its location grants it an enormous advantage in terms of ready maritime and continental influence, whilst its orientation is turned more markedly towards the countries of Africa and the Levant than towards those of the East. With an advantageous cabability of contact with the East via both sea and land, coupled with a spirit of pure dynamism, Sfax was able to become Tunisia’s Gate of the Levant, political-economic circumstances permitting, such as in Thyna during the Roman era. Responding to the aims and needs of their town, the *Sharfis*, prestigious inhabitants of Sfax, established a collection of harbour charts in the 10th/16th century for the sailors and the merchants who desired to venture out as far as the Black Sea. Two examples from this collection can be found, one in Oxford, the other in the Paris National Library.  \n  \nThe commercial activity between Sfax and the Levant, upheld by intense caravan traffic, developed throughout the 12th/18th century. Its commercial pulse led to the creation of *funduq*s and *suq*s which are spread along the edge of the town’s main thoroughfare. This thoroughfare links the southern gate, Bab al-Jebli, to the northern gate, Bab al-Diwan. The former, which Charles Lallemand called the Gate of the Fields, was composed of a hallway of fair depth, which led into the square in which the caravans were stationed. Bab al-Diwan, elbow-shaped in form, led directly into the mooring. Although it became isolated through the development of the suburb of namely Christians during the 12th–13th/second half of the 18th century, it remained a lively place where money-changers, merchants, porters, fishermen and beasts of burden travelling towards the port collided and mixed with intense movement.  \n  \nThe accumulation of capital provided favourable conditions for the development of agriculture and crafts as well as for urban growth. Outside the ramparts, the zone of gardens encircles the city. The number of *burj*s, summer residences, increases. Within the town, public and private monuments are: rebuilt – the *funduq* of the Blacksmiths; enlarged – the Great Mosque, the Mosque of Sidi Boushwaisha; restored and embellished – the Dar Jalluli and the Sidi bel-Hassen Mausoleum. The ramparts themselves are the object of particular attention.  \n  \nSfax, whilst continuing to use the same constructionmaterials and its own architectural traditions, enriched its monuments, without exaggeration, using sculpted *kadhal*, painted wood and *faience* tiles produced in al-Andalus and Turkey. The architecture of Sfax, sober and well-balanced, reflects the taste which characterises the life of this town.  \n  \nViewed from an aeroplane, Sfax looks like an immense agglomeration, flat and squeezed in within the fabric of a spider’s web. The fortified town, or *medina*, rectangular in form, stands out at the centre. Sfax limited itself for over 10 centuries to the boundaries of this historical centre, which was cushioned by a surrounding area of green gardens, the *jnan*s.  \n  \nIn Arabic, the name “Sfax”, *Safaqus*, derives according to popular belief from *Safa* – the name of the equerry of the Aghlabid Prince, founder of Sfax, and from *qus* – to cut. *“Cut the hide of the beef in fine strips”* the master would order. The strips were used to outline the edges of the town, like Carthage with Elyssa before. In reality, *Safaqus* is a Berber word which means gulf, belt, just like its name “Taphrura” or “Taparura” during the Roman era, a centre of commerce which was supplanted by Sfax. Through the attribution of one of these two names, Sfax and “Taphrura”, it became a protected town.  \n  \nIn the 2nd–3rd/ beginning of the 9th century, Sfax remained a small agglomeration of merchants and fishermen farmers, huddled around a *ribat*. It made its entry into the history books with the construction of its ramparts and its Great Mosque towards the middle of the 3rd/9th century, under the reign of Ahmed Ibn al-Aghlab. The property developer was ‘Ali Ibn Aslam al-Jibiniani, a client of the Aghlabid Princes, masters of Ifriqiya. A small village 30 km. from Sfax was named after his grandson, Sidi Abu Ishaq, a great *sufi*. His mausoleum, visible from the main road, is distinguished by its numerous domes.  \n  \nFrom the 3rd/9th to the 7th/13th century, Sfax was a great market selling its oils to Italy, the Maghreb, Egypt and Syria. Its olive groves were described by Arab chroniclers as “unique” and “delicious”. During this time, Sfax was also famed for its weaving, including a certain “princely moiré, made from the byssus of sea oysters”. Meanwhile, it was not at all an era of calm and peace. During the 5th/11th and 6th/12th centuries, Sfax underwent again and again the challenge posed by the Hilalian invasion, and the trials of an ephemeral independence (455/1063–492/1099) under Hammu Ibn Malil, and the torment of a Norman Occupation (543/1149–555/1160). The resistance put up against this occupation, lead by Abu al-Hassan al-Feriani and his son ‘Umar, left its mark in the collective memory. One of their descendants, Sidi Abu Bakr al-Feriani, remains at rest in a small mausoleum in the northern part of town, several meters from the ramparts, at the foot of the Sidi al-Lakhmi Mosque.  \n  \nThe Norman Occupation marked a turning point in Sfax’s history. Its Jewish population – who played an active role in its Eastern commerce – sensing that the balance in the Mediterranean was about to tip over in favour of the Normans, left the town to move to Sicily.  \n  \nFollowing the long dynastic wars that shook Ifriqiya, as well as epidemics and the resulting economic and demographic recessions, Sfax was in a state of collapse. In the middle of the 8th/14th century, its population was down to 400 households. The Sfaxians were, according to Leo the African, weavers, fishermen and sea merchants.  \n  \nAlthough small in number, they remained active, voyaging as far as the Black Sea.  \n  \nDuring the 11th/17th century, Sfax experienced the beginnings of a general recovery. Becoming more active within the Mediterranean, it got involved in wars of disagreement and contest with Malta. The Shaykh ‘Ali al-Nuri (1052/1643–1117/1706), a knowledgeable educator who was also in the trading business as a silent partner, led and organised the struggle against the cavaliers of Malta. He is still to this day considered to be the man responsible for the Sfaxian renaissance.  \n  \nIn the 12th/18th century, Sfax went through a boom. Its commerce with the Levant reinforced its role as a distribution market. Between 1198/1784 and 1201/1787, it was bombarded by Venice on several occasions. At the heart of these events, occurring all along the Tunisian coastline following the defensive intervention by the *Bey* of Tunis Hammuda Pasha, was the breaking of a “nolis” contract by the captain of a Venetian boat which the Sfaxians had engaged for a Sfax–Alexandria journey. From the 12th/18th century onwards, Sfax moved progressively from its status as a small town to becoming the second most important town in the country. It relied on its own dynamism in order to further and structure its economy, thanks to constant, sustained work, thrift and the investment of its people. This enabled it to become a regional capital, the Port of the Steppe and of the South, renowned throughout the Mediterranean to be very active. In 1239/1824 Christians and Jews began to settle in Sfax. The town’s commerce thus turned increasingly towards the West. In 1881, in spite of savage resistance against the French Occupation, it capitulated and was submitted to a heavy war indemnity. The sacrifices endured by the town momentarily suffocated its economic vitality. Under the Protectorate, it expanded on the outside of the ramparts. Its olive groves underwent a renewed boom. Its development did not stop once Independence was gained. Today, Sfax is sacrificing its gardens and its agglomeration is growing at their expense. However, a historic area remains: the *medina*. This historic centre is the beating heart of the greater Sfax. A clear projection of 11 centuries of life and of civilisation, Sfax both preserves its past and steps beyond it.","extra":{"author":"Ali Zouari"}},"c7c1884d-9809-5005-92e8-5998576d6010":{"title":"Castro Marim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c7c4f2a5-8279-5069-a88c-751b28e22224":{"title":"Tripoli","description":""},"c7df068b-604c-59a7-952a-c2135701ca8f":{"title":"Santoyo","description":""},"c82b6e1e-f8fc-580c-b228-40f392fb16a0":{"title":"Uzunköprü","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c855fb09-7cb7-5375-8b64-9a13781150b6":{"title":"Salir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"c9534b27-073e-5d65-b2ee-587211e29d56":{"title":"Trapani","description":""},"c99d204a-5690-5a5d-9c77-595cdc5b9638":{"title":"Gafsa","description":""},"ca14e927-19ca-5203-99d6-dfaa2ff88009":{"title":"Qal‘at Ja‘bar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ca1fc68c-1ad9-564c-a57d-7649dd5fd05f":{"title":"Catania","description":""},"ca536bf6-2109-5d6d-9c68-1974711baf91":{"title":"Ifriqiya. Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia","description":"Looking at Tunisia on the map it resembles a beautiful woman, who, stretched out to face the sea, offers herself to the caresses of the waves and monotonous songs of the wind. But unlike Ulysses who had asked his sailors to be strapped to the ship’s mast to enjoy the song of the sirens without succumbing, Ifriqiya is firmly anchored to the continent, to the mountains, to the plains and to the desert.  \n  \nThe Tunisian Itinerary covers the whole country and explores many facets of art and architecture that have developed since the advent of Islam, which are permeated by syncretism forming over centuries – from the pleasure palaces scattered around the capital to the Andalusian villages which are located in the country’s north, from the ribats punctuating the coast to the ‘*ksours*’ (fortified villages) erected on the arid ridges of the gates to the desert. A great variety of religious works and secular buildings create a fascinating landscape where the material heritage of Islam evokes history and tradition. Drawing from successive traditions across 13 centuries, from the Abbasids to the Ottomans, Islamic art shaped urban planning, formed landscapes and determined everyday life, taking inspiration from traditional Arabic, Roman or Berber sources and motifs.  \n  \n*Ifriqiya* addresses also the difficult period of the 19th century with foreign powers taking over the rule of the country. For the first time during the long history of Islamic art in Tunisia, the rupture between age-old traditions and the present day was brutal and it would be a long while before any syncretism would take place again.","extra":{"duration":"Eleven Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Heads of Project:**  \nBoubaker Ben Fraj,Tunis  \nMoncef Guellaty,Tunis  \n  \n**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nJamila Binous  \nNaceur Baklouti  \nAziza Ben Tanfous  \nKadri Bouteraa  \nMourad Rammah  \nAli Zouari  \n*with contributions of:*  \nAhmed Saadaoui,Tunis  \nMohamed Tlili,Al-Kef  \n  \n**Local Coordinators**  \nSelim Benattia  \nMiriam Erraïs  \n  \n**Photographers**  \nSalah Jabeur  \nGuillermo Maestro Casado  \nSélim Benattia","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"ca6d8612-aa85-53c0-8b51-77fc5498d7aa":{"title":"Ponta do Sol","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ca7dfcf9-cde3-5aa2-9bef-05320f7f23ad":{"title":"Córdoba","description":""},"ca7fe0c9-a2dc-52fb-8eb6-e7bac567b5fd":{"title":"LISBON","description":"At the end of the 6th/12th century, Lisbon was clearly already the largest urban centre in Gharb al-Andalus. If we add the 15 hectares of space inside the city walls to the two residential quarters of Alfama and west Lisbon beyond the walls, its urban area amounted to approximately 30 hectares. Taking into account the dense settlement throughout the suburbs and along the riverbank, it is quite likely that there was a population of some 20-25,000 inhabitants concentrated in this area.  \n  \nAs was the case in other similar city-ports, two main centres can be clearly identified around which the population grew. At the highest point of the hill there stood the citadel, a residential palace for an elite of courtiers; by the riverside, there was a profuse accumulation of fishermen, artisans and traders, who together formed the lower city. Their merging together into one large body was already confirmed by the end of the 4th-b. 5th/b.11th century. The palace where the *alcaide* or governor resided was on the hilltop (the present-day residential quarter of Santa Cruz) together with other residences of the palace officers.  \n  \nLeaving the *medina* by the western side, in the area close to the main mosque, one would have entered another urban labyrinth spreading sharply down the hillside to an inlet from the sea, which served as the city’s harbour. On its sandy beaches, carpenters and caulkers could be seen building and repairing boats.  \n  \nOne of the Muslim cemeteries spread out eastwards, on the site where the Monastery of São Vicente was built after the Christian conquest, undoubtedly flanking and overlapping with other ancient Palaeo-Christian burial grounds. Also in the eastern part of the city, but closer to the river, were the shops of the gold- and silversmiths and the silk and brocade merchants. These were the *qaysariyya*, where customs duties were also charged.","extra":{"author":"Cláudio Torres"}},"ca810e93-d0f1-576f-bbd2-0233723e6bb3":{"title":"Sousse","description":""},"caabf348-94a2-5dde-984c-7eefb5071c70":{"title":"GABÈS","description":"It was most likely to have been the Phoenicians who founded the town of Tacape, in the Small Syrte, a town known today as Gabès, a veritable gateway to the Tunisian south-east, on a site which without doubt was occupied by the Libycs, as the ancient inhabitants of the land were called. Very quickly, this city trading-post grew in commercial and military importance, gained through its advantageous position of being on the axis of heavy maritime and Saharan traffic. Up until the 13th/19th century, the caravan routes from Timbuctoo and Agadès to Niger went through Ghadamès, which is in present-day Libya, in order to reach Gabès.  \n  \nIn the middle of the 7th century, Tapaces, a town first integrated into Roman Africa and then into the Byzantine Empire, became Qabis, an Arab-Muslim city supported by the central power established in Kairouan. Under the Aghlabids in the 3rd/9th century, and the Fatimids in the 4th/10th century, it lived through a period of political stability which generated a brilliant civilisation, marked in particular by the number and splendour of its monuments. The texts regarding this subject are inexhaustible. The geographer Ibn Hawqal speaks in the 4th/10th century of a city belted in by ramparts surrounded by a ditch, possessing several *suq*s. In the 8th/14th century, the traveller al-Tijani added that Gabès was surrounded by a rampart made of large bonded stones, built by the ancients, and counted a great number of suburbs, where most of the *suq*s were situated. The texts also speak, in a laudatory manner, of the monuments that were erected, such as the Great Mosque, the citadel, the *kasbah*, the *caravanserai*s and the famous beacon which informed caravans coming in from the East of their arrival into the town.  \n  \nHowever, a long period of trouble settled over the town, beginning in the 5th/11th century following the weakening of Zirid power and the concurrent arrival of Bedouins from Upper Egypt, affecting both its urban organisation and social life. It would only lift itself up and out of these troubles under the Muradites several centuries later, a dynasty of Turkish origin from the 11th/17th century.  \n  \nIn terms of its past, Gabès, this very prosperous town, which Ibn Khaldun had described as a maritime metropolis, has faded into the obscurity of history because, mysteriously, nothing remains of the monuments that were so greatly praised by Arab chroniclers and travellers. Legend therefore takes over from where history left off. Collective memory reports that in those days, when order and security ruled, beasts of burden were trusted to carry vegetables and fruits to the town’s market without needing to be accompanied, after which they returned to the palm grove carrying the revenue of their sales in their saddle bags. One day, however, the money they were carrying was stolen, and, made to suffer under God’s wrath, the town was completely destroyed from its foundations up, and its ruins were used to build the new neighbourhoods of Gabès. Where history regains its position from myth, it tells us that in the 10th/16th century the inhabitants abandoned their homes to go and live on the edges of the palm grove, thus creating a new urban centre from the fabric borrowed from Arab-Muslim urban planning: Jara, Menzel and Chénini.  \n  \nThe timid redress of the situation during the 11th/17th century, resulting from relative stability, is marked by the renovation or construction of several monuments, in a style that is both noble and sober. The Muradite architecture of Gabès is distinguished by an austerity born out of a return to the use of large boulders of freestone which adorn the facades, and by the discreet arrangement of architectural elements composed of vaults, domes and curbed and horseshoe arches, often supported by second-hand columns and capitals, in a scansion that alternates curved and straight lines.","extra":{"author":"Naceur Baklouti"}},"cb8ec515-f103-5516-96f7-db0e7ac64674":{"title":"SALEMI","description":"It owes its present name to the Arabs who called it, according to some scholars, *salam* (peace, health), according to others, *Sulayman*, in honour of the eponymous hero who fell during the conquest, son of Asad Ibn al-Furat, lieutenant of the Islamic militia.  \n  \nThe Normans conferred military and economic privileges on it, and in the first half of the 12th century, al-Idrisi, recalling it by the name of *al-Sanam*, describes it as “*a hamlet, very large and populated … with a real riot of trees and gardens, with abundant spring water and with well-being spread everywhere around.*”  \n  \nThe role in the strategy of fortification required by Federico II was fundamental, to the extent that for the whole of the 14th century, it was several times the protagonist in the Angevine-Aragonese conflict and in the feudal contest between the Chiaramonte and Ventimiglia families.  \n  \nThe centre was badly damaged as a result of the earthquake of the Valley of the Belice in 1968.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"cba672ee-4685-57e3-a926-f3cab0c2eeae":{"title":"Explore Ariccia","description":"Arriving in Ariccia from the monumental bridge on the Via Appia Nuova, we are welcomed by the splendid urban complex created by Gianlorenzo Bernini consisting of the Piazza di Corte framed by Chigi Palace and the Church of Assunta. From the windows of the palace we catch a glimpse of the wonderful wood of the local goddess, Diana Nemorensis, whose cult accounts for the numerous Roman remains along the stretch of the Via Appia Antica that crosses the territory of Ariccia.","extra":{"country_ids":["it"],"legacy_status":"e"}},"cbc88a5b-d10f-5a43-be04-3f373fe4efb9":{"title":"Cervera de la Cañada","description":""},"cbcc640b-1111-5b58-aae2-6bce55c32d3b":{"title":"Milas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cbea4655-bc00-5663-9891-a198624d29aa":{"title":"Guimarães","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cc4d4463-078c-5835-8e98-12aaae0a91a4":{"title":"NEDROMA","description":"Nedroma, capital of the Traras mountain range, is a small town nestled in a lovely hollow at the foot of a mountain. It was formerly a Berber village called Fillaoucene, named after the mountain (elevation: about 1150 metres). The city would have been called Nedroma beginning in the 3rd / 9th century. The illustrious travellers who crossed it, such as Ibn Khaldoun, Leon the African and al-Idrissi, frequently described its high walls, gardens and orchards that produced all varieties of fruit due to the abundance of water.  \n  \nNedroma was the birthplace of Abdelmoumen, first king of the Almohad Dynasty, which supplanted the Almoravid Empire. The Almohads reigned over Andalusia and the Maghreb from 541 / 1147 to 667 / 1269.  \n  \nAbdelmoumen ibn Ali, born into the Koumia tribe, of which the Nedroma are one branch, directed three major campaigns that led to the unification of the Maghreb. At that time the region’s first land registry was created, dated 554 / 1159.  \n  \nNedroma carefully preserved its glorious history upon being named capital of the empire, as did Tlemcen. A few sections of its ramparts and crenellated towers are still visible. The nine mosques are well worth a visit, especially the Great Mosque and the Sidi Bouali Mosque. In Nedroma, as in Tlemcen, Andalusian arts are particularly evident and remarkable, both in architecture and music.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"cc7501fb-2361-538f-a07c-be37ba432b28":{"title":"Alter do Chão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cc844894-9bdb-5af4-a849-7b21f161d9c6":{"title":"Meknès","description":""},"ccb7daf4-d43e-5988-af17-cb5904160e77":{"title":"Golegã","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cd6cc20a-49f5-5cf6-aaf1-567336615e3b":{"title":"Turkey","description":""},"cec95c97-90ef-5a08-8fe3-a8e9446e9687":{"title":"The Road to the Gharb","description":"To the north of the River Tagus, the process of Islamicisation took place along the south-north axis of the Roman road linking Lisbon to Santarém, Coimbra and Braga. The Alto Alentejo, on the other hand, was organised around an intersection of this same road, which extended on to Beja and Mértola, with another road that marked out the essential structure of the region between the coast and the Iberian plateau. This east-west route had as its most important points the cities of Qasr Abudanis (Alcácer do Sal), Évora and Mérida. The foundation of Badajoz strengthened the logic of this axis, which thereafter incorporated the fertile region of the upper Guadiana Valley. Cities of particular note in this territory were the old and decadent Mérida, Badajoz, which became the capital of the Aftasid Dynasty in the 5th/11th century, and the urban centres of Elvas, Évora and Alcácer. This was a large territory with concentrated settlements, which was crossed by an intense traffic in trade between the continental inland region and the ports of the Rivers Sado and Tagus.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;IV;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[94,105,55,176,95]}},"cedc37ee-5181-5ca9-a062-a68230abb8ea":{"title":"The Course of Khans and of Sufism","description":"Many factors contributed to the spread of *caravanserais* in Palestine: first and foremost was the country's central geographic location; secondly, was the fact that it was the focal point connecting Egypt to Syria, the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula; and, finally, that the coastal road Via Maris ran through it, which was used for various military, commercial and communication purposes.  \n  \nA *caravanserai* consisted of a rectangular or square building that had an open courtyard in the centre. The structure had two storeys: the first consisted of stables for dromedaries and horses and storerooms for the guest's goods; the second was used to accommodate guests. During the Mamluk period in particular, mosques were added to these buildings. It also had a water source to cater for the needs of travellers. Often when a *khan* was located outside the city, its walls were fortified; however when it was built within the city, it was called a *wikala*.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;V;en;1","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[49,48,46,44,43,51,53]}},"cf181cd8-b893-56d4-a917-49c5dca9a0b8":{"title":"Qal‘at Marqab","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"cffb940e-be4a-5045-b09a-27c2bea86a84":{"title":"Béja (Tunisia)","description":""},"d02f828a-94b1-5f27-847f-12d5e5626d15":{"title":"Roma","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"d0b41a5d-d264-504b-9f78-766f8cc804bc":{"title":"Támara de Campos","description":""},"d0d38f59-2000-58ee-a453-1fd3c36e19a1":{"title":"Cairo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d0df87ca-66b0-5efe-9bef-cf2d1708166d":{"title":"Royal Art in the Norman Age: The Sollazzi and the Royal Park","description":"The Norman period has been perceived through the ages as a period of great tolerance, and the kings of this dynasty as enlightened and cultured. Besides the renown of the warlords, the Altavillas combined commissioning the most prestigious buildings of the Sicilian Middle Ages with the most delightful arrangements in the art of gardens. The demand for recognition of the new reign's image, the need to show a cultural and patrimonial superiority, and the exclusion of papal authority led the Altavillas to carry out a true and genuine policy of imagery which influenced them in prudently maintaining order and administrative methods among the people living together, considering all the cultures and religions existing throughout the island. Recognised as the protagonists of one of the most admired of courts, Count Ruggero and his descendants benefited from the pacification of the territory implemented by the Muslim policy; fascinated by housing outside the city (the amirs' *qasr*s) these would be reused, appropriating and enriching them with surroundings and gardens.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;I;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[434,429,408],"territory_ids":[10]}},"d158e22c-280c-5211-835e-baae5fa844da":{"title":"Štrigova","description":""},"d1ac9515-5eba-5a2a-a77d-80af790ef4e8":{"title":"Doğubeyazit","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d1d218dc-ec8f-509d-a884-ab514bdbd6f5":{"title":"Nedroma","description":""},"d1d7b464-5800-5b7e-bf25-b7395cb1bf2b":{"title":"Guadiana: The Great Southern River","description":"For the Mediterranean sailors who made their way westwards, the passage between the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar as seen in the atlas) represented the beginning of what was the final trade route. Beyond this point there were still a few other ports that were worth visiting: Cádiz, Faro, Silves and, for those prepared to venture upriver, Mértola.  \n  \nFrom the mouth of the Guadiana to the cliffs of Sagres, there stretched a tranquil coastline, visited since pre-Roman times by merchants and sailors with a frequency that continued under the dominion of Rome and into the Islamic period.  \n  \nIn the remote inland regions, various archaeological projects have been regularly undertaken over recent years. To the south of Alcoutim, all along the river there were a number of fortified settlements dating from pre-Roman times, which remained active well into the Islamic period. In the marshland of the Guadiana valley, Tavira, as an urban centre, and Cacela, its sentinel, standing at the entrance to the river, were the most important places in this territory.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;VI;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[59,86,79,162]}},"d1fba6a5-a3be-564f-9744-c6527c7a39f2":{"title":"Egypt","description":""},"d24a9da7-ba71-5502-b316-1dfdf1bb21bb":{"title":"CALATAYUD","description":"The city of Calatayud was founded by the Muslims about 5 km upstream of the River Jalón, on the site of the Ibero-Roman ruins of the ancient city of Bilbilis. Although tradition holds that the founding of Calatayud occurred at the time of the Muslim conquest, in around 862, we have no information about the reconstruction carried out by the *emir* from Córdoba, Muhammad I in his main castle, to use it as a base for the military control of the rebellious Banu Qasi of Saragossa. In 1120, only two years after Saragossa, the city came under Christian domination, and the resettlers installed themselves at the foot of the five promontories overlooked by the great Muslim castle from the 9th and 10th centuries. The medieval centuries saw the building of numerous parishes in the Mudéjar style, some of which have disappeared, such as the Churches of San Martín and San Pedro Mártir, this latter demolished in 1856. In spite of such unfortunate losses, the itinerary through the city still allows a glimpse at the splendour of its Mudéjar past.","extra":{"author":"Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualís"}},"d255f485-08a7-5f8d-93e4-cb56e088ca61":{"title":"ÉVORA","description":"The history of Évora dates back to Roman times, as can be seen by the Temple of Diana, and it was also important in the Middle Ages when the city was shared with the Arabs, Hispano-Romans,Visigoths and Jews.  \n  \nThe old settlement was conquered from the Lusitanians by Decimus Junius Brutus, and, at the time of Julius Caesar, received the title *Liberalitas*. It was dependent on Mérida and was an important crossroads on the Roman road, with imposing monuments on the *Acropolis* and in the *Forum*.  \n  \nAt the end of the Roman Empire, the city was occupied first by the Visigoths and then by the Muslims, who formed an Arab elite, between 713 and 1165, the time of the Christian Reconquest. As Évora was the largest city between Lisbon and the Algarve, a number of Kings such as D. Afonso III, D. Dinis and D. Afonso IV chose to spend time there.Towards the end of the 14th century, the Lord High Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira maintained his main residence in Évora for 26 years. D. João II also showed a particular fondness for the city, living in Évora through some of the most dramatic moments of his reign.  \n  \nA formidable wall that was dotted with towers encircled the town and defended the different quarters where Muslim, Jewish and Christian inhabitants peacefully co-existed.This wall had to be increased in size, so that it could encompass the new residential areas and religious institutions. In Manueline times, the city was remarkable for the beauty of its buildings and the wealth of its inhabitants, both lay and ecclesiastical.  \n  \nGreat churches such as the Cathedral, the largest of Portuguese Mediaeval sees, the huge Monastery of São Francisco or the modest Chapel of São Brás, were all girdled by the walls and have provided the city with a heritage of exceptional interest, along with the Muslim and Jewish Quarters and the Praça do Giraldo.  \n  \nThe remains of these glory days, and other more recent ones, are so remarkable that UNESCO has placed the city on its World Heritage list.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"d279bee3-f6b6-5f26-ba6d-68f7ae36fe97":{"title":"Alger, l'enceinte fortifiée","description":""},"d28d4b04-fdb0-5fe2-abea-37ee71851414":{"title":"Azurara","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d28ea8f6-3c9a-5669-bef5-3ab93ae9baf7":{"title":"Zagarolo","description":"","extra":{"additional_regions":[1]}},"d29b63a2-70f0-53dc-932a-80c6b27cd16a":{"title":"Konya","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d2fbe4a8-2143-5e45-9a90-d5109a3be62c":{"title":"Aznalcázar","description":""},"d345369e-7a9c-5c5e-b55d-ba007ba20c00":{"title":"Kunín","description":""},"d40e8ef4-4f29-5385-8aa9-7b8a217a82d8":{"title":"TAMERZA","description":"Tamerza clings to the sides of a gigantic canyon through which flow abundant streams of water vital to this mountain oasis. Its agriculture, and of late its tourism, depend on them.  \n  \nThe site of Tamerza, so well protected by nature, is that of old *ad-Turres*, a site of defence built by the Romans, which became an episcopal seat in the Byzantine era. The history of Tamerza during the Muslim period is unattainable. Nevertheless, the restrained dimensions of this village-oasis, its structure and its monuments allow us to say that it lived for its defensive role. The main street, axial in form, bends further towards the east and ends as a covered passageway, a dark *sabat*, onto which are grafted a maze of pathways that end through dispersing themselves into the mountain. This design was aimed at luring the enemy into surprise to ambush him.  \n  \nAbandoned in favour of a new village, Tamerza increasingly fell into ruin. The Sidi Tuati Mausoleum demonstrates that Tamerza possessed its own architectural objects of interest, such as the Great Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Sidi al-‘Abid, which is situated at the far eastern end of the village’s axial street.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"d422ad3b-fdba-5e4a-bb6e-045b63f63553":{"title":"CATANIA","description":"According to Thucydides, the first inhabited nucleus was founded in 729 BC by a colony of Chalcidians on a hill that became the acropolis of a later city. In around 263 BC, it passed under the rule of the Romans who engaged in an intensive development as an important commercial centre. With the imperial decline, there began a period of devastation for the ancient city, only controlled by the Byzantine Conquest (535) and the institution of the bishopric.  \n  \nThe Muslims only took it with a powerful offensive launched in 882, following a long period of bloodthirsty raids in the territory. However, in fact, they were the means of the transformation, which made the present agrarian countryside, with the importation of new types of cultivation, the application of profitable methods of irrigation and the creation of a strong texture of road connections, possible.  \n  \nIn 1071, it was conquered by the Normans who, to force the city to capitulate, had expressly constructed the Castle of Paternò from where to launch destructive raids. The bishopric was re-established in 1091, endowing it with vast possessions and thence the urban lordship.  \n  \nAl-Idrisi in the middle of the 12th century described it as having “*much frequented markets, splendid houses, large and small mosques, baths and* caravansarais”.  \n  \nOnly Federico II of Swabia drastically altered the bishop’s temporal powers; on the other hand, he was to symbolically oppose the Castello Ursino to the Cathedral. Between 1669 and 1693 the city was devastated first by an eruption of lava and later by a terrible earthquake. Today’s inhabited area was rebuilt thanks to a new urban project, under lieutenant Duke of Camastra, Giuseppe Lanza.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"d42b57bc-4031-551c-abf0-8e2ae613cbf9":{"title":"Madaba","description":"","extra":{"contact":"Information: Office of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities 05-543376, located in the Burnt Palace area and Dept. of Antiquities office at Madaba 05-544056 or 05-544189.","how_to_reach":"Lies 30 km. southwest of Amman. Buses for Madaba and beyond depart from Wehdat, Raghadan and Abdaly bus stations. The route is along the Airport Highway. An alternative attractive road goes through Na‘ur and Hesban.","showOnMonument":true}},"d43e148a-b4da-5321-8531-c985d4bf377a":{"title":"Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism. Islamic Art in the West Bank and Gaza","description":"Despite the country’s modest size, Islamic art has experienced spectacular growth in Palestine.  \nThe local artistic tradition flourished with great diversity, enriched by Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine influences. At the crossroads between Egypt and Syria, between the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula, the geographically central location of Palestine has contributed to the development of an artistic style that is strongly shaped by the architectural and artistic influences of the Ayyubid and the Mamluk periods, which radiated throughout the entire region from the large neighbouring centres of Cairo, Damascus and Aleppo.  \n  \nIslamic art in Palestine takes place along nine routes which explore trading, civilian and religious life through the range of its architecture: mosques, madrasas, zawiyas, caravanserais, hammams and souks. It is this artistic environment which accounts for the presence of one of the oldest and most important Islamic monuments, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The presence of this masterwork symbolises the status of Jerusalem – holy to the three religions of the Book – as the third holy city in Islam and one of the most beautiful within the Middle Ages, but also one of the richest in religious, cultural, social and artistic terms.","extra":{"duration":"Nine Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Head of Project**  \nWalid Sharif  \n  \n**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nMahmoud Hawari  \nYusuf Natsheh  \nNazmi al-Ju‘beh  \nMarwan Abu Khalaf  \nMu‘en Sadeq  \n  \n**Local Coordinator**  \nSa’d Nimr  \n  \n**Photographers**  \nIssa Freij  \nGaro Nelbendian","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"d48a5f13-4a3e-5fb9-8c0e-e2177bef4699":{"title":"Forza d'Agrò","description":""},"d49e0c70-9c02-5637-91d1-f6ba535f895f":{"title":"Ferreirim","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d4b55cef-bb8c-54f9-9879-f488ca7ef5e5":{"title":"The Andalusians","description":"It would not be long before the Spanish Reconquest, which began at the end of the 5th /11th century, would provoke the departure of the Muslim population. It was this that led to the successive waves of migrants received into Hafsid Ifriqiya. They brought with them their skills and know-how, and injected a new lease of life into the commercial and craft industries of Tunisia, opening Fez hat, ceramic and silk weaving workshops in each of the towns they inhabited.  \n  \nHowever, the Moriscos' most significant contribution, as was noted by various travellers, took the form of urban building developments. In effect, they constructed, both partially or completely, about 20 different localities spread across four regions of north-east Tunisia. They stretched from the Bizertine Sahel to the Valley of the Medjerda, and from the Cap-Bon to, finally, the straggling villages neighbouring the capital.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;tn;III;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[468,461,471,490,477,491]}},"d50bf51c-5cdc-549b-98c1-79acfa30652d":{"title":"Crac des Chevaliers","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d514f152-2cf9-5dd3-9a61-d80a9a5782a4":{"title":"Torre de Moncorvo","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d5239884-cbf1-5717-9b2f-841a2e8c7c7c":{"title":"VILA NOVA DE FOZ CÔA","description":"Vila Nova de Foz Côa was granted a town charter in 1299, in the time of D. Dinis. The definitive acquisition of this area from Castile encouraged settlement and development, castles were built, and administrative and ecclesiastical reorganisation carried out. The catalyst for much of this development was provided by a large, active Jewish community, which settled near the castle.  \n  \nAlthough it was some distance from the sea, one of the most important economic activities of the town was the production of rope. In the first quarter of the 16th century, Foz Côa had 44 families living within the walls and 108 families living outside the walls. The walls that defined the urban grid were destroyed in the 19th century and along with them, some of the most remarkable material remains of the Middle Ages and the Manueline era.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"d5508e1b-c7ec-546a-a61e-75d849f44655":{"title":"Tangier","description":""},"d5980b14-163a-5a92-9654-477f32a924b8":{"title":"HONAINE","description":"Although the city of Tlemcen is admirably situated as an east-west and north-south crossroads, it might have remained isolated without Honaine, its natural port and promontory on the seacoast.  \n  \nA Phoenician and later a Roman trading post, Honaine became a Berber port village sheltered by Cape Nouha. It played a commercial, and likely a political, role in providing the country’s interior with access to the Mediterranean. It established itself as the port of Tlemcen Province, the endpoint of the gold road that made possible the great success and prestige of the Zyanid dynasty.  \n  \nThe city is noted by many historians for its fortress and 6th- / 12th-century walls, which opened with a monumental gate, Bab al-Bahr (Gate of the Sea), and which were surmounted by a path encircling the citadel. Al-Bakri (5th / 11th century) refers to it as a “good anchorage heavily frequented by ships”. The city also had a *hammam* (public bath) and a mosque.  \n  \nThe path is still visible and the gate has been restored, but there is practically nothing left of the *hammam* and the Abu al-Hassan Mosque.  \n  \nDevastated by the Spanish in 940 / 1534, Honaine formerly had famous ramparts dominated by seven square towers, and doors whose floral and diamond-shaped ornamentation can scarcely be discerned anymore.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"d658deb8-46ec-5350-a6e2-3cf1269e3acf":{"title":"Santa Maria di Galloro e Collepardo","description":"","extra":{"duration":"un'ora","location_ids":[409]}},"d6ab60cf-a0bc-5bf7-879b-abd534567e75":{"title":"Lorvão","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"d6c557f0-0188-5df4-9485-2098d96b74e9":{"title":"The Azores on the Routes West and East","description":"Situated in the Atlantic Ocean, half way between Europe and America, the nine islands in the Azores archipelago seem to have been drawn with reasonable precision on Catalan and Italian charts, before the official date of their discovery. This would mean that the islands were discovered before Gonçalo Velho Cabral arrived at the Island of Santa Maria, c.1431, spending the following years at São Miguel, Terceira, Faial and Pico. The first specific reference to this fact is a letter from Prince Henry the Navigator, dated July 2nd 1439, in which he informed his brother the Prince Regent, D. Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, that he had turned sheep loose on the islands and asked whether he agreed that the islands should be colonised. There were still two more islands to be discovered or rediscovered, Flores and Corvo, which were reached by Diogo de Teive, in 1452.  \n  \nD. Pedro de Coimbra took a constant interest in the Azores, obtaining various benefices from his nephew, D. Afonso V, for the inhabitants and territory of São Miguel. Prince Henry the Navigator had already decided on the settling of the Island of Santa Maria, and substituted D. Pedro in this enterprise with the explicit support of his sister D. Isabel, Duchess of Burgundy, as Portugal lacked the human resources for such a venture. This accounts for the large number of Flemish settlers in the Azores, particularly on the Island of Faial, which was to have such a notable influence on artistic production and taste. Names appeared such as Van Aard, Govaert, Groot, der Haghe: some were of distinguished families; others were simple artisans, and yet others had been sent into exile. Jacomo de Bruges had been living in Oporto, but left to settle in Terceira with a number of compatriots, as well as people from the north. The first captaincy was made up of the Islands of Santa Maria and São Miguel, which was divided into two in 1474. Twenty years earlier, Prince Henry the Navigator had set up a commandery under Gonçalo Velho, granting him powers under the Order of Christ. This Order was to provide religious support for the settlers, but almost immediately Franciscan monks and other religious Orders joined them. The first monastery in the Azores at Vila Franca do Campo, on the Island of St Miguel, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1522 and replaced by another, dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Rosário. Other religious institutions that contributed to the development of the islands were the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Guia (generally considered to have been the first of them all), situated at Angra and dating back to 1452, and six nunneries in Vila da Praia, Vila Franca do Campo, Horta, Ponta Delgada, Ribeira Grande and Angra, although these were not built until the 16th century.  \n  \nAgricultural produce was of primary importance, particularly wheat, as Portugal was chronically short of this staple crop and, additionally, the needs of the forts in Morocco were also great. Cattle was bred and there was a flourishing export trade in wood, of great value to the textile trade in Northern Europe.  \n  \nAt the end of the 15th century, with the opening of the sea route to the Americas and India, the islands became increasingly important, particularly Angra, the capital of the Island of Terceira, which was soon elevated to city status and the see of a new Diocese, in 1534.  \n  \nFrom 1518 onwards, the number of vessels stopping over en route to India increased rapidly and, between then and 1598, the fleet sailing to the Americas stopped there 42 times to store chests filled with gold and silver from the New World. The constant turnaround of Atlantic maritime traffic provided the islands and their populations with essential employment in the service industries.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[137,173,68,149,140],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;XIV;en;1"}},"d72d7f6c-5efd-5faa-8482-7776b7e05887":{"title":"TÉBOURBA","description":"Tébourba is another Morisco centre and is located near the ancient site of Thuburbo Majus, 35 km. from Tunis, on the left bank of the Medjerda. It is surrounded by gardens, natural beauty and vast olive orchards as well as other plantations. The cultivation of olives on this site went through great developments thanks to the settlement of the Moriscos. The *medina* is based on a regular enough plan: the roads cross each other at right-angles, eight of which converged towards the great rectangular square which constitutes the main element of the urban structure. This layout is evidence of well thought-out urban planning; the town was built by Morisco immigrants around 1018/1610. The central square, surrounded by mosques, *funduq*s and shops, is an element of urban planning that originates from Spain.  \n  \nThe population’s attachment to its origins remained strong during the 17th and 18th centuries, as was vouched by Ximenes, the religious Spaniard who visited the town in the 1724; he reveals to us that a section of the population preserved the use of the Spanish language, after more than a century of having settled there: *“Following their arrival from Spain, they established schools in our language”*, he writes.  \n  \nThe *medina* of Tébourba possesses three neighbourhood oratories and a Great Mosque that dates from the 11th/17th century. It also contains various *zawiya*s erected at different times. One of the oldest, that of Sidi Thabet, goes back as far as the middle of the 11th/17th century; it was renovated, according to an inscription, in 1112/1701.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"d7495e66-fc72-5a73-a0ac-485c333d8598":{"title":"GAFSA","description":"Gafsa, descendant of the Roman *Capsa*, gave its name to a civilisation that flowered in this region during Neolithic times. Situated at a crossroads of natural passageways, it was able to transport men between the Tell and the Sahara, as well as commanding the Maghrebi caravans, which had come through the Tébessa and Jérid, and that were en route to Egypt via Gabès. Great and powerful during the 2nd century, and well protected by its ramparts, Gafsa was promoted to town status, and then to that of a colony.  \n  \nThe Byzantines endowed it with strong fortifications and made it a capital of Byzantium. Conquered for good by the Arabs in 78/698, it retained its appearance of an antique town, as well as traces of its Latinisation and Christianisation, for over two centuries.  \n  \nThe Arab chroniclers at the height of the Middle Ages were unanimous in their proclamation that its ramparts, built of stone, were solid and well-preserved, and that its alleyways were paved. Al-Bakri, in the 5th/11th century, tells us more precisely that Gafsa *“was built on marble porticoes whose arcades had been blocked up with strong barriers made of rubble”*. The *Kitab al-Istibsar*, the author of which is unknown, adds that Gafsa portrays the name *haniyya*, doubtless because of the arcades, *hanaya*, which it possessed.  \n  \nGafsa remained, up until around the 6th/12th century, a dynamic and prosperous town. This was because of its agricultural and crafts production, as well as its caravan activity. Its oasis, its fields and its cultivated lands, *mazru‘at* – which were irrigated by the currents of water, the *wadi*s, which were fed by two sources, *al-’Ayn al-Kabira* and *al-Tarmid*, which sprung up from inside the town, and by the *wadi* Bayyash – produced, according to chroniclers, dates as large as pigeon eggs, olives, figs, apples, grapes, pistachios and other fruits. The pistachios *“as big as almonds, and better than those of* Bled al-Sham”, Syria, were sold in every region of Ifriqiya and were exported to al-Andalus, Sijilmassa and Egypt. Even more eulogistic, the *Kitab al-Istibsar* describes with precision its sources of water and its oasis *“across which are dotted 18*manzils *known as* qura’s: *hamlets”*. This oasis was surrounded by a rampart known as *Sur al-Ghaba*, which was pierced by four gates, *Abwab al-Durub*, which were surmounted by inhabited towers. *“In Gafsa”*, it adds, *“blankets, shawls, wool turbans, finely pottered utensils that sparkled in their whiteness, works of glass and exceptional utensils and other gilded goods”*. *“Its inhabitants”*, it concludes, *“are well-off ”*. Nevertheless Gafsa, which according to all these witness accounts was wealthy, was certainly less so than Tozeur. The tax paid by Gafsa, which according to al-Bakri amounted to 50,000 *dinars*, was only one quarter of that paid by Tozeur.  \n  \nGafsa was to be put harshly to the test by episodic events of brutality that related to its political choices. Feeling itself to be sheltered by the distances that separated it from the central power, whilst feeling attached to its old traditions of loyalty to Kairouan and of obedience to the Abbasids, Gafsa opened its doors to dissidents or declared itself independent, under the impulses of powerful families, every time the central government displayed a sign of weakness. It suffered severe reprisals as a result of this attitude.  \n  \nFollowing the collapse of Zirid power, Gafsa declared itself independent under the banner of the Banu Rand in 566/1171, which lasted until the Almohad Caliph Abu Ya‘qub flushed them out in 575/1180. In 580/1185, Gafsa opened it doors to the Mallorcan Banu Ghaniya in their fight against the Almohads. Al-Mansur punished the town in 582/1187 by razing its ramparts to the ground and by reducing its landowners to share-cropper settlers on their own land. In 795/1393, whilst retaliating against a new Revolt, Abu al-‘Abbas utterly destroyed its palm groves. During moments of respite from the fighting, Gafsa’s walls were rebuilt, but were once again destroyed at the beginning of the 9th/15th century. It was then given a new *kasbah*, only one section of which, however, remains.  \n  \nHaving been challenged severely, Gafsa had, by the 7th/13th century, already lost its energy and drive. Al-Hamawi, writing in the 7th/13th century, whilst reiterating his predecessors in terms of its agricultural production, remarked that it was a small town. Leo the African, in the 10th/16th century, whilst recalling that the town had been repopulated, nevertheless noted the poverty of its buildings, its inhabitants and the unhealthiness of its environment.  \n  \nCaught up in the events that were inherent to the instabilities of the Ottoman era, and a victim of fiscal exactions, Gafsa fell even further into decline. The town and its monuments were affected even more during the colonial era by additions and transformations. Compact in size, the town has retained from its ancient Roman and Mediaeval splendours only the basins into which water was collected, incorrectly called Roman swimming pools, as well as columns and capitals scattered around in houses and places of worship, and several mosques.  \n  \nThe Great Mosque of Gafsa is outlying, contrary to the normal town-planning of *medina*s which accords the Great Mosque a central position. It is situated in the southern part of town, next to ramparts that no longer exist. The decision to place the Great Mosque next to the ramparts, on an elevated area, accorded it the control and defensive role of a fortress, like a *ribat*. In the Jérid, this was also the case with the Mosque Sidi Mezhud in Nefta and the Mosque of al-‘Ayyasha.  \n  \nThe original mosque, probably Aghlabid in origin, underwent several building extensions, the most important of which took place in the 9th/15th century. It encompassed the passageway that separated the ramparts from the constructions on the interior. This move allowed for a corner of the ramparts to be conserved; it was incorporated into the mosque and actually forms its southern side. This extension is perceptible, because its bays do not share the same direction as those of the ancient part.  \n  \nA small mausoleum, attached to the eastfacing facade, is obscurely attributed to Sidi Sahib al-Waqt, known as the Master of the Hours. Was he the person who, employing the sundial, was responsible for determining the hours at which one was called to prayer?  \n  \nThe minaret, which is a clumsy imitation of Hafsid minarets, is of no historic interest. It is a replacement of the original ancient minaret following the First World War, which seemed, according to one surviving photograph, to have been octagonal in section and to have probably dated from the Muradite era.  \n  \nMeanwhile, the Ottoman era bequeathed several beautiful houses to us: Dar al-Smawi, Dar al-Longu, Dar al-Qarwi … Similar to those in Tunis, in Sfax and in Kairouan, they are all endowed with a *driba*, a patio, and painted ceilings. These houses prove that Gafsa, as an intermediary town, was influenced by immigrant families.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"d7afbc00-831c-5e6e-941f-aef9ecd3213b":{"title":"IRBID","description":"The second largest city of Jordan, Irbid lies northwest of Amman near the Syrian borders. It is close to *Tell* al-Rameith, ancient Ramoth Gilead, on the east and famous for its antiquities dating back to the early Iron Age. The ancient *Tell* of Irbid is to the north of the modern city, where tombs from the early Bronze, late Bronze II and early Iron Age were excavated. It rises to about 578 m. above sea level and measured originally about 500 x 400 m. There was a strong three-courses wide defence wall built with large basalt boulders, in about 2000 BC. The water system of the city, which included an underground channel, dates back to this period and was adapted to modern use.  \n  \nIrbid has been identified with Abila, a city of the *Decapolis* (see The *Decapolis* in the Umayyad Period), but the only historical reference to the site is in Eusebius’ *Onomasticon* in which he mentiones the town in the early 4th century (314-15). The Byzantine writer locates Abila in *Palestina Secunda*, at the borders of ancient Judaea and in the territory of Pella.  \n  \nIrbid became famous in the Umayyad period under the name of Arbed, its Arabic name, together with Bayt Ras, because it was where Yazid II lived and died in 105/724.  \n  \n**Bayt Ras**, just north of Irbid, was linked with this ancient city. It was better known than Irbid, since it was identified first with Capitolias, another city of the *Decapolis*. The city is not as old as Irbid, but has better preserved ruins from the Graeco-Roman periods. One of the most impressive remains is the water conduit, which was cut out of the rock and empties into a large reservoir. The remains of a Byzantine church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, were discovered when a modern mosque was built on that spot. The Umayyad *Caliph* Yazid II settled in Bayt Ras where recent excavations uncovered a vaulted *suq* (market) from the Islamic period near the modern mosque. A tomb of the late Roman period has well- preserved wall paintings depicting the Trojan War and the victory of Achilles over Hector. One panel represents the creation of man by Prometheus.","extra":{"author":"Fawzi Zayadine"}},"d7f9830b-5aba-531a-92ba-fa626ab6c67b":{"title":"Benediktbeuern","description":""},"d806a00f-b124-57f8-b6df-2db7f703a01f":{"title":"Feudal Coats of Arms and Stupor Mundi: Fortified Architecture in Val Demone and in Val di Noto","description":"The eastern region of Sicily has little direct witness of the influence of Islamic art; this situation is certainly not imputable only to the destruction and dispersal of a hypothetical Arab patrimony in Sicily, it is due in this area also to dramatic natural causes.  \n  \nIn the southern part of Val Demone, and also in a good part of Val di Noto, there are, however, discernable features in the art of constructing defensive buildings similar to that seen in the Islamic lands of North Africa. It is a hardly perceptible component of the towers, in the fortalices and local variants of the typology of the Norman *donjon*.  \n  \nThe last itinerary of medieval Sicily heads through Catania, starting from the small Norman castle on the coastal rock of Acicastello, and ends at Syracuse the transitional Byzantine capital and metropolitan fulcrum of Greco-Siculo culture. Syracuse resisted for a long time the assaults by the Muslims and later provided the opportunity for the reconquest achieved by the Normans.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;X;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[403,417,404,436,446],"territory_ids":[10]}},"d8ba4563-4e7f-5b67-8ea6-eb1e8d1b63c0":{"title":"AGRIGENTO","description":"The settlement was founded in around 580 BC by a group of Rhodian colonists from Gela, in a land inhabited from prehistoric times. The town passed through a first period of splendour under the rule of the tyrant, Teron, in about 490 BC following the victory at Imera over the Carthaginians. The latter returned to devastate it in 409 BC and Timoleont founded it once again only 70 years after its tragic destruction. It passed under the dominion of Rome in 210 BC.  \n  \nThe decline of the Roman Empire provoked a considerable demographic contraction held only by one out of 13 Suffragan Bishops of Syracuse during the Byzantine era, giving a determined impetus to the castling of the village on the hill of *Girgenti*.  \n  \nIn 828 the Arabs conquered it; and it was they, who, according to some chroniclers of the subject, began the construction of many mosques. Various Berber tribes were stationed at *Kerkent*, sufficient to recognise it as their capital, and in 937 the same tribes in alliance with the Byzantines became protagonists of a revolt against the Fatimids and their fiscal regime, suffering a bloodcurdling repression. The geographer Yaqut, at the end of the 10th century, refers to it as a simple *balad* (village).  \n  \nIn 1087 the Normans took it, and once more established the bishopric, with vast possessions. Al-Idrisi exalted the role of the commercial port and affirmed: “*Its palaces are greater in height than those in any other city and are a true seduction for those who admire them*”. The town’s economic importance was thus confirmed by reason of its natural links with North Africa. And, for the same reason, it was dramatically chosen as the centre of the collecting of the last Sicilians faithful to Islam and rebellious to Federico II of Swabia, who organised their final expulsion from the island.","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"d8cb6778-6f88-53c6-bb7a-6f41f5336c5f":{"title":"Fez","description":""},"d8cbd45f-5828-571e-a34f-8a82719cc28e":{"title":"Enfidha","description":""},"d96f3eef-acdb-5c81-8cfe-31d4407de491":{"title":"Tozeur","description":""},"d97c3c59-a834-50c4-90ad-702cd389999b":{"title":"Idanha: Border Country","description":"In the early days of Islamicisation, the cities and plains of the coastal region and the Alentejo rapidly adapted to the new social and religious order. In the valleys and hilly outcrops to the north of the river Tagus, other problems were faced. They can be attributed more to the natural restraint and mistrust of the shepherd folk in the area, for whom the assimilation of new ideas from the south was not only a slow, laborious process, but also one that lacked any real rigour in technical and liturgical terms. This phenomenon sometimes allowed for sudden outbursts of innovation.  \n  \nIn these mountain regions, the only major connection between the and the Mediterranean ports continued to be the Via da Prata (the Silver Way), which, in Roman times, linked Astorga and León to the cities of Mérida and Seville. This was the road onto which there converged the various routes of access to the castles and fortified villages that served as a refuge for the native peasants and shepherds. Although there is no conclusive archaeological evidence, there are, however, some local indications that suggest that this region was subject to the payment of tributes to the Islamic world of the south.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;III;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[104,125,145,159,61,83,118,90,65]}},"d9bf94b5-ad47-5f84-b75f-1d65b759bc86":{"title":"Stöttwang","description":""},"da4d183b-4cd6-52c5-ae71-8416d186d0e8":{"title":"Götzens","description":""},"da53d428-7852-5eba-b7a9-852af882c062":{"title":"Idanha-a-Velha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"dae14424-5de2-5aaf-8cbc-9aa78afff9fb":{"title":"Kutina","description":""},"dafc39e4-ee1d-521d-bf45-b02a3bf27169":{"title":"Andalusian Morocco. A Discovery in Living Art","description":"The grand saga of Andalusian Morocco is entwined with the epic of Western Islam. By following this Itinerary we discover an artistic legacy on the borders of the Western Maghreb and Al-Andalus that spans more than seven centuries starting from the 1st/8th century. It is here, in the extreme West of the Islamic world, where successive dynasties have shaped an artistic and architectural style that reveals itself in the splendour of minarets, mosques and madrasas. The architectonic influence of neighbouring Cordoba as well as Andalusian decorative models witness continuous artistic interpenetration that gave birth to magnificent sites and monuments in Meknes, Fez, Chefchaouen, Tétouan and many other cities.  \n  \nDaily life in the Almoravid and Almohad period (5th/11th to 7th/13th centuries) can be experienced in the Royal city of Fez, where three Sub-Itineraries allow the visitor to follow the footsteps of a *taleb* (student) of a craftsman and of one of the many Jewish citizens of Andalusian Morocco.  \n  \nThe programme closes with a visit to Rabat-Salé: an immersion of senses in a sea of colours, smells and atmospheres against the majestic backdrop of the ocean.","extra":{"duration":"Eight Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nMhammad Benaboud  \nNaïma El-Khatib Boujibar  \nKamal Lakhdar  \nMohamed Mezzine  \nAbdelaziz Touri  \n  \n**Local Coordinators**  \nNadia Hachimi  \nNouria Cherradi  \n  \n**Photographer**  \nKhalil Nemmaoui","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"db17ac8b-1973-5062-bf07-79af6b397ce0":{"title":"Tarfaya","description":""},"db9624d0-7bee-5296-aa1b-8467e091b880":{"title":"Umm al-Rasas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"dd345e0c-63f6-53a1-ac68-67e25b6113b7":{"title":"BRAGANÇA","description":"Like most settlements in the Trás-os-Montes region, Bragança seems to have already been settled in the Prehistoric period, certainly since Neolithic, if not Palaeolithic times. This does not mean that there was an important community, but that there were some family groups or small populations. In the Bragança area, the Hill-Fort of Castro de Avelãs, perhaps lying in the original position of the Mediaeval town, seems to have been the most important.  \n  \nDue to its strategic, and primarily military importance, but also in order to control traffic between the young Kingdom of Portugal and the neighbouring Kingdom of León and Castile, D. Dinis granted the town its first charter in 1187, a charter that was successively renewed, firstly by D. Afonso III, in 1253, and later by D. Manuel I, in 1514.  \n  \nDuring the first dynasty, development was partially due to the annual fair, initiated by D. Afonso III, in 1272, and the free fair started by D. Fernando in 1383, which lasted a month. The fact of the matter was that it was extremely difficult to attract people to this area, far from the coast, with a harsh climate and a rather delicate geographical position. It was also very close to the frontier and was one of the first areas of confrontation whenever Peninsular governments had a disagreement. Nevertheless, agricultural activity and cattle breeding were significant, as was trade with Castile.  \n  \nIn 1442, on the creation of the House of the Dukes of Bragança, the town, later made a city, came into the possession of D. Afonso, the first duke, until it returned to the Crown, when the eighth duke ascended the throne as D. João IV, in 1640.  \n  \nAs in all the frontier towns and villages, the Manueline peace provided a considerable increase in economic activities and a subsequent growth in population, largely of Jewish origin, so that, by 1530, it numbered 2,000 inhabitants.","extra":{"about":"Like most settlements in the Trás-os-Montes region, Bragança seems to have already been settled in the Prehistoric period, certainly since Neolithic, if not Palaeolithic times. This does not mean that there was an important community, but that there were some family groups or small populations. In the Bragança area, the Hill-Fort of Castro de Avelãs, perhaps lying in the original position of the Mediaeval town, seems to have been the most important.  \nDue to its strategic, and primarily military importance, but also in order to control traffic between the young Kingdom of Portugal and the neighbouring Kingdom of León and Castile, D. Dinis granted the town its first charter in 1187, a charter that was successively renewed, firstly by D. Afonso III, in 1253, and later by D. Manuel I, in 1514.  \nDuring the first dynasty, development was partially due to the annual fair, initiated by D. Afonso III, in 1272, and the free fair started by D. Fernando in 1383, which lasted a month. The fact of the matter was that it was extremely difficult to attract people to this area, far from the coast, with a harsh climate and a rather delicate geographical position. It was also very close to the frontier and was one of the first areas of confrontation whenever Peninsular governments had a disagreement. Nevertheless, agricultural activity and cattle breeding were significant, as was trade with Castile.  \nIn 1442, on the creation of the House of the Dukes of Bragança, the town, later made a city, came into the possession of D. Afonso, the first duke, until it returned to the Crown, when the eighth duke ascended the throne as D. João IV, in 1640.  \nAs in all the frontier towns and villages, the Manueline peace provided a considerable increase in economic activities and a subsequent growth in population, largely of Jewish origin, so that, by 1530, it numbered 2,000 inhabitants.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ddcada42-a5e0-58da-b634-91adf72f9e2f":{"title":"Augsburg","description":""},"de5eccfc-5ce8-528c-ab39-5a11694fc911":{"title":"VILA FRANCA DO CAMPO","description":"Vila Franca do Campo was the capital of the Island of São Miguel until 1522, when it was completely destroyed by an earthquake that killed most of its inhabitants. The houses were rebuilt in the same places, as were the churches and chapels.  \n  \nIn the following centuries, the town developed and has fine examples of Mannerist and Baroque architecture. The Parish Church, dedicated to St Michael, is all that remains from the early years of the 16th century.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"df3ffe4e-8add-523d-9e52-42be047d1aea":{"title":"DÉGUÈCHE","description":"Déguèche is a derivation of the term *Taqyus*, which was applied to four townships or *qsur*s, fortified by ramparts. These are: Déguèche, Ouled Majid, Kriz and Sdeda.*“These qsurs are so close to one another”*, states the *Kitab al-Istibsar*, *“that their inhabitants can all talk to one another from their own home”*.  \n  \nAl-Idrissi cites Taqyus as a town situated between al-Hamma and Gafsa, *“a beautiful town”*, he says,*“well populated. It produces henna, cumin, caraway seeds, and various vegetables. Its palm trees bear excellent fruits”*. Its excellentquality dates are today still the most popular in Tunisia, and the most wanted for export. Old Déguèche is, together with al-Hamma, one of the rare oases where stone instead of brick is used in construction. The stone is extracted from neighbouring quarries.","extra":{"author":"Kadri Bouteraa, Ali Zouari"}},"df456054-3704-53d9-bd53-94118978f707":{"title":"Batrun","description":""},"df625b80-3be3-5e95-9647-f08611b61fc4":{"title":"Navalmoralejo","description":""},"df8086c3-a1f0-52d7-b102-4abb418f99e1":{"title":"La Calahorra","description":""},"df8de2dc-6e2a-5fc3-8a3c-3a0eb453cafb":{"title":"BURSA","description":"Bursa, situated on the slopes of Uludağ (Mysian Olympus), with its abundant water supply and fertile plains, has attracted settlers throughout history. An important city of the ancient kingdom of Bithynia, Prusa (today’s Bursa) contains evidence of all of the Anatolian civilisations starting from the middle of the first millennium BC. The Anatolian Seljuq State, which was founded in 1075 and had its first centre at İznik (ancient Nicea), established sovereignty over Bursa during its foundation period, even if only for a short time. Once the Seljuqs moved their centre to Konya, having been defeated by the armies of the First Crusade in 1097, they were unable to maintain constant possession of the Marmara region. In 1113 the Seljuq troops once again took the shores of the Marmara including Bursa but, as before, they were unable to secure their hold on the region.  \n  \nWhile various emirates were being established in West Anatolia towards the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century, a Turcoman Bey named Ertuğrul (d.1281) and his son Osman (r. 1281-1324) were attempting to settle the region of ancient Bithynia. Osman’s heroes, reminiscent of European knights of the Middle Ages, engaged in battles with small Byzantine landowners; these battles were full of honour and romanticism for both sides. Nevertheless, after the establishment of Ottoman dominance over the region, both communities lived in peace for hundreds of years.  \n  \nFounded by Osman Gazi in 1299, the Emirate captured Prusa, one of the most important towns of the Byzantine Empire, in the year 1326 during the reign of Orhan Gazi (1324-1362). This city, whose name among the people was transformed into Bursa, became the centre of the newly founded Ottoman State.  \n  \nIn a short time many *han*s were constructed in Bursa, a developed commercial and industrial centre. The city became famous as a weaving- and silkproduction centre in particular.  \n  \nThe Ottoman sultans who ruled from the beginning of the14th century until the middle of the 15th century were Orhan Gazi (1324-1362; also known as Orhan Bey), Murad I (1362-1389; also known as Hüdavendigar), Bayezid I (1389-1402; also known as Yıldırım), Mehmed I (1413-1421; also known as Çelebi), and Murad II (1421-1451), all of whom improved the city by having various religious and public buildings constructed.  \n  \nAt the time of the founding of the state, the Ottoman sultans were broadminded men who lived in a simple manner. After he took Bursa, Orhan Gazi sent a gift of alcoholic drink to Geyikli Baba, a heterodox religious figure who had joined the conquest of Bursa. Sultan Bayezid I was also a sultan who used alcohol; according to legend, when he asked Emir Sultan, a religious leader, whether or not he liked the newly built Great Mosque, Emir Sultan replied: “The mosque has one deficiency: there should be taverns on all four sides so that there’s a pretext for you to come”.  \n  \nBursa is also a city of *türbe*s: the first six Ottoman Sultans are buried in *türbe*s here. Of these, the *türbe* of Sultan Mehmed I is a dazzling architectural work with its tiles and architecture.  \n  \nBursa is famous for its *hammam*s, spas, and fountains. The Ottomans tried to make its social services available to all the citizens, regardless of differences in religion and language. For example, after Orhan Gazi captured Bursa, he had pipes installed to bring water to the Jewish quarter of the city."},"dfb49d32-8946-5435-b2c9-ca5b53c1d63c":{"title":"BOSRA","description":"Throughout the ages, Bosra remained a major city in the Hauran region that stretches to the south of Damascus between the Jabal al-Druze in the east and the Golan Heights in the west. Bosra secured its wealth by the fertile agricultural lands that had long served as the granary for the Bilad al-Sham. The Nabateans transferred their capital from Petra to Bosra in the first century AD and, after the Roman conquest in 106 AD, it became the capital of the *Provincia Arabia*. With the triumph of Islam over the region in 13/634, life continued within the Antique city; very few alterations to the infrastructure were undertaken. The only evidence of early Islamic building activity is the two reused inscriptions in the Great Mosque dating to the 2nd/8th century. The religious and economic status of Bosra grew due to its status as an attractive market and trade centre, as well as the southernmost outpost of Damascus and the last major halt on the pilgrimage route, between Syria and the holy cities in the Hijaz. The pilgrimage caravans would halt in Bosra and arrange their provisions before entering the desert. According to the medieval traveller and historian Ibn Battuta, the city of Bosra was where the Prophet Muhammad’s caravan would stop to do trade on behalf of his wife, Khadija, who was a renowned merchant in Mecca. Mabrak al-Naqa holds the imprints of the Prophet’s kneeling she-camel, and the site revered as material evidence of the Prophet’s visit. The biography (*Sira*) of the Prophet, sites Bosra as the place where the Christian monk Bahira who resided in the Basilica of the city, foretold Muhammad his future prophecy.  \nThe redevelopment of medieval Bosra started with the Seljuq conquest of Damascus and the surrounding territories in 468/1076. Initial alterations were undertaken at the citadel by Shams al-Daula Gumushtagin, who was the son of the Seljuq ruler of Damascus, Taj al Daula Tutush (r. 471–88/1078–95). Mostly, the redevelopments are ascribed to the Turkish general Amin al-Daula Gumushtagin (d. 541/1146), commissioner of Bosra under the Burid ruler of Damascus. He rebuilt the Great Mosque and founded the Khidr Mosque and the Madrasa next to the Shrine of Mabrak al-Naqa.  \n  \nA major change in building politics occurred in the Ayyubid period under al-Adil Abu Bakr (592–615/1196–1218). He undertook enormous refortification efforts throughout Syria and Egypt as a protective measure against the Crusaders. At his death the fiefdom of Bosra passed on to his son, al-Salih Isma‘il (615 44/1218–46), whose rule is considered to represent Islamic Bosra’s heyday. He renovated the Great Mosque and improved the infrastructure of the city by reactivating the huge pre Islamic water reservoir, Birkat al-Hajj. His sumptuous residence, constructed within the citadel walls, included a mosque erected on top of the stage of the Roman theatre, a covered water cistern in the *orchestra* and a *hammam* in the eastern peristyle. On top of the cistern, vaulted halls served as storerooms and an arsenal. Alas, these structures were removed during several stages of restoration works between 1946 and 1970, leaving no testimony to the primetime of medieval Bosra. After the Mongol raid of 658/1260, the city never regained its previous splendour.","extra":{"author":"Verena Daiber"}},"dfc5ac5d-9027-5084-bf20-a50d996edd0f":{"title":"The summer palaces","description":"A. Adorne describes the surroundings of Tunis at the end of the 15th century thus: *“Around the town there are in fact close to four thousand gardens; (...) each garden contains a beautiful building with (…) an attractive cistern …”.* These constructions were motivated by the same reason of wanting to be in a semi-urban, semi-rural location, but they were also encouraged by the same desire to enjoy the view onto the gardens or onto the sea, as well as the same forethought of being prepared against eventual attacks during periods of insecurity.  \n  \nExcept for the 'Abdelliya and the Bardo, founded by the Hafsids, the Summer Palaces that can still be seen in the region of Tunis date back to the reign of the Husaynites, between the 12th/18th and 13th /19th century. These residences are known as *qsar* or *seraya* when they house princes or *vizier*s; as *burj*, a fort or fortress, perhaps due to their character as a fortified residence, or they are known as *senia*, garden, due to the importance of the plantation in certain cases.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;II;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[485,495,460,494,492,459,493]}},"e0312c29-beea-5a65-8015-23ea8e9a70ac":{"title":"Discovering Grão Vasco","description":"Vasco Fernandes, or Grão (Great) Vasco, acquired a mythical status amongst Portuguese painters. For many years, until the beginning of the last century, any ancient painting of quality was immediately attributed to Grão Vasco. Although, nowadays, this is known to be false, legend and history have together left us the legacy of his great work, which combined tradition and picturesque regional landscapes, whilst also incorporating the new prevailing influences from Flanders and Italy.  \n  \nThe painter was born and spent most of his life in Viseu, though he is known to have worked for a time at the studio of the Court Painter, Jorge Afonso, in Lisbon. In Viseu and also in Lamego, slightly further north, he found wealthy and powerful patrons, among them the poet, antiquarian and man of letters, D. Miguel da Silva, who later went to Rome where he became a cardinal and was one of those largely responsible for introducing the Renaissance into Portuguese arts.  \n  \nIn the Manueline period, Viseu was a developing, prosperous regional centre. Although far from the sea, it was at the centre of a road network and a rich agricultural region. Prince Henry the Navigator was one of the Dukes of Viseu, as was a brother of D. Manuel I, and D. Duarte was actually born in the town.  \n  \nThere are still many traces of the Manueline style in the city including the knotted vaulting in the cathedral church, the work of João de Castilho, commissioned by the Bishop, D. Diego Ortiz de Villegas, Court Cosmographer. The painted panels belonging to the high altar retable are on display in the Museu de Grão Vasco and were the work of Grão Vasco and his Lisbon and Flemish disciples, as were the great Renaissance fascias in the side chapels, commissioned and paid for by D. Miguel da Silva. The Manueline monstrance from the cathedral is in the Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art), whilst the Museu de Grão Vasco contains an ivory *pyx* made by craftsmen in Benin at the beginning of the 16th century.  \n  \nVasco Fernandes worked all over the provinces of Beira Alta and Alto Douro, from the Lamego Cathedral to the Monasteries of Santa Maria de Salzedas and Orgens, and the Parish Church at Freixo de Espada à Cinta, where the retable for the chancel is almost complete. This is one of the richest regions in the country as regards painting, architecture, sculpture, tapestry and gold and silver work from the Manueline period.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[179,108,97,161,167],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;IV;en;1"}},"e03f9673-2b39-5d3f-ad1a-969dadf616e7":{"title":"Badajoz","description":""},"e0532781-a50b-52e3-ba6c-a2d60e4f50ba":{"title":"Cisneros","description":""},"e0671599-63c4-5019-82a3-e413565aac3b":{"title":"Fuentes de Nava","description":""},"e0c4fc28-0eee-5420-a270-c8b492320838":{"title":"TIMIMOUN","description":"Several hotels and campsites welcome tourists, many during end-of-year holidays, and especially during the celebration of the Mawlid Ennabaoui, or birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. A visit on this occasion would provide an opportunity to enjoy local ritual celebrations and to discover the *Ahellil* music of Berber-speaking Algeria.  \n  \nThe current urban centre of colonial-era Timimoun is of no particular interest except for its red clay Sudanese-inspired buildings, especially the old *ksar* (fort) surrounded by adobe walls that overlooks the palm grove.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"e11cd69d-c625-58b6-8db2-bd99ef00bfc5":{"title":"Garmisch-Partenkirchen","description":""},"e1634cea-df29-5d6c-a784-f9856e0279d4":{"title":"Mogadouro","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e18d029b-00a6-5480-8431-c7a6441bd076":{"title":"Syria","description":""},"e18ef05e-b84e-566c-8ecd-e0b59eb808b7":{"title":"Belec","description":""},"e1a186b7-7f6f-5e97-8a74-88d22e7cc95f":{"title":"Soure","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e1e9766a-577f-5532-9bc2-6d303c63bdcb":{"title":"Sfax","description":""},"e280de38-3a65-5d9c-b885-ebc04a1ea4d3":{"title":"Gerena","description":""},"e29467d0-a04f-55f2-8519-c05649f7eda2":{"title":"Alvor","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e2af7f0b-9b0e-50ed-8a07-86d9f6ad72fc":{"title":"THE MARSA","description":"Leo the African described The Marsa, at the beginning of the 10th/16th century, as *“an ancient, small town, built on the shores of the sea. It is where the Port of Carthage once stood. It was once upon a time ruined, and remained as such for a long time. However, today it is inhabited by fishermen, farmers and laundrymen. Royal palaces and properties in which the present king habitually spends his summers are located close by”*. This relates to the three palaces known as *al-‘Abdelliya*, which were first occupied by the Hafsids, then the Muradites followed by the Husaynites. At the beginning of the 13th/19th century, Mahmoud Bey (1229/1814–1239/1824) built the Dar al-Taj not far from the ‘Abdelliya. It was then enlarged and modernised by the Bey Mohamed in the middle of the 13th/19th century. An urban centre was to grow up around this beylical palace, a development that was described by Charles Lallement at the end of the 19th century. *“After crossing the palace courtyard”, writes he, “one reaches a street bordered by the outbuildings. These are then followed by private houses and funduqs overrun by Jews. Another street to the right leads to the sea (…). The main street spills out into a square which has nothing remarkable about it save for a strange café, the Café of the Source of the Poplar* (safsaf). *This café provides entertainment through having a well in the middle, the mill of which is turned by a dromedary …”*.  \n  \nThe example of the sovereigns was followed by ministers and dignitaries, and soon the gardens of the *burj*s were spreading out to the hills of Gammarth. The consuls, namely those from France and Britain, benefited from the privilege of having summer residences in the neighbourhood of the *bey*s. Today, under the effect of urbanisation, only certain residences remain, separated from their orchards (Dar al-Sa‘ada, Seniet Ben ‘Achur, Seniet Isma‘il Bey …). As for the Dar al-Taj, it was demolished in the 1960s, together with the urban cluster that surrounded it. The only buildings to be spared were the Hafsid Mosque, which was restored at the end of the 19th century, the Safsaf café, and several later buildings. Small squares and car parks link this old centre to the most recent neighbourhood, that which has risen around the station and the al-Hafsi Café.","extra":{"author":"Jamila Binous"}},"e2d56931-7db4-5aca-a684-9c530c88f886":{"title":"Székesfehérvár","description":""},"e2eb5b83-7ed8-5eaf-b35c-0ffae3f002b3":{"title":"Freising","description":""},"e31521ea-3186-5750-9fff-393c42ad0d1b":{"title":"MOGADOURO","description":"Mogadouro became important on the regional scene after it received a charter from D. Afonso III in the 13th century. Despite the fact that the parish depended on the Diocese of Zamora, a commendary of the Knights Templar was set up here, and, with the extinction of the Order by the Pope, it was transferred to the Order of Christ at the initiative of D. Dinis. It was during this period that the town developed, and improvements were carried out on the castle and the town walls.  \n  \nIn the 15th century, the town was dominated by the Távoras, one of the most powerful families in the country, who built a residence within the walls. Franciscan friars also built a monastery here, which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in the 19th century.  \n  \nAs occurred with all the commendaries of the Order of Christ, Mogadouro was greatly improved following a visit paid to the town by D. Manuel I, the Administrator of the Order, in 1510.","extra":{"about":"Mogadouro became important on the regional scene after it received a charter from D. Afonso III in the 13th century. Despite the fact that the parish depended on the Diocese of Zamora, a commendary of the Knights Templar was set up here, and, with the extinction of the Order by the Pope, it was transferred to the Order of Christ at the initiative of D. Dinis. It was during this period that the town developed, and improvements were carried out on the castle and the town walls.  \nIn the 15th century, the town was dominated by the Távoras, one of the most powerful families in the country, who built a residence within the walls. Franciscan friars also built a monastery here, which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in the 19th century.  \nAs occurred with all the commendaries of the Order of Christ, Mogadouro was greatly improved following a visit paid to the town by D. Manuel I, the Administrator of the Order, in 1510.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"e3437a46-c0bf-5c98-99a9-5ce4e574046a":{"title":"Alger, les fortifications extérieures","description":""},"e4332fff-bdcb-53dc-896f-2771800bfbb4":{"title":"Tomar","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e4babafc-53b4-58b5-bbf5-b5b999652a6d":{"title":"Lanhelas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e50728b3-b13c-5f03-8ab0-78bc0457d93d":{"title":"Payas","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e538afe8-a3f7-560e-be0a-e272939bc1fd":{"title":"Towards the land of the Qsur","description":"The last of the historic cities before entering the land of the *qsur*s, Gabès is situated in a region of oases which has been graced with a continuous human presence since Prehistoric times. This permanence is due to the existence of sources of water which irrigate the oases that favour an agriculture laid out in tiers.  \n  \nFar from being confined in and around its palm grove, Gabès has always been a town open to the mountains nearby. In the north, the Matmata range looks like a massif undulating away until it disappears from view. Some villages occupy the basins, such as Matmata, Hadège, Techine … where houses have been dug out of the sandy, clay formations of the massif. To the west, on the hillocks of the Dahar, three villages huddle together: Tamezret, Taoujout and Zeraoua. Their houses are permanent, consisting of one or more rooms which have been excavated into the flank of the mountain. Further south, the landscape becomes uneven. There, like the eagles' nest, the villages are perched on the crests and rocky outcrops.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;tn;X;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[466,476,488,489,496,463,465,480,482,481]}},"e5613ef2-b5b3-5a63-8a54-1f2ae47ad6f9":{"title":"A Taifa Kingdom: Mértola","description":"This itinerary is confined to the ancient district of Beja, a vast area stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Serra de Aracena and organised around a road that connected the cities of Beja and Mértola. In fact, a whole region was organised around this road, stretching from the left bank of the River Guadiana as far as the upper valley of the River Sado. Closer to the coast, but in a less inhabited area, was the fortified hill of Santiago do Cacém, standing above an old lagoon and the Port of Sines. Further south, in the mountain hollows, were the fortified settlements of Castro da Cola, Ourique and Odemira and the *burj* (tower) of Mesas do Castelinho.  \n  \nThe history of this region in the Islamic period matched what was happening in the main seats of power. For more than five centuries (from 92/711 to 647/1250), this vast territory was the setting for a permanent struggle between the centralising pull of Cordoba and Seville, and attempts by the local population to establish their own autonomy.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;V;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[76,128,129,153,120]}},"e5ec8c7c-a6d5-56cd-a3d9-bd7663f3fe6e":{"title":"Svatý Kopeček","description":""},"e6204bc6-89f8-5517-9ebd-0912a2f435e4":{"title":"Raqqa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e64885c7-90e7-573b-866c-3befd8fa0b85":{"title":"Between Moors and Mozarabs","description":"The Mondego river, an old inlet from the sea, and the fertile marshes around the city of Coimbra, form a perfectly coherent territory, a kind of Mediterranean island amidst the undulating mountains functioning as a buttress against the central Iberian system. The fields of the Mondego Valley were crossed in a north-south direction by the road that connected the cities of Porto and Braga to the Tagus valley and were always sufficient to feed a highly sedentary population, little given to accepting hurried changes imposed by their conquerors. This explains why, during the periods of Muslim influence, the people of this region remained stubbornly *Mozarab*. The people of Coimbra seem to have been successful in negotiating and maintaining their autonomy at a time of the military campaigns waged by Islamic armies. Later on, when the region was already subject to the Christian domination, the local population engaged in violent urban rebellions in an attempt to impose their traditions of *Mozarab* worship. On the fertile plains of the Mondego and along the valleys of its tributaries, the population retained their strong Mediterranean and Islamic traditions, reflected both in the place names and eating habits, as well as in the weaving and building techniques.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;II;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[89,112,114,72,135]}},"e661b2b7-0748-54a8-99bf-bd8ecc4e67fd":{"title":"Veles","description":""},"e6f95744-d846-5e23-bc66-92ba08aeea76":{"title":"Ucanha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e705a044-49be-5c86-acc8-1246af35142a":{"title":"Raposeira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e71244d9-ca70-5c12-ba0d-a7c1613dd190":{"title":"Marialva","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e72c7514-2393-5ace-8d6d-3000d7d3f69d":{"title":"Jerusalem and the Haram al-Sharif: the Qibla of Palestine","description":"Jerusalem is one of the holiest cities of all, a religious hearth for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. The city is loved, venerated and cherished by millions all over the world and throughout its history it has witnessed prosperity, acclaim, devastation and destruction.  \n  \nBeing the third holiest city to Islam after Mecca and Medina, the Muslims spared no effort or money in developing and embellishing the city, especially the Haram al-Sharif. Mosques, *madrasa*s, *zawiya*s, *khanqa*s, *caravanserais*, commemorative domes, mausoleums, fountains, baths and markets were built. Hence, Jerusalem was turned into one of the most beautiful medieval cities, rich in its religious, cultural, social and artistic foundations. The Old City of Jerusalem is one of the few Islamic cities to have preserved its medieval character. It is, metaphorically, an unique architectural museum full of splendid Islamic and non-Islamic buildings.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pa;I;en;1","local_team":"Nazmi al-Ju‘beh  \nMarwan Abu Khalaf  \nMu‘en Sadeq  \n  \n**Local Coordinator**  \nSa’d Nimr  \n  \n**Photographers**  \nIssa Freij  \nGaro Nelbendian","country_ids":["pa"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[42]}},"e72f3846-018d-5598-a2e8-37b6c911534c":{"title":"Tébourba","description":""},"e7333b7a-4895-5eaa-a807-a99546fff054":{"title":"LAGOS","description":"Dating back to the Roman era, at least, Lagos was an important centre during the Islamic period, but attained its peak during the period of the Discoveries. Prince Henry the Navigator was a frequent visitor, and D. Sebastião also sailed from the port on his ill-fated voyage to Alcácer-Quibir, from where he never returned.  \n  \nIn the 15th century, Lagos was a Portuguese naval research centre, and an obligatory departure and arrival point for Atlantic shipping. The fleet sailed from the port to conquer Ceuta, and Gil Eanes embarked here on the voyage during which he rounded Cape Bojador for the first time. On the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, in 1460, Lisbon took the lead in maritime navigation and trade, and within three years, the post for trading with Arguim was established in the capital.  \n  \nLagos continued, however, to supply fortresses in North Africa, leading D. Manuel I to order the reconstruction of its defensive walls.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"e7800e29-74eb-5ae6-912e-690a6884c2b5":{"title":"Qal‘at Salah al-Din","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e7d1671d-a104-568a-9a9f-536fd7d526d7":{"title":"Morata de Jiloca","description":""},"e82c3a39-d922-5271-a11c-484065a2da85":{"title":"Tabaqat Fihl (Pella)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e837b96d-51d2-5a56-8e09-9f571f25febf":{"title":"Stams","description":""},"e879339a-7191-5920-ba0a-33e924daf3d4":{"title":"Vila Nova de Foz Cõa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e98eb687-b015-56c3-a22f-75e306925168":{"title":"Selçuk","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"e9c64785-2332-51b6-9290-9358fe28b17f":{"title":"Tlemcen, Nédroma, berceaux zyanide et almohade","description":"Tout de blanc parée, construite sur un haut plateau bordé de falaises rougeâtres et cerné de verdure, Tlemcen, l’antique Pomaria (littéralement “les vergers”) des Romains, est encore cette ville arrosée d’eau et parsemée de beaux jardins. Grâce à la proximité de la mer qui atténue l’effet desséchant des plaines présahariennes, Tlemcen a gardé son charme, ombragée par ses cyprès, figuiers et oliviers centenaires, et autres orangers et grenadiers.  \n  \nCe site particulier est attesté comme foyer de peuplement dès 1000 avant J.-C. D’abord dénommée Agadir par les anciens Berbères (*agadir* : forteresse ou falaise selon les étymologies), c’est l’une des plus anciennes villesì du Maghreb. Carrefour important en tant que dernière cité avant les grandes étendues du Sud et ville d’accès vers l’Ouest et le Maroc, Tlemcen a suscité la convoitise des Romains, puis des premières dynasties berbères. Ralliées à l’islam, ces dernières allaient prendre tour à tour la vieille cité mythique pour capitale.  \n  \nAu Ier/VIIe siècle, l’islam et Abou el- Mouhadjir pénètrent dans Agadir, et Abou Qorra, chef d’obédience kharidjite, donc schismatique, y établit une royauté éphémère. À la fin du IIe/VIIIe siècle, les Idrissides construisent la première mosquée du Maghreb central.  \nMais ce sont surtout les Almoravides, grands nomades sahariens partis des confins du désert, qui laisseront leur empreinte sur la ville.  \n  \nEn 471/1079, Tagrart, le campement militaire établi pour assiéger Agadir, deviendra la ville nouvelle, par opposition à Agadir l’ancienne. En fusionnant, Tagrart à l’ouest et Agadir à l’est formeront Tlemcen, “sources d’eau” en berbère. Mais les Almoravides, austères Sahariens, n’étaient pas des constructeurs, et à part la Grande Mosquée qu’ils ont tôt fait de bâtir, ils n’ont pas tout de suite contribué à la grandeur de la ville. Mais ils n’allaient pas s’arrêter à Tlemcen. Poursuivant leur conquête en Espagne, ils seront eux-mêmes conquis par le raffinement andalou et la douceur des villes de Grenade, Cordoue et Séville, d’où ils rapporteront vers Tlemcen ce nouvel art de vivre. Les premières constructions en briques rougeâtres des Almoravides se transforment alors en mosquées et palais raffinés, entourés d’agréables jardins, inaugurant ce qu’on s’appellerait plus tard l’art hispano-mauresque. “Le paradis de l’éternité, ô Tlemcéniens, ne se trouve que dans votre patrie et s’il m’était donné de choisir, je n’en voudrais d’autre que Tlemcen”, écrit Ibn Khefadja de Cordoue. Se développant rapidement, Tlemcen subira ensuite l’assaut des montagnards originaires du Maroc actuel, les Almohades, en 539/1145, puis passera sous la domination successivement des Abdalwadides et des Zyanides au VIIe/XIIIe siècle.  \n  \nDevenue ville royale, à l’instar de sa voisine de toujours, Fès la marocaine, considérée comme la capitale du royaume mérinide, Tlemcen connaîtra alors un nouveau développement, attirant artistes, lettrés et architectes. Vingt-sept rois de la dynastie des Zyanides s’y succèderont (633/1236 à 962/1555), ayant tous le souci de rendre leur ville encore plus belle. “C’est la ville des beaux cavaliers, de l’air et de l’eau”, dit d’elle un fameux poème arabe de l’époque.  \n  \nDevenue hafside après l’assaut des rois de Tunis, Tlemcen passera au Xe/XVIe siècle sous la suzeraineté du gouverneur espagnol d’Oran, puis sous la domination d’Aroudj Barberousse de la Régence d’Alger et enfin des Turcs en 960/1553. “Grande et royale cité”, disait d’elle Léon l’Africain au XVIe siècle, émerveillé par la civilité et le raffinement de ses habitants. “Tlemcen a sept murailles, sept enceintes et ses habitants ne dorment jamais”, répètent de leur côté les vieux citadins pour rappeler que de tout temps, la ville a été convoitée et s’est habituée à la menace. Ce sont donc autant de superpositions culturelles qui font Tlemcen, et depuis les vieux remparts romains ou berbères jusqu’aux mosquées contemporaines de celles de Grenade, la ville déroule le fil de son histoire.  \nSi l’on tombe indéniablement sous le charme de Tlemcen, on ne peut s’empêcher d’admirer l’environnement qui a présidé à la construction de la ville. La région des Beni Snous est parsemée de villages nichés dans les montagnes, ou encaissés dans des vallées qui bruissent du son des cascades, ou encore isolés au milieu du plateau désertique du Mefrouch. Du haut de Tlemcen, d’où le panorama est sublime, on peut admirer la plaine de Hennaya, coupée par l’oued Tafna, et apercevoir la mer par beau temps. Au nord-ouest, le massif des Traras pointe ses pics du Fillaoucène, du Tadjera et du Sfyane. À l’ouest, la route de Fès, au Maroc voisin, est visible par une trouée naturelle.  \n  \nDe toutes les régions qui entourent le pays tlemcénien, c’est certainement la vallée des Beni Snous qui possède le cachet le plus particulier et les ressources touristiques les plus prometteuses. Vallée mystérieuse sortie du fond des âges, elle est située à 40 km de Tlemcen, allongée d’est en ouest sur une superficie d’environ 40 km qui s’étend entre Maghnia et Sebdou, entre le massif du Ténouchfi et la haute Tafna. Dans un cadre féerique où l’on ne peut faire un pas sans entendre le tonnerre des eaux gronder aux pieds des montagnes déchiquetées, l’ensemble Beni Snous comporte plusieurs villages alignés dans la vallée fertile : Zahra, Tafessera, Mghanine, el-Khemis, el-Kef, Beni Bahdel, Beni Achir, Sid el-Arbi, Beni Zidas, Mazzer et Beni Hagel. Réservoir historique de populations, la vallée des Beni Snous a fourni de nombreux savants, le plus connu étant un grand théologien, Essnoussi, ainsi que plusieurs rois berbères de la dynastie des Zyanides.  \n  \nCes populations Zénata qui parlent encore, en grande partie, la langue berbère, comme à el-Kef et à Sid el-Larbi, sont d’excellents agriculteurs et font de bons artisans. Les femmes sont connues pour la préparation d’huiles essentielles aux mille vertus.  \n  \nAttestée dès la période romaine, l’occupation de la vallée est très ancienne. Avec leurs vieux *ksour* qui constituent les centres de leurs villages, les Beni Snous ont gardé des traditions authentiques, dont la plus connue est la fête de Ennayer, Nouvel An de rite agraire toujours célébré par la population, et qui fait d’elle la dépositaire d’une antique culture berbère très spécifique. Également appelée Ayrad (le lion), cette fête, qui marque l’ouverture de l’année le 12 janvier, est une vieille coutume mettant en scène des lions qu’il faut nourrir symboliquement. La tradition étant observée ici mieux que partout ailleurs, cette fête accorde aux Beni Snous une facture culturelle très originale.","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"introd_type":"ET-long#2","location_ids":[249,254,240,253,535,536,250,537,247],"et_introduction":"IAM;dz;IV;en;1"}},"e9de60c5-70a0-5caa-8a56-f855e4d95703":{"title":"Szentgotthárd","description":""},"ea258110-4420-5e60-80af-8c98014e7758":{"title":"Matosinhos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ea2f20eb-c16d-5b0a-ba44-49dc17648225":{"title":"Olmedo","description":""},"ea2f3066-4700-52c3-bad7-e847b6040af1":{"title":"Agrigento","description":"","extra":{"info":"The Stairs of the Turks (La Scala dei Turchi)  \nGoing towards Agrigento, one crosses a valley characterised by a thick group of Saracen olive trees, that is to say “*that olive tree*” as Leonardo Sciacia writes, “*with a twisted trunk, of dark cracks; as though being tortured and almost hearing the groans*”. Leaving the main state road for the road to Porto Empedocle, on the eastern side towards the sea, between the provincial road and the beach, there is a continuous wall of chalk hills, named the “Stairs of the Turks” on account of its singular configuration. These hills provide a grandiose phenomenon of the erosion caused by water and the atmospheric agents, which dig deep ditches between the white marly slopes; the cliff is punctuated by small and attractive inlets. Popular legend links this point to the pirate raids of the 15th and 16th centuries."}},"ea549fce-5a4f-5e0f-b22d-3c04e828e1d9":{"title":"Gormaz","description":""},"ea66069e-07f3-5e7c-b2ec-99017d856002":{"title":"Aci Castello","description":""},"eaac8961-6afb-5403-a85c-b5bf43669273":{"title":"Monastir","description":""},"ead0db21-e152-55fa-be73-54cb2f8f40e4":{"title":"Elbigenalp","description":""},"ead22cdb-3af6-54e4-b807-c275d854b718":{"title":"Damascus","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"eadb3505-da7f-5559-bfb2-8613950c824c":{"title":"Paternò","description":""},"eaddd627-9484-588e-a1d5-d73dd5ab5572":{"title":"The Ribat Towns","description":"The assaults of the Byzantine fleet along the coast following the Muslim Conquest forced the Ifriqiyans to build a continuous line of defence consisting of fortresses called *ribat*s.  \n  \nThe *ribat*s served as a refuge for the inhabitants of the surrounding countryside and were lived in by warrior monks. The prolonged stays and visits of the most illustrious Ifriqiyan scholars, jurisconsults and ascetics reinforced the spiritual prestige of these buildings, transforming them into veritable monastery-fortresses and centres of learning that transmitted Arab-Muslim culture along the north coast of North Africa. The proximity of Sousse and Monastir to Kairouan, as well as their strategic positions as frontline watch towers defending the capital, meant that they possessed a military role of the first order. Their *ribat*s gained an utterly unique renown and became the core for future urban developments. Their dual military and religious purpose were reflected in their robust and austere architecture.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;VII;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[479,474,486]}},"eb01170e-205c-5495-b0d9-1cf58404bca5":{"title":"Les Hammadides et la naissance des villes fortes au Maghreb central","description":"Après la fondation et la domination des royaumes kharidjites de Tahert et de Tlemcen au IIIe/IXe siècle sur le Maghreb central, celui-ci tombe sous les coups de la nouvelle force apparue dans la région, la dynastie fatimide, d’obédience chiite – du mot chiisme, ce schisme légitimiste, comme le kharidjisme, mais auquel il est opposé par son attachement strict aux descendants d’Ali, gendre du Prophète. À partir de 289/902, toutes les cités du Maghreb central tombent tour à tour aux mains des Fatimides qui s’installent, en 297/910, à Raqqada, la capitale aghlabide d’Ifriqiya.  \n  \nNéanmoins, une véritable résistance contre la doctrine chiite ne tarde pas à provoquer des soulèvements parmi les tribus berbères, tandis que d’autres restent fidèles aux Fatimides. Ainsi les Sanhadja, grande confrérie de tribus berbères islamisées du Maghreb central, qui, selon Ibn Khaldoun, “sont si nombreux que bien des personnes les  \nregardent comme formant le tiers de toute la race berbère”, luttent aux côtés des Fatimides. Les Sanhadja se subdivisent en plusieurs branches, soixante-dix, parmi lesquelles les Talkata. Menad ibn Manqouch fut le premier chef qui les organisa et en assura l’autorité, mais c’est surtout son fils, Ziri ibn Menad, que l’histoire a retenu pour ses faits de guerre et sa loyauté envers les Fatimides. Lors de la grande révolte populaire d’Abou Yazid, “l’homme à l’âne”, fervent opposant aux chiites fatimides, ceux-ci ne durent leur salut qu’aux renforts que leur apporta Ziri à la tête de son armée de Sanhadja. En signe de reconnaissance, ce dernier fut alors autorisé par le calife fatimide à créer une ville. En 323/935, il choisira le site de la cité qui deviendra sa capitale, Achir,  \ndans l’Atlas tellien dominant la steppe.  \n  \nAprès la mort de Ziri, c’est son fils, Bulughin ibn Ziri, qui reçoit le commandement du Maghreb central en vassal des Fatimides qui, ayant conquis l’Égypte, partent s’y installer et lui laissent le soin de gouverner en leur nom les territoires s’étendant sur le Maghreb central mais aussi sur l’Ifriqiya et la Tripolitaine : la dynastie ziride était créée. Bulughin eut sept successeurs : al-Mansour, Badis, al-Mouiz, Tamim, Yahia, Ali, al-Hassan. Partis s’installer en Ifriqiya en tant que successeurs des Fatimides, les Zirides avaient confié le commandement de la ville d’Achir à leurs cousins, les Beni Hammad. Ceux-ci, après une période de loyauté, marquent leur volonté d’autonomie en créant une nouvelle ville, rivale de celle d’Achir : la Qalaa des Beni Hammad. La ville est fondée en 397/1007 dans les monts du Hodna, près de la ville de M’sila, au sud-est d’Alger. Elle eut un grand rayonnement et ne tarda pas à éclipser sa rivale Achir en devenant la capitale de la dynastie hammadide, qui y éleva de nombreuses et importantes constructions : châteaux fortifiés, mosquées, plusieurs palais et un rempart de sept kilomètres. Elle fut un centre caravanier important.  \n  \nHammad ibn Bulughin, le fondateur de la cité et de la dynastie hammadide, eut huit successeurs : al-Qaid, al-Muhsin, Bulughin ben Mohammed, al-Mansour, al-Nasir (qui marqua l’apogée de la dynastie hammadide et de la ville de Béjaia), Badis, al-Aziz et Yahia.  \n  \nLa guerre ne tarda pas à se déclarer entre les cousins zirides d’Ifriqiya et hammadides du Maghreb central. La rupture eut lieu en 405/1015 et occasionna des luttes jusqu’en 433/1042, date à laquelle leurs descendants conclurent la paix qui vit alors l’ensemble des tribus berbères du Maghreb central et d’Ifriqiya passer sous la domination berbère sanhadjienne.  \n  \nCette période du Maghreb central est unanimement reconnue par les géographes de l’époque comme ayant connu une grande prospérité : agricole (blé, oliviers, vergers), artisanale (textile, cuivre) et commerciale, à l’abri des villes fortes d’Achir et de la Qalaa des Beni Hammad, “construites en bordure de plaines sur des terrasses élevées protégées par des pics ou des chaînes peu pénétrables, elles se posent en sentinelles face à l'ennemi\".  \n  \nAvec leurs palais et leurs mosquées, ces deux capitales, bientôt rejointes par Béjaia, participent au rayonnement de la région. Elles développeront une architecture locale qui inspirera durablement celle de villes prestigieuses comme Tlemcen ou al-Djazaïr, longtemps après elles.  \n  \nEn 439/1048, al-Mouiz, l’émir ziride, acquis au malékisme, école juridique religieuse opposée au chiisme, fait acte de rébellion à l’égard des Fatimides. Il proclame la suzeraineté du calife abbasside. Après la répudiation politique, la rupture religieuse est plus décisive : dans les mosquées, les chiites font l’objet d’anathème. La frappe d’une nouvelle monnaie permet également de se démarquer des anciens suzerains fatimides.  \n  \nEn représailles à cette rupture du lien de vassalité, le calife fatimide du Caire décide d’envoyer contre le Maghreb rebelle les tribus arabes des Beni Hilal et des Banu Solaym, originaires de la péninsule Arabique mais campant en Égypte où elles occasionnaient des troubles incessants. Elles apparaissent alors au Maghreb vers 442/1051 avec familles et  \ntroupeaux.  \n  \nLe déferlement des Arabes nomades marque un tournant dans l’histoire de la région. Les Zirides assistent, impuissants, à la désagrégation de leur territoire, où Kairouan est ravagée. Réfugiés à Mahdia, ils se montrent incapables de lutter contre l’invasion. L’Ifriqiya est livrée à l’anarchie. Ses habitants s’enfuient à la Qalaa des Beni Hammad car les Hammadides se font, un temps, les alliés des nomades. Rapidement, le sultan hammadide al-Mansour doit leur payer un lourd tribut sur ses récoltes. Peu après, ils l’obligent à leur abandonner la ville.  \n  \nC’est à Béjaia que les Hammadides trouvent refuge lorsqu’ils quittent la Qalaa. Al-Nasir, en 459/1067, avait fondé la ville sur le site antique de Saldae. Il lui donne le nom de Nasiria, mais la ville garde son nom de Béjaia en référence à la tribu des Bgayet.  \n  \nLa ville de Béjaia gagne en importance tandis que la Qalaa décline avec le départ d’al-Nasir puis d’al-Mansour (483/1090) fuyant la pression exercée par les tribus des Beni Hilal et l’insécurité qu’elles faisaient régner.  \n  \nL’exode le plus important fut enregistré à la suite de la victoire, en 547/1152, des Almohades et d’Abdelmoumen ben Ali sur les Beni Hammad et l’écrasement de la Qalaa. Les populations s’éparpillèrent dans les localités voisines de Béjaia pour bénéficier de la protection directe du souverain almohade, et dans les montagnes du Djurdjura, des Bibans et des Babors, ainsi que dans la vallée. Béjaia elle-même n’échappe pas aux représailles du vainqueur almohade. Yahia, le dernier émir hammadide, est démis de son  \ntrône et les personnalités connues pour leur attachement à l’ancienne dynastie sont expulsées vers Alger, Tunis et Constantine où elles trouvent refuge et emploi. La région connut, dans son ensemble, un bouleversement important, d’une part à cause de la disparition de nombreuses familles citadines aisées et célèbres par leur savoir ou leurs fonctions, et d’autre part à cause de l’implantation de nouveaux habitants dans les montagnes jusque-là relativement peu peuplées.  \n  \nLa constitution des trois royaumes maghrébins à la suite de l’effritement de l’empire almohade rendit à Béjaia, en certaines périodes, sa renommée de capitale intellectuelle, sa prospérité et sa puissance dans le Maghreb. Les guerres que se livrèrent les Hafsides, les Mérinides et les Abdalwadides entraînèrent le long siège d’Abou Hamou Moussa, sultan de Tlemcen.  \n  \nLa population citadine de Béjaia connut un autre bouleversement dans sa composition  \nethnique lors de la prise de la ville par les Espagnols en 915/1509. Ceux-ci obligèrent toute la population à évacuer la ville afin d’appliquer la politique de Charles-Quint qui visait à la création de places fortes et de colonies peuplées uniquement de chrétiens. Les réfugiés andalous qui s’y étaient installés par vagues successives s’expatrièrent, une fois encore, vers Alger, Tunis, Constantine. La ville fut prise en 962/1555 par Salah Raïs et passa sous la bannière de l’empire ottoman.","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"introd_type":"ET-long#2","location_ids":[527,251,528,529,243,530],"et_introduction":"IAM;dz;II;en;1"}},"eb36df4c-dd06-5c6f-8057-6025dd315857":{"title":"Maria-Steinbach","description":""},"eb5af3cd-3b8e-5316-bac4-7ac2694f4cc6":{"title":"FAHS (ALGERIAN COUNTRYSIDE)","description":"The Fahs, or countryside, of Algiers corresponds geographically to the rolling hills of the Sahel region, which includes the hill of Algiers. It encompassed the communes Bir-Khadem, Hussein-Dey, Dely-Ibrahim, Bouzaréah, Birmandreis, el-Biar, Cheraga, and was part of Dar al-Soltane, directly under the authority of the *dey* (provincial governor).  \n  \nThe proximity of Algiers and the fertility of the land made it a major crop-growing region. The land was well maintained and irrigated thanks to numerous hydraulic works made possible by the abundant water: wells, cisterns, water wheels, springs and pipes, and numerous aqueducts built by the Andalusians upon their arrival in the region.  \n  \nFood production was abundant and varied, including fig trees, vines, citrus fruits and vegetables. Many descriptions testify to the region’s fecundity. Thus the Spanish monk Diego Haëdo wrote in 1020 / 1612 about the area: “As soon as one goes out into the countryside the view is pleasantly enhanced by the sight of many vineyards and gardens surrounding the city. On all sides we see only orange and lemon trees, cedars and trees of all kinds, and also a large quantity of flowers, especially roses that bloom all year round among the most diverse vegetable plants”.  \n  \nThe cultivation of plants for industrial use, such as flax, hemp or mulberry trees, cannot be ruled out; in 1032 / 1623, there were 3,000 weavers, 600 silkworm breeders and 600 cloth weavers. All these crops were in demand by the markets in Algiers.  \n  \nOutside of agricultural reasons, more and more wealthy families settled in the hills beginning in the 11th / 17th century. The profitable economic situation that resulted from piracy enriched privateers, traders and the military, thus creating a merchant middle class. These rich families built summer residences to escape the density of Algiers’ growing urban population. Diego Haëdo estimated the number of these villas at nearly 1,000. Luxury was not sacrificed to function in these official summer palaces equipped with reception rooms and ceremonial lounges. The *dey* himself had a residence there.  \n  \nHowever, it is difficult to precisely date the occupation of the Algiers countryside. Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of rural estates dating back to the Roman city of Icosium. No doubt they were only fields or small farms before inhabitants of the city imagined building country residences there.  \n  \nFrom an architectural point of view these houses follow the same principles of construction as those of city houses. However, there are two types of architecture. The first was the direct transposition of the urban model adapted to the rural environment: entrances were more numerous and wider (apparently there was no fear of seeming indiscreet), allowing for the enjoyment of the countryside and gardens that were absent in the medina. Also noteworthy is the reduction of the *sqifa*, or anteroom, rendered unnecessary by the garden, which acted as a buffer to the outdoors. The entryway was highlighted by a vestibule comprising a porch with columns in front of the door.  \n  \nIn the second type of architecture the classical orderly arrangement around the patio was broken by a free arrangement of open pavilions that connected through courtyards lined with complementary structures, as in the Bardo villa in Algiers. On the upper floor, the porch in front of the door took on larger square dimensions, becoming a true room with windows on all sides, transforming it into a place for viewing the surrounding countryside.  \n  \nOne can imagine how travellers might have admired these vast mansions comfortably nestled in their lush settings. French politician Theodore of Quatrebarbes (1803–71) described the landscape he saw: “White houses surrounded by orchards, olive trees, huge fig trees, cypresses, pomegranates, vines of rare beauty announce the wealth of the inhabitants and the fertility of the soil. Here and there, among the trees, are whitewashed domes with small chapels: these are the tombs of pious Muslims who wished, according to the Prophet’s principle, that after their death the weary traveler might rest under the fig tree that shades their ashes, and gather its fruit in peace.”  \n  \nThese houses speak not only of the existence of a wealthy class whose standard of living approached that of the ruling class, but also of workers of various trades engaged in the construction and maintenance of these homes: masons, builders, slaves, and others. Many workers were captives in service to the owners of these houses, where their fates may have been different from captives in the medina.  \n  \nThe profusion and quality of the materials used in the decor attest to sophisticated artisanal techniques: stucco, marble, woodwork, ironwork and ceramics all contributed to the development of an Islamic art specific to the region. Ceramics, columns and capitals were imported from Tunisia and Italy, but the woodwork, painted and sculpted ceilings, and furnishings appear to have been made by traditional local techniques, evidence of the sophistication achieved in these beautiful mansions of the Algiers countryside.","extra":{"author":"Author: Curatorial committee (Farida Benouis, Houria Chérid, Lakhdar Drias, Amine Semar)   Translation: Judy Harter (French to English)"}},"eb77a944-ef14-5e92-8214-8217fdc11fd5":{"title":"The Aljarafe of Seville","description":"One of the most important regions of the province of Seville, and one that has always had the most connection with the capital, is the Aljarafe. Its name comes from the Arabic *as-saraf,* which can be translated as “height” or “ a slightly higher place”. In fact this is a sort of *atalaya,* which looks down over the city of Seville and a large part of the valley of the River Guadalquivir.  \n  \nIn this area, to the west of the city of Seville, there have been many great estates since Medieval times, belonging to the Military Orders, the Church and the aristocracy. Its population changed significantly as a result of the Conquest of Seville in the year 1248, when an important contingent of Christians joined the numerous groups of Muslims who decided to stay in the district. The situation changed after the uprising of 1264–1266 when the expulsion of the Muslims and the disappearance of their settlements was decided. All of these facts had an important effect on the chronology and character of the Mudejar work in this district.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;es;XII;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[306,289,327,295,290],"territory_ids":[5]}},"eba60ed4-707e-53be-892c-484b399bba54":{"title":"Algarve","description":"The history of the Algarve (Arabic, *Al-Gharb* “Sunset”) is strongly linked to the maritime Discoveries. The fact that it is in the south of the country and of Europe, and on the route between the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, has made this region, for some 3,000 years, a rotating platform for people and cultures. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, the people of Maghreb and Mauritania all passed this way, until, in the 13th century, the territory of the Islamic Gharb was brought under the control of the Portuguese Crown. The Algarve to this day retains its own characteristics, which, highlighted by its geography, make it a region quite distinct from others.  \n  \nPrince Henry the Navigator, the initiator of the overseas adventure, settled close to Sagres where new methods of navigation and nautical instruments were tried out.  \n  \nThe long fishing and trading tradition of the Algarve naturally increased its participation in the Discoveries, and there were few families in the region whose sons did not go to sea.  \n  \nThe Algarve provided essential maintenance to the Portuguese fortresses in Morocco and the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores, by supplying provisions, trading products, building materials and, above all, troops.  \n  \nTavira and Lagos in the main, but also Silves, Loulé, Faro and Cacela, grew and became wealthy towns, enriched by buildings that rivalled the beauty and technique of those of Islamic times. Today it is possible to visit legendary spots, such as the Ponta de Sagres, which now has a museum, or others that are perhaps more prosaic, such as Lagos, with its Manueline walls and slave market, or Tavira with its canals and port, the first refuge of the unfortunate people coming from Morocco.  \n  \nD. Manuel I had a special affection for the Algarve because of the part its people played in Portuguese expansion, favouring its towns by promoting public, charitable and religious works. Unfortunately, many of these buildings were destroyed later in earthquakes, but Manueline memories have not been totally destroyed.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[86,162,96,156,67,107,142,146],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;XI;en;1"}},"ebb5581c-b7f7-5682-881e-d527fe4d520d":{"title":"Milotice","description":""},"ebe00cf0-2621-533f-ba29-72f99688e2ec":{"title":"CEFALÙ","description":"In the 4th century BC, Diodorus Siculus called it *Kephaloidion*, later shortened to *Kefalion*, which for some scholars means, “head” referring to the rocky promontory (the so-called Rocca), which overlooks it. For others it could refer to the term *kefalos*, that is the spring of sweet water, which flows down to the sea. In 254 BC the Romans conquered Cefalú, and during the Byzantine period one of the 13 Suffragan Bishops of the Metropolitan Church of Syracuse settled there.  \n  \nThe Muslims tried to conquer it: after a first assault carried out in vain in 837, there followed a decisive attempt, in 858, which signalled the commitment to the fall of Enna, and of the offensive against Val Demone. During the Islamic era it took the name of *Safludi*.  \n  \nIn 1063 Count Ruggero sacked it, together with Brugato and Golisano, to enrich the provisions needed for the advance of his conquest. With the founding once again of the bishop’s seat (1131), the Normans later created the conditions to give it economic power and artistic splendour. Al-Idrisi defined it as a “*fortress granted of all the prerogatives of a city, with markets, spas and mills*”, while later Ibn Jubayr found it still populated with many Muslims maintaining that the Christians often took refuge on the rock to escape from sudden attacks by the Muslim fleet.","extra":{"author":"Scientific Committee"}},"ebe4f8fd-a03e-5998-9fdf-008a71a34c31":{"title":"Sambuca di Sicilia","description":""},"ebfa1c43-8ad2-5522-a54a-0db5c2c48e88":{"title":"Pieve di Cento","description":""},"ec3745fa-655d-586d-8239-7f4391989cf0":{"title":"Sciacca","description":""},"ecb04545-3b09-5d83-8ba2-b02e1345154e":{"title":"SIDI BOU SAID","description":"This area of retreat, which dominates the Gulf of Carthage, previously called the Gulf of Tunis, would have been occupied by a fortress, in the 3rd/9th century, which would have stood on the site of the actual fort we see today. Like the *ribat*s, this site was guarded by *murabitun*s. Abu Sa‘id al-Baji was in the habit of spending pious periods in retreat on this headland, where he was buried in 628/1231. The area around his tomb was chosen as a burial site on which a necropolis was built, remains of which can still be seen today. At the beginning of the 12th/18th century, the Bey Husayn Ibn ‘Ali organised the building of a mosque featuring a monumental entrance with a grand staircase. This entrance is today the “café des Nattes”, also called *Qahwa al-‘Aliya* (the high Café). Mahmoud Bey (1229/1814–1239/1824) built his summer residence there, privileging Sidi-Bou-Saïd as the holiday destination for the notables of Tunis. Here, hardly any *burj*s are surrounded by vast parks. This is probably due to the accidental character of the relief of the land, or to the desire to be the closest to Saint Sidi Bu Sa‘id to benefit best from his “baraka” and from his protection. The houses are built in a continuous line, each one standing shoulder to shoulder with the next, very much in accordance with the urban plan of *medina*s. The village is situated along a steep axis, starting at the point at which the road to Tunis and the road to the Marsa meet, and ending at the point occupied by the mosque. Daily trading, which today has adopted the form of touristic bazaars, took place along this main road which the villagers call “*suq*”. A second pole of attraction was created in the 1870s, around the Sidi Cheb‘an Zawiya; Sidi Cheb‘an was another mystic, musician and fine poet. Extensions and changes to the place came to a head with the opening of a cafe that faces the Gulf of Tunis, against the backdrop of the Jabal Bu Kornin. Since the beginning of the 20th century, numerous artists and foreign aesthetes, seduced by the beauty of the place, set up their home on this hill. The most famous amongst them was the Baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger. It was he who introduced the blue known as “the blue of Sidi-Bou-Saïd”, as well as in 1915 inciting Naceur Bey to promulgate a decree protecting the village.","extra":{"author":"Jamila Binous"}},"ecbd0758-1ef8-5462-ae11-1e1433740762":{"title":"Maqam of Nabi Salih","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ecf03144-6d92-5272-98cf-0821fc022d46":{"title":"ALCÁCER DO SAL","description":"Alcácer do Sal was the old Roman settlement of *Salácia*, a name derived from the production of salt, which was its principal source of income, and also important in a regional context. Taken from the Moors in 1158, who retook the town shortly afterwards, only in 1271 did it become part of the land of the Portuguese Crown and was then granted to the Order of Santiago. With the advent of the great voyages of the Portuguese Discoveries, the economy thrived and an important middle class was formed, as salt became even more important for the conservation of provisions. D. Manuel I, who granted Alcácer do Sal a new charter in 1516, married Maria of Castile, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, in the Igreja do Espirito Santo in the town, in 1501.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ecfb4321-5c90-581f-b580-7d7243738e4c":{"title":"PONTA DELGADA","description":"The Island of São Miguel, or the “Green Island” as it is known, is the largest in the archipelago, with an area of almost 760 sq. km., oblong in shape and measuring 65 km. in length and 12 km in width. The scenery is particularly breathtaking with high peaks and lakes in the craters of extinct volcanoes, as well as a diverse array of flora.  \n  \nThe island was discovered between 1426 and 1439, the year when colonisation began. The main town is Ponta Delgada, although there are other cities and towns remarkable for their artistic heritage, such as Ribeira Grande and Vila Franca de Campo, in relation to, primarily, the Baroque period. Earthquakes, however, such as that in 1522, and the comparative fragility of early constructions, have meant that little has survived from these early times other than two churches and a few items in various museums.  \n  \nThe oldest references to Masters of Works date back to 1507, when the *fidalgos*, the gentry, in Ribeira Grande signed a contract with a Biscayan Master, João de la Pena to build a local church, which unfortunately did not last very long, and had to be rebuilt. Fernão Álvares, a Portuguese, who lived in São Miguel from 1514 and spent almost all his life in the Azores, built a stone bridge in the town in 1520.  \n  \nBuilding flourished during the Manueline period due to the rapid economic and social development. There did not seem to be any one architectural language, but rather a diversity corresponding to the different origins of these master craftsmen and, obviously, the extremely long time that the Late Gothic period lasted. The strongly structured vaulting has a complexity of ribs that is not to be found elsewhere, and can only be put down to the constant earth tremors. Whatever the reason, this was one of the high points in the history of architecture in the Azores and one of the peaks of both the Portuguese and European Late Gothic style.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ed54e4b6-6c3c-5fea-afc5-96f55abcf6da":{"title":"TAVIRA","description":"Even today, Tavira remains as one of the most beautiful cities in the Algarve, although in Islamic times, its settlement would have been restricted to the small hill on the right bank of the River Gilão. From the walls built in this period, all that now remains are some cubic turrets and the odd fragment of the perimeter wall, which is not always easily identifiable.  \n  \nIn a city whose valuable heritage is largely symbolised by its bridge and pyramidlike roofs, there are a number of features to be seen still from the Islamic period. From the topographical point of view, it seems clear that the town mentioned by al-Idrisi and Yaqut as being a village, would have been somewhat more than that. The five-acre area, rebuilt in Christian times, testifies to a period of economic power that has since been confirmed by recent archaeological discoveries.  \n  \nNowadays, it is difficult to identify Islamic Tavira, particularly at its highest points, since both time and human settlements have inevitably caused a number of alterations. On the site where a small citadel once stood, a garden has now been planted, whilst the former mosque has since been replaced by the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo.  \n  \nClose to the river, not far from where the town hall now stands, there once would have been the city port, where both fishermen and traders would have lived in quarters built downstream from the bridge and alongside the sandy beaches where their boats would have been moored.","extra":{"author":"Santiago Macias"}},"ed87816e-61e0-5b3d-9f31-0d49b14a60b2":{"title":"The Meeting of Cultures in Norman Art","description":"The urban history of Palermo records a decisive change from its election to the role of capital of the Norman State in. According to Michel e Amari, there were more than 300,000 inhabitants in the territory of the Conca d'Oro; an urban complex, not yet perfectly amalgamated, but one which could boast an exceptional dimension in a depopulated medieval Europe.  \n  \nThe fortifications were enlarged to include also the outskirts of the city. The arsenal, which during the Arab era had furnished the squadrons of the *amir*s, was moved to a more strategic position. Among the private buildings in Palermo, the house-tower in the palace of Count Federico, like the works promoted by the Chiaramonte and Sclafani families, bear witness to a programmatic will of fidelity to local cultural courtly models. The two churches of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio and of San Cataldo, define the flexibility of the processes now ripe from amalgamating cultures better than any of the other works of this period.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;IV;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[434],"territory_ids":[10]}},"edc3f9f1-c4c9-5cbb-abff-f4cfb15d91d5":{"title":"Palermo","description":""},"edf98cd6-60f1-5ef0-aa4d-390695a7f125":{"title":"Purga Lepoglavska","description":""},"ee24c08d-c6f1-5f20-bda0-de65252be8b3":{"title":"The Manueline. Portuguese Art during the Great Discoveries","description":"***Manuélin Art. Portuguese Art at the Time of the Great Discoveries*** takes the visitor to an era that marks the entry of Portugal into modern times. In the wake of the great maritime discoveries, King Manuel I (1469–1521 CE) would express his authority through a style and an artistic manner that was quite unique in the history of art. Portugal, as the first great maritime power, attracted many foreign artists and craftsmen and Manueline art can be seen as the result of this intersection of talents and diverse cultures.  \n  \nThe flowering of Manueline art and architecture, which is emblematic of Portugal and the monarch to whom it owes its name, symbolises the political power of this period. Whether it is through the variations of the architecture influenced by the late Gothic style, or the Flemish influences that can be seen within the 15th century paintings, no less than twelve Sub-Itineraries bring the various aspects of Manueline art to life. To discover this unique and typically Portuguese style, the visitor can explore the breadth of architecture – fortresses, churches, chapels and large mansions – all the way from the tip of Faro in the south to Braganza in the north, passing through the Azores and Madeira regions.","extra":{"duration":"Fourteen Sub-Itineraries","local_team":"**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nPedro Dias  \nDalila Rodrigues  \nNuno Vassallo e Silva  \nFernando Grilo  \n  \n**Photographers**  \nAntónio Cunha, Beja  \nJorge Barros, Lisbon  \nMaurício Abreu, Setúbal  \nRui Cunha, Lisbon  \nLaura Castro Caldas e Paulo Cintra, Lisbon","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"ee374e2e-9d6c-5f62-9cbf-2e4a7816966e":{"title":"Rometta","description":""},"ee54d824-0098-55af-a792-e3ce5659cc1c":{"title":"Çanakkale","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ee59c343-eac9-536f-835d-f0468f3d641e":{"title":"Hyderabad","description":""},"eef3370e-de72-5659-a390-ae4e90dccb60":{"title":"SERPA-VILA BRANCA","description":"Castile and Portugal both fortified this important frontier town, until it passed definitively into the hands of the latter country, in the 13th century. It was occupied by the Moors and only began to develop in the 15th century, particularly during the Manueline period, with the restoration of the castle and the construction of many new houses and various religious and welfare institutions.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"ef2170b4-44f3-55c9-a772-f8c10437c844":{"title":"Santiago do Cacém","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ef84f5a2-aaf7-5433-be8a-b1a400bb6ff4":{"title":"Celorico da Beira","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f01ab22e-07f7-5f03-a961-5ffd62150699":{"title":"Batalha","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f0298bc2-6aae-56a9-b4f4-62304255aaba":{"title":"Aveiro","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f053c12a-1ed6-5432-a592-cc62df013159":{"title":"Doha","description":""},"f1079cc2-e142-5dd2-b3fc-b2c9faafb48f":{"title":"Palestinian Authority","description":""},"f1622cbf-4a6e-54a2-a586-b4769274d194":{"title":"MAZARA DEL VALLO","description":"An ancient Phoenician Port that later passed under Roman domination, on the fall of the empire between the 5th and 6th centuries, it was heavily devastated by vandals but recovered its important role as a commercial centre in the Byzantine period.  \n  \nIn 827, the Arabs chose it as their landing place to undertake their military occupation of Sicily, arriving at a place called by the chroniclers of the time *Ra’s al-Ballut*. They selected Mazara as their capital and stronghold at the time of their conquest, continuing in its aims for more than two centuries, despite unexpected reversals in the initial phase, constraining the Muslims to withdraw within the city walls. They repopulated and rebuilt it, imposing on the city centre the characteristic ramification of courtyards and blind alleyways. Protected by its quadrangular, circuitous wall, and valued as a privileged stopping place for people and merchandise coming from nearby Africa, the city became the capital of Val di Mazara, one of the three territorial circumscriptions into which the whole island was divided, together with Val Demone and Val di Noto.  \n  \nIts frontier status led it to be among the last cities of the island to yield to the Norman Conquest. In fact, after a first capitulation in 1073, there followed a momentary recapture by the Arabs who were finally defeated in 1075 in an epic battle led by Count Ruggiero against Mokarta, Commander of the Islamic troops. The importance of the centre was summarised in the extraordinary description by al-Idrisi who wrote: “*Splendid and excellent city which lacks nothing, and has no equal or similar, if the magnificence of the houses and living conditions are considered; and if the elegance of its appearance and of the buildings are also considered, it is non plus ultra. No other place has gathered so many beautiful things as are gathered here; it has high strong walls, well finished and clean palaces; wide streets, large roads, market places full of merchandise and manufactured goods; most beautiful baths, spacious shops, orchards and gardens with choice plants. Merchants and travellers come from everywhere; and they export what they have in their markets. Its vast district includes grand hamlets and farms. The river Wadi al Magnum, the Mazaro, where ships are loaded and boats remain for the winter, runs along the foot of the walls*” (tr. M. Amari, 1854-1868).","extra":{"author":"Curatorial Committee"}},"f1718c2e-9895-5ad7-a5fc-809e8406b8fd":{"title":"Adrano","description":""},"f17dd6b4-3ee4-51a2-bbec-82ad575fe77d":{"title":"Alexandria","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f1f5a93a-4ac3-54da-bf46-34f877468a6a":{"title":"Barcelos","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f2041be2-a6f7-5d56-9fac-61c737451f3a":{"title":"Volders","description":""},"f232fcc0-23d7-54ce-8bd2-3eca74c8f4cb":{"title":"The Military Order of Santiago","description":"The Military Order of Santiago, one of the most important in the Reconquest of peninsular territory from the Moors, traditionally dates back to the time of Ramiro I of León (842-850). However, its formal structure was only acquired much later, in c.1160, coinciding with the increase in the worship of St James (São Tiago), whose body was said to have been found in Compostela, with the military advances to the south. Fernando II of León officially established the Order in 1170, with its headquarters at Cáceres in present-day Spanish Extremadura.  \n  \nArruda dos Vinhos was probably the first town in Portugal to host the headquarters of the Order in the time of D. Afonso Henriques, the first king, who later increased the Order’s territory to include Alcácer do Sal, Almada and Palmela, a donation confirmed by his son, D. Sancho I.  \n  \nThe Order of Santiago, also known as the Order of the Gladiators, was to split into two, with the Portuguese branch having its headquarters in Palmela. This became the central power controlling a vast region along the banks of the River Sado, reaching both into the Alentejo, and as far as the estuary of the River Tagus.  \n  \nAt the beginning of the 15th century, other military orders became more important, particularly that of the Order of Christ, although in 1491, D. Jorge, the natural son and heir presumptive of D. João II, was made Master of the Order of Santiago, after the tragic death of Prince D. Afonso. This attracted important families, who were granted commanderies, and from which many of the leading figures of the Discoveries originated, among them Vasco da Gama and many members of his family.  \n  \nThe region became more or less the fiefdom of the prince D. Jorge, who retained his importance on the national political scene even when his cousin, D. Manuel, Duke of Beja, ascended the throne in 1495. Careful administration made these towns some of the most prosperous in the kingdom and led to a spate of building that included everything from houses to Town Halls, churches, monasteries, convents, prisons, warehouses and, of course, castles. The hand of D. Jorge was visible everywhere, starting with the Palmela Castle, overlooking from on high the fertile valley of the River Sado. His tomb is to be found in the Igreja de Santiago inside the castle.  \n  \nThere are still other reminders of the early days of the Order, such as churches in Alcácer do Sal, and traces of Islamic occupation, such as the walls of the castle in this same town. Two of the leading figures in Portuguese history were born in this area, D. Manuel I, in Alcochete and Vasco da Gama in Sines.","extra":{"duration":"One day","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-long#1","location_ids":[157,151,57,155,133,58],"et_introduction":"GPA;pt;XII;en;1"}},"f234beec-04c9-5376-adb8-34f63d73c8ad":{"title":"Al-Qanatir","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f28cdfeb-09f6-5926-aaa9-27497c90a43b":{"title":"Caccamo","description":""},"f2f0c8c6-4b3e-5c4d-8be8-2ee0dcd936e9":{"title":"VISEU","description":"Grão Vasco is the most famous of Portuguese painters, whom legend has surrounded with a mythical and timeless aura. According to the available historical information, he appears to have lived and had a flourishing workshop in Viseu for some 40 years, at least from 1501 to 1543. Commissions from rich and powerful patrons who carried out reforms in cathedrals, churches and monasteries in the Beira and Alto Douro regions, enabled him to produce exceptional retable paintings.  \n  \nIn the first 30 years of the century, the vigorous figurative realism of the Flemish style marked his production, just as it did the work of the cosmopolitan painters in Lisbon, with whom Grão Vasco maintained close relations. About 1530, however, the work of Vasco Fernandes began to display Italian Renaissance values. This was due largely to the influence of his patron, the illustrious humanist D. Miguel da Silva, who had been Portuguese Ambassador to the Papal Court, before he became Bishop of Viseu in 1526, and was one of the leading figures behind the introduction of the Renaissance into Portuguese art. The Bishop commissioned great retables for the cathedral, namely the famous *St Peter*, and also for the Chapel of the Bishop’s Quinta de Fontelo, before he left to live in Rome permanently in 1540.  \n  \nVasco Fernandes reveals his sensitivity and vision of the world in the expressive character of form, in his poetic or dramatic strength, in the mystery of light, the intensity of colours and the simple outlines of figures or distant landscapes. In recognition of his technical ability and his remarkable expressive resources he was commissioned, in 1535, to paint the four retables for the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz in Coimbra. The only remaining panel of this series is that of the exceptional *Pentecost*, which currently hangs in the Sacristy there and is signed in the Latin style, “*Velascus*”.","extra":{"about":"Grão Vasco is the most famous of Portuguese painters, whom legend has surrounded with a mythical and timeless aura. According to the available historical information, he appears to have lived and had a flourishing workshop in Viseu for some 40 years, at least from 1501 to 1543. Commissions from rich and powerful patrons who carried out reforms in cathedrals, churches and monasteries in the Beira and Alto Douro regions, enabled him to produce exceptional retable paintings.  \nIn the first 30 years of the century, the vigorous figurative realism of the Flemish style marked his production, just as it did the work of the cosmopolitan painters in Lisbon, with whom Grão Vasco maintained close relations. About 1530, however, the work of Vasco Fernandes began to display Italian Renaissance values. This was due largely to the influence of his patron, the illustrious humanist D. Miguel da Silva, who had been Portuguese Ambassador to the Papal Court, before he became Bishop of Viseu in 1526, and was one of the leading figures behind the introduction of the Renaissance into Portuguese art. The Bishop commissioned great retables for the cathedral, namely the famous *St Peter*, and also for the Chapel of the Bishop’s Quinta de Fontelo, before he left to live in Rome permanently in 1540.  \nVasco Fernandes reveals his sensitivity and vision of the world in the expressive character of form, in his poetic or dramatic strength, in the mystery of light, the intensity of colours and the simple outlines of figures or distant landscapes. In recognition of his technical ability and his remarkable expressive resources he was commissioned, in 1535, to paint the four retables for the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz in Coimbra. The only remaining panel of this series is that of the exceptional *Pentecost*, which currently hangs in the Sacristy there and is signed in the Latin style, “*Velascus*”.","author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f34ffc51-e989-5b9f-ac90-9c452c9124ee":{"title":"Mogorče","description":""},"f401563c-05e5-5f0b-8e9c-ec25ea4fdddf":{"title":"Adrar","description":""},"f43282bd-0c71-5248-b1db-b6b024fbda23":{"title":"Castelo de Vide","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f4a6cbd5-a989-5619-86b7-2ad822f8c3f4":{"title":"SANTIAGO DO CACÉM","description":"The origin of the town is linked to the development of the nearby Roman city of Miróbriga, the ruins of which bear witness to this once highly important regional centre. The historic centre of the town became important during the Islamic period when an imposing castle was built. The first Reconquest took place in 1157 at the time of D. Afonso Henriques, but the town only became a definitive possession of the Portuguese Crown in 1217.  \n  \nLike all the towns in the region, its development was due to the Order of Santiago. It was one of the principal commanderies and was granted a new charter by D. Manuel I in 1512.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f4d147df-944d-54a9-ba87-8cd15e42cefd":{"title":"Jédeida","description":""},"f4fdf466-f2d5-5d74-aa3d-925a99d6cf15":{"title":"Spain","description":""},"f500cefd-c771-509f-a278-4b51b68cb1f2":{"title":"Sebastia","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f55ac9f8-e534-55af-9a6c-b22c42d39002":{"title":"MEDJEZ AL-BAB","description":"Medjez al-Bab is a small town, renowned for being Andalusian, that is situated on the right bank of the Medjerda, between Tébourba and Testour. In 1271/1855, according to a fiscal register, the town included 38 persons of Andalusian origin out of 100 inhabitants. After 1881, the small town that had become a rural colonial centre was transformed completely.","extra":{"author":"Ahmed Saadaoui"}},"f5a5951a-9ea4-575d-8559-ea2c306926e9":{"title":"Sagres","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f5c94f20-278c-5517-b88a-42013fbcd069":{"title":"Slavkov","description":""},"f5f336ec-1c2f-5850-8503-96dc48af2c12":{"title":"Une architecture de lumière. Les arts de l'Islam en Algérie","description":"***An Architecture of Light. The arts of Islam in Algeria*** covers the entire territory of Algeria and its history from the fall of the Almohad dynasty to the advent of Ottoman rule. Five Sub-Itineraries invite the visitor to discover the particular forms of Islamic cultural heritage of the Maghreb, which result from the integration of the Berber-African civilisation into the newly established Arab-Muslim entity. At the crossroads of the Ottoman East, the Andalusian West and local traditions, art and architecture met to create sublime forms of syncretism, which are characteristic of Algeria’s Islamic heritage.  \n  \nIn the period following the advent of Islam in the western Mediterranean, the ‘Central Maghreb’ – being relatively far from the seat of power of the Caliphate – witnessed the development of dissident movements such as Kharijism. The raising Rostemid Imamates of Tahert, Tlemcen and Sédrata supported a policy of opposition to the centres of Caliphal power located in Damascus and later Baghdad. But even in a process of political break up, cultural relations – through art and architecture – remain alive. Indeed, the art that developed in this context took on influences from the Abbasid and Fatimid East as well as from nearby Andalusia. Visitors travelling through the region of Tlemcen will admire the most important monuments of Islamic art in Algeria which include tangible examples of heritage such as mosques, mausoleums and palaces as well as a more ephemeral living tradition of music, poetry and crafts. A great variety of material and non-material heritage is preserved in the urban centres as well as in the small mountain villages of Beni Snous and the coastal regions. Finally, the radiant city of Algiers, henceforth seat of the Ottoman regency, inaugurated an era of prosperity and influence that lasted throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.","extra":{"local_team":"**Curatorial committee and authors:**  \nFarida Benouis  \nHouria Chérid  \nLakhdar Drias †  \nAmine Semar  \n  \n*with contributions of:*  \nFarida Bakouri  \nNedjma Serradj-Remili  \n  \n**Local Coordinator**  \nBoussad Ouadi  \n  \n**Photography**  \nMusée national des antiquités et des arts islamiques","introd_type":"other-intro#3"}},"f5fe78dc-f363-5fb7-a9c3-58913f0bc018":{"title":"Constantine","description":""},"f634b7fc-cfb5-5285-bc01-a7ee35b70118":{"title":"Zafra","description":""},"f636f3e9-225f-501e-8d84-789aea4f80ae":{"title":"Benacazón","description":""},"f659f49f-838c-5874-8fad-69c77993dcb4":{"title":"Tunis, Belvedere","description":""},"f65ffcc6-3c33-53fd-b7c3-ccbd5fa9a285":{"title":"Ajlun","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f6b637a6-fd19-51bf-b68f-c830be2d40cb":{"title":"İznik","description":"","extra":{"how_to_reach":"İznik is reached from Bursa via a main road about 76 km. long. All the works on this itinerary are located in the city of İznik. Except for Kırkkızlar Türbe, which is a little outside the city centre, you can reach all the monuments on foot. For orientation: the town centre surrounded by two superb rings of walls has two main streets; one in a north-south direction, from Istanbul Gate to Yenişehir Gate; and the other in an east-west direction, from Lefke Gate to Göl Gate, respectively; at the junction, in the centre, is Ayasofya, the church where the First and the Seventh Ecumenical Councils were held.","showOnMonument":true}},"f71ed2b8-532e-5730-9155-69ed88c485bd":{"title":"Coca","description":""},"f7669e1b-4dda-533c-9849-71fb8268c6ec":{"title":"Salt","description":""},"f7968ef3-f59e-5fea-95fe-5f1189e55dde":{"title":"Baños de la Encina","description":""},"f79b06ee-ca1e-5f75-a911-977fc3ec77b3":{"title":"Jaroměřice u Jevíčka","description":""},"f7c2c1ad-5000-55b0-b949-9c212a87f767":{"title":"Hebron (al-Khalil)","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"f82177bc-01e2-52ae-b16e-800af33271cb":{"title":"Aragón","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[1],"territory_level":"1"}},"f888c18c-8312-518d-89cb-7123a69f2133":{"title":"Harissa","description":""},"f89ec308-489f-5883-8587-730d2e6fd6d3":{"title":"ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO","description":"Angra, situated by the sea on the South Coast, and made the see of a new Diocese in 1534, developed in the form of a rational, right-angled grid, in which the blocks of houses were built in a solid bourgeois style, with shops and workshops on the ground floor. An enormous defensive complex was naturally set up to protect the city, and other vulnerable parts of the island. At the same time, a number of religious Orders also built churches, monasteries and convents, and, in the 17th century, the Society of Jesus constructed one of its largest overseas colleges. As the historian Gaspar Frutuoso wrote at the end of the 16th century, *“Angra \\[was\\] the universal port of call to the west known throughout the world as the heart of all the islands”*. At that time, it had a population of between 5,000-6,000 inhabitants.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f95aac8e-4613-549e-9c18-3ec1ef534344":{"title":"MONTEMOR-O-NOVO","description":"Like many towns and cities in the Alentejo province,Montemor-o-Novo originated from a Roman settlement, occupied and enlarged by the Goths and the Moors. D. Afonso Henriques conquered it in 1160, or thereabouts, and it remained part of the new kingdom for some time, before being granted a charter by D. Sancho I, in 1203.The town developed during the Middle Ages, various kings staying in the area and the Cortes Gerais, the General Assembly of the Kingdom, being held there in 1477 and 1481.  \n  \nIn January 1497, in the castle, D. Manuel I gave Vasco da Gama command of the first fleet of ships that left for India.The King definitively united Montemor-o-Novo to the Crown in 1498, and granted the town a new charter in 1503. It still preserves an important group of Mediaeval constructions and others dating from the 16th century. Where Late Gothic structures exist, they probably date from the time of D. João III, such as the Convento de Santo António, the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Saudação, the Hospital do Espírito Santo and even the Igreja da Misericórdia.","extra":{"author":"Pedro Dias, Dalila Rodrigues, Nuno Vassallo e Silva, Fernando Grilo."}},"f9fe98d5-2553-5ae2-856b-1f9af3091e1c":{"title":"Krushevo","description":""},"fa39a796-fd88-5ca0-8337-01b827b866cc":{"title":"Val di Mazara: Land of the Conquests","description":"Because of its proximity to Africa and because it had been the territory for peaceful spread of the community and cultures of the Maghreb even before the Islamic invasion, Val di Mazara constitutes, as has already been seen, the most consistent geographical part of Sicily (and hence Italy) of artistic and architectonic testimonies directly or indirectly influenced by artistic Islamic culture.  \n  \nThese testimonies unite Byzantine typological plans with Islamic figural codes and architectonic elements in small but monu­mental high-flown complexes.  \n  \nThe historic-architectonic reasons that link together cities such as Marsala, Mazara del Vallo, Castelvetrano, Salemi and Segesta rely on the effective texture of historic sites of particular significance. This is because they are linked not only to the first long-term territorial occupation, but also because of the consequential inclusion of Sicily within the *Dar al-Islam.*","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;it;VI;en;1","country_ids":["it"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[426,416,440,444],"territory_ids":[10]}},"fa95345a-2f10-57fc-a1ee-47f331c3f886":{"title":"Ega","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fac3ca49-7953-5363-b7bf-ae0096eaedc9":{"title":"Sidi Bou Said","description":""},"fb36c4d3-69e1-5f6b-a02d-63ed1f28678b":{"title":"Tunis, Marsa","description":""},"fbc2cb78-d275-5c02-a7cd-8b8734c925c6":{"title":"Ibadite Architecture","description":"Local tradition recalls the arrival of a Jewish community who towards the middle of the 6th century BC had left Jerusalem as refugees and who found Jerba a favourable place in which to propagate their faith. Passing into the hands of the Romans after they had taken Carthage, Jerba underwent an even greater boom as can be seen by the size of the city of Meninx, which became the island's capital, and by the construction of a reef linking the island to the continent. With no traces left of the Vandal episode, the island continued to welcome all religions, as illustrated by the fact that, at the end of the reign of Justinian, it housed a solid Christian diocese.  \n  \nConquered by the Arabs in 273/887, the island appears to have be unaffected by the events that were acted out on the continent. It was only with the arrival of Ibadism, which slowly gained interest in the Muslim West during the 3rd/9th century, that Jerba was taken note of.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;tn;XI;en;1","country_ids":["tn"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[470,478]}},"fbcf92a2-5bad-573b-bb31-f9d2d3a2b6de":{"title":"Mehdia","description":"No other site in the Atlantic coast of Morocco incited as much desire as did the estuary of the Sebou, which in fact dominates the ruins of the *kasbah* of Mehdia. It became, during the centuries, the thoroughfare of populations and nations who surged into Moroccan cities, thus becoming the stage for the country’s important historical events.  \nThe first locality established, in the Middle Ages, close to the mouth of the river was called *Marsa al-Ma‘mora*. It was founded at the end of the 4th/10th century, and, in the 6th/12th century, the Almohad Monarch ‘Abd al-Mumen established a shipyard there.  \nDuring the 5th/11th century, *al-Ma‘mora* was a small but active commercial centre frequented by European merchants. Having become, by the beginning of the 6th/12th century, one of the main centres of North African piracy, it turned itself into an autonomous Republic. The Spanish stormed the fort in 1022/1614, and built a fortress on the hill overlooking the mouth of the river, whose main enclosure constructions constitute the backbone of the perimeter of Mehdia’s *kasbah*. After 67 years of occupation, the fortress was finally conquered by Mulay Isma‘il in 1092/1681. Liberated, it took the name of al-Mehdia, and the name Ma‘mora was restricted to describing the large forest of oak trees to the north-east of Salé.  \nMulay Isma‘il restored the enclosure, inserting a monumental elbow-shaped gate. He erected a large palace with all its outbuildings and established shipyards and warehouses along the river. How to reach: From Asilah, take the motorway up to Kenitra. From there, take the exit marked sortie Centre-Ville, then drive towards Mehdia, 12 km. from Kenitra. After a further 8 km., take a left in the direction of the kasbah, which is marked by a signpost. It is necessary to go via the guard for the site to be opened.","extra":{"how_to_reach":"From Asilah, take the motorway up to Kenitra. From there, take the exit marked sortie Centre-Ville, then drive towards Mehdia, 12 km. from Kenitra. After a further 8 km., take a left in the direction of the kasbah, which is marked by a signpost. It is necessary to go via the guard for the site to be opened."}},"fc2d5113-417f-58ce-a496-e257ed8b86ec":{"title":"Rodrigo de Mendoza, Marquis of Zenete: from La Calahorra Castle to El Albaicín","description":"This two-day itinerary to some extent re-creates the historical route between the district of the Marquesado or estates of the Marquis of Zenete and the city of Granada. This route linked the country retreat of Rodrigo de Mendoza in his Castle-Palace, La Calahorra, with the two properties he began building in Granada: a villa on the outskirts of the city on the site of a Moorish *almunia*, or garden, a palace with Mudejar characteristics in the very centre of the Albaicín.  \n  \nThe north side of the Sierra Nevada became a magnet for the Spanish Muslims from the end of the 15th century until the expulsion of the Moriscos in the 17th century. This was the result of the Safe-Conduct Policy issued by Cardinal Mendoza in 1490, inviting any Muslim who was fleeing from the frontier with Castilla to settle in this area of the Granada province.  \n  \nThe building systems of Mudejar, characterised by a unique way of using wood in roofs and frameworks, were reflected in the urban physiognomy and in the buildings of a whole series of places in the province of Granada as evidence of a past characterised by cultural symbiosis.","extra":{"duration":"Two days","et_title":"IAM;es;XIII;en;1","country_ids":["es"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[313,314,312,311,308],"territory_ids":[5]}},"fc6b6af2-c309-5c42-9422-0d9a3ae64c02":{"title":"Steingaden-Wies","description":""},"fd350980-e5e7-54df-977d-d5f6b51ed582":{"title":"Oporto","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fd9b0897-0823-59fd-b83f-aa02c5823754":{"title":"Sesimbra","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fe0b2c08-d329-56a3-9335-4ab840ef1f36":{"title":"Pápa","description":""},"fe387d67-4239-5459-b998-303f7cbdc6a7":{"title":"Vila Viçosa","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"fe47e0d3-4965-52ff-94e7-f4ec3598a70d":{"title":"Caronia","description":""},"fe83aac0-f953-5a33-b637-369e609d0601":{"title":"The Headland at the World's End","description":"This extremity of the Gharb has always been fairly well populated, both along the coastal strip and in the fertile sheltered valleys further inland. In these south-western territories, the links between the local communities and other ports and peoples seem to be not only more profound, but also more ancient and permanent. The violence and persistence of the north winds that battered the headland of Cape St. Vincent, meant that all sailing boats coming from the Mediterranean, and continuing on to the seas lying further to the north, were obliged to wait until the winds were more favourable. These long waiting periods led to the development of a complex system of ship building and repair and the rapid supply of water and other essentials to these ports.  \n  \nNot all the inhabitants of this region were Muslims, since an ancient Mozarab tradition linked to the centres of pilgrimage at Senhora da Rocha and the Monastery of São Vicente was already established. However, there is no doubt that at the time of its final surrender in the mid-7th/13th century, everyone in the region spoke Arabic, as this was the *lingua franca* for all businesses at that time.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;pt;IX;en;1","country_ids":["pt"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[146,62]}},"feb49d2c-78be-5d99-ba33-f99e6c94e78e":{"title":"Sasso Marconi","description":""},"fef161e0-ac23-5710-8e02-a6db33267c60":{"title":"Qal‘at Misyaf","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ff1757c0-f1c9-57c4-a14f-90c483bea111":{"title":"Qatrana","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ff2d3e48-94b4-5c6e-9963-a5475d2508ba":{"title":"Sielenbach","description":""},"ff598419-46cc-5fe0-b07a-9387f2654e26":{"title":"Zaghwan","description":""},"ff7e8cd5-ac06-5ac9-8629-89a353440bed":{"title":"Bayern-Süd","description":"","extra":{"theme_ids":[3],"territory_level":"1"}},"ffb4a696-bd47-50d4-a570-df505c2b4db1":{"title":"Science and Learning","description":"The Mamluk era saw the rapid growth of Cairene educational institutions to which numerous learned men and academics were attracted. With the construction of institutions such as *madrasa*s and *khanqa*s, sultans and *amir*s contributed significantly to the growth of intellectual activity.  \n  \nWith the Crusader threat over and the risk of Mongol invasion contained, enjoyed a period of great security. She proved an attractive destination for learned men from all four corners of the Islamic world, in particular for those arriving from her eastern and western regions.  \n  \nConditions were to coalesce such that became “place of residence for *ulema*s and a resting place for the most virtuous travellers” as al-Suyuti (b. 849 AH/1445 AD) writes.  \n  \nIn the 8th/14th century al-Balawi the Maghrebi traveller described Egypt as: “the source of knowledge” and that “while in Cairo there was nothing more than what is known as *al-maristan* (III.1.c) it alone is sufficient, for this majestic palace was among the most astounding palaces, for its beauty, elegance and spaciousness”.","extra":{"duration":"One day","et_title":"IAM;eg;III;en;1","country_ids":["eg"],"introd_type":"ET-short#-","location_ids":[2]}},"ffba57e8-407e-5393-a2e6-f925b0c5e42c":{"title":"Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou","description":""},"ffbce6aa-a2c6-5af6-8867-b443a36e5889":{"title":"Ponta Delgada","description":"","extra":{"showOnMonument":true}},"ffea8eaa-d5b6-5227-ac5a-413e7376d129":{"title":"Alger : De la médina des Beni Mazghenna à la capitale de la Régence ottomane","description":"Selon la tradition historique la plus crédible, le territoire qui correspond à l’Algérie dans l’Antiquité émergea de la préhistoire lorsque, vers le XIe siècle av. J.-C., y débarquèrent les Phéniciens, fameux navigateurs et commerçants de la côte syro-libanaise qui sillonnaient la Méditerranée.  \n  \nLe site d’Alger offrait, du côté de Bab al-Oued, une large plage abritée des vents d’ouest par l’avancée du massif de la Bouzaréah dans la mer, qui représentait un excellent mouillage pour les navires. De l’autre côté, la baie bien dégagée et ses quatre îlots proches du rivage offraient une position de repli idéale en cas d’attaque.  \n  \nEn 1940, la découverte archéologique d’un lot de 158 pièces de monnaie a révélé, gravé sur l’avers, le nom de ce comptoir, “Ikosim” (île aux Mouettes), tandis que la date de sa fondation, IVe siècle av. J.-C., fut attestée par la mise au jour de débris de céramiques retrouvés au fond d’un puits en 1952.  \n  \nAvant l’arrivée des Romains, Ikosim fait partie du royaume maure de Bocchus et de ses successeurs, puis, après la pénétration romaine, du royaume de Juba II, vassal de Rome pour, en 43 ap. J.-C., être rattachée à la province de Maurétanie césarienne, prenant, sous l’empereur Vespasien, le nom d’Icosium.  \n  \nElle est citée par Ammien Marcellin, dans sa relation de la révolte du prince berbère Firmus, qui mit la ville à sac en 371-372 avant de la restituer, avec tout le butin, au général Théodose, envoyé par Rome.  \n  \nCette révolte constitue un épisode du schisme donatiste qui a profondément marqué l’histoire du christianisme en Afrique et dont l’introduction à Icosium se situerait vers le IIIe ou IVe siècle. On connaît, en effet, au Ve siècle, trois de ses évêques, dont le plus célèbre, Crescens Episcopus Cositanus, participa à la conférence de Carthage en 411.  \nÀ cette époque, la ville, entourée d’une muraille fortifiée, occupait la partie basse du site, îlots compris, jusque vers Bab al-Oued. Les restes d’une nécropole romaine y ont été retrouvés, ainsi que les emplacements d’un théâtre romain, d’une église, de maisons, d’édifices thermaux. Des vestiges d’égouts et de voies romaines, cardo et decumanus, ont aussi été exhumés.  \n  \nLes habitants d’Icosium vivaient des produits de l’agriculture et de l’élevage qu’ils tiraient des fertiles collines et plaines environnantes du Sahel et de la Mitidja. Ils fournissaient probablement du blé et de l’huile à Rome.  \n  \nL’invasion vandale, de 430 à 530, entraîne la destruction du rempart romain d’Icosium. Elle est suivie par l’occupation byzantine de 533 à 649.  \n  \nAprès cette date, la ville connaît une longue période de silence. Le site n’a plus porté qu’un habitat léger ou considérablement réduit pendant deux siècles et demi, jusqu’à sa refondation, dans la seconde moitié du IVe/Xe siècle, par un prince de la dynastie berbère ziride, Bulughin ibn Ziri.  \n  \nAprès la conquête arabe, à la fin du Ier/VIe siècle, le Maghreb central est devenu une province de l’Empire musulman. Les tribus berbères islamisées des Sanhadja du Maghreb central sont sous le commandement du prince berbère, Ziri ben Menad installé à Achir, sa capitale, située près de Médéa. Son fils, Bulughin, grand guerrier, fonde trois villes sur un axe stratégique les reliant à Achir : Médéa, Miliana et Djazaïr Beni-Mezghenna, l’Alger actuelle. Il donnera ce nom à la ville en référence aux îlots tout proches (Djazaïr, “les îles” en arabe) et à la tribu des Beni-Mezghenna, de la confédération des Sanhadja, qui y vivait sur les vestiges d’Icosium.  \n  \nLa ville est ressuscitée et se reconstruit à partir des matériaux provenant de ses propres ruines. Ibn Khaldoun situe sa refondation et son repeuplement autour de 338-348/950-960. La muraille antique est renforcée ou reconstruite ; le tracé de la ville reprend les principales voies romaines, bien que rétrécies et obéissant plus ou moins au plan orthogonal propre aux Romains.  \n  \nC’est par les géographes et voyageurs de l’époque que nous sommes renseignés sur la vie économique, essentiellement agraire, de Djazaïr Beni-Mezghenna. Ibn Hawqal, le premier, met l’accent sur les activités du port, parle d’exportations “de beurre, miel, figues et autres fruits”. Au Ve/XIe siècle, al-Bakri parle de relations importantes avec la côte espagnole, et au VIe/XIIe, al-Idrissi évoque un “commerce florissant”, qui s’est étendu au froment, à l’orge et au bétail. Au VIIe/XIIIe, al-Djazaïr est signalée sur les cartes géographiques, signe de l’importance prise par le port et la ville qui échangent “peaux, laine, huile contre draps et tissus européens”.  \n  \nDe nombreux bazars, le long de trois ou quatre rues principales aux activités spécialisées, constituent le premier noyau commercial et urbain qui va se développer au fil des siècles.  \n  \nLa vie religieuse se concentre autour de deux établissements principaux, encore debout aujourd’hui : la Grande Mosquée, construite sous la dynastie berbère des Almoravides, en 490/1097, et la mosquée Sidi-Ramdane avec sa *madrasa* (école).  \n  \nDe cette époque date le premier système défensif de la ville. Si, aux IVe/Xe et Ve/XIe siècles, les îlots servent encore de refuge, au IXe/XVe siècle, Léon l’Africain, peu avant l’arrivée des Ottomans, peut parler de “murailles très belles et très solides faites de grosses pierres”.  \n  \nOn signale déjà, dans le mur d’enceinte, les quatre portes que l’on retrouvera sous les Ottomans, à l’exception de Bab al-Djadid, ajoutée ultérieurement. L’ancienne Citadelle surplombant la médina, al-Qasba al-Qadima, se trouvait trois cents mètres plus bas que l’actuelle. Elle remonterait à la dynastie almohade (544-647/1150-1250), connue pour son architecture militaire.  \n  \nDe nombreuses sources d’eau ont permis la construction de hammams, généralement accolés aux mosquées, comme Hammam Sidna, que l’on peut encore voir aujourd’hui.  \nLes habitations, quant à elles, commencent à gravir les premières pentes du site, se répartissant de part et d’autre des dépressions causées par le ruissellement des eaux de pluie qui servaient de lieux de passage.  \n  \nSur le plan politico-militaire, l’histoire de la ville va rejoindre celle du Maghreb central.  \nDeux dynasties berbères réussiront de courtes tentatives d’unification territoriale. Les Almoravides, partis du Maghreb extrême, se rendront maîtres, sous la conduite de leur chef, Youssef ibn Tachfin, d’un immense empire englobant tout le Maghreb et l’Espagne. Alger tombera en 474/1082. Les Almohades, avec à leur tête Abdelmoumen, reprendront toutes les possessions des Almoravides, dont Alger à partir de 546/1152 et jusque vers le milieu du VIIe/XIIIe siècle.  \n  \nLes trois dynasties suivantes, les Hafsides de Tunis, les Abdalwadides de Tlemcen et les Mérinides de Fès, verront leur pouvoir s’affaiblir progressivement, au détriment les unes des autres, leurs territoires s’amputant respectivement. La ville subit les vicissitudes de ces querelles et des occupations diverses.  \n  \nÀ partir de 909/1504, les offensives espagnoles et portugaises, véritable croisade africaine, se renforcent, menant à l’occupation des ports maghrébins aménagés en places fortes avec garnisons. Oran est livrée en 914/1509, Béjaia, berceau de la piraterie, tombe en 915/1510.  \n  \nAprès la prise de cette ville, les gouvernants d’al-Djazaïr se hâtent d’y envoyer une délégation pour faire acte de soumission au souverain espagnol. Celui-ci impose au sultan de la ville, le cheikh Salim Toumi, de lui livrer un des îlots du port sur lequel il édifie la forteresse du Peñon (le rocher) chargée de contrôler les mouvements des navires et de surveiller la ville. En 921/1516, après la mort de Ferdinand de Castille, les notables d’al-Djazaïr se considèrent comme libérés de leur serment à l’égard du nouveau souverain espagnol et font appel aux frères Barberousse.  \n  \nCes corsaires, originaires de l’île de Metelin (Lesbos), s’étaient rendus célèbres en aidant les Andalous qui fuyaient l’Inquisition espagnole à rejoindre les villes du littoral maghrébin pour y trouver refuge. C’est à ce titre de champions de l’islam contre la chrétienté que les habitants d’al-Djazaïr firent appel à eux pour les délivrer de l’emprise espagnole.  \n  \nLa première tentative d’Aroudj, un des deux frères Barberousse, pour reprendre le Peñon est un échec. Transgressant les accords avec les notables d’al-Djazaïr, il fait assassiner leur chef et se proclame sultan de la ville. Appelé à intervenir à Tlemcen, il est battu et tué en 923/1518 après s’être emparé des villes du Maghreb central, laissant à son frère, Khair-Eddine, le noyau d’un empire.  \n  \nCelui-ci prend sa suite, mais l’ère des initiatives individuelles est révolue. Il recherchera la protection du sultan de l’Empire musulman turc, Sélim Ier, qui accepte avec empressement, lui envoie 6000 hommes avec artillerie et lui octroie le titre de pacha et de beylerbey. Al-Djazaïr devient la première ville vassale de l’Empire ottoman au Maghreb, la Régence.  \n  \nAvec l’avènement de la Régence ottomane d’Alger par Khair-Eddine, les bases d’une nouvelle organisation sont posées. État-gendarme, doté d’une sorte de constitution militaire, ses structures politiques et administratives ne varieront que très peu jusqu’en 1830. Au sommet, se trouvent les beylerbeys jusqu’en 994/1586, puis les pachas triennaux jusqu’en 1069/1659 (trente pachas), les aghas jusqu’en 1081/1671, puis les deys jusqu’en 1232/1817. Ils sont assistés par un Conseil ou Diwan, formés d’officiers ou dignitaires de l’armée, dont les membres sont désignés par eux. La région d’Alger est sous l’autorité directe du dey : c’est le Dar al-Soltane. Le pays est divisé en trois provinces ou beyliks, beylik d’Oran à l’ouest, de Médéa au centre et de Constantine à l’est, avec à leurs têtes, un bey nommé par le dey.  \n  \nLes deux autres forces de la Régence sont la milice militaire des janissaires ou Odjak, et la confédération des corsaires ou Taïfa des Raïs. Ils sont tous deux les soutiens du nouvel État.  \n  \nÊtre janissaire était un grand honneur. Ils bénéficiaient de nombreux avantages, achetant leurs produits alimentaires à des tarifs inférieurs à celui fixé pour la population.  \nIls logeaient dans huit casernes construites sur le type de la maison traditionnelle. Ils accomplissaient leur service selon le rythme de la vie en garnison, puis dans des camps mobiles pour collecter les impôts. Ils représentaient le pilier essentiel du pouvoir, ne souffrant pas le moindre retard dans le paiement de leurs soldes, se révoltant fréquemment et n’hésitant pas à recourir à la plus grande violence.  \n  \nLa Taïfa des Raïs constitue le troisième pouvoir. Le port d’al-Djazaïr était déjà anciennement un repaire propice aux navires corsaires musulmans. Il comptait parmi les places où les prieurs de l’ordre de la Merci rachetaient, depuis le VIe/XIIe siècle, les captifs chrétiens pris lors des combats. Ibn Khaldoun écrivait déjà en parlant des premiers corsaires : “Ces guerriers vont faire des descentes sur les côtes et îles habitées par les Francs, ils y arrivent à l’improviste et enlèvent tout ce qui leur tombe sous la main. Ils attaquent aussi les navires des Infidèles, rentrent chez eux chargés de butin et de prisonniers. De cette manière, les ports se remplissent de captifs : les rues retentissent du bruit de leurs chaînes.”  \n  \nAl-Djazaïr n’est pas la seule ville de course en Méditerranée. Surtout, celleci n’est pas une invention musulmane ou algéroise. C’est une pratique courante en Méditerranée, créée par les Européens eux-mêmes : Rhodes, puis Malte avec les Chevaliers de Saint-Jean, La Valette, Palerme, Messine poursuivaient et rançonnaient les bateaux musulmans au nom de la religion. Les Raïs combattaient, au nom de l’État, pour protéger les navires musulmans et en particulier ceux des Andalous expulsés d’Andalousie. En 935/1529, Khair-Eddine réussira à débarrasser les Algérois des Espagnols installés dans la forteresse du Peñon, “cette épine plantée dans leur coeur”. Il commence à aménager le port par la construction, à partir des matériaux du Peñon détruit, d’une jetée reliant la ville aux îlots. Cet abri sûr derrière ce môle va doter la ville du port qui fera sa notoriété.  \n  \nAlger devient alors la cible privilégiée des attaques espagnoles. En 947/1541, Charles-Quint, irrité par les incursions des redoutables corsaires d’al-Djazaïr, se présente à l’embouchure de l’oued al-Harrach, non loin de la ville, avec 516 navires et 40000 hommes. En raison d’une violente tempête, l’opération tourne au désastre et les Espagnols perdent le tiers de leurs moyens matériels et humains.  \n  \nLes bénéfices de la Course réalisés par les Raïs, chefs corsaires, sont considérables et la ville entière en vit. “Tout Alger”, note H. de Grammont, qui séjourne dans cette ville, “se mêlait à la Course. Les grands étaient armateurs, les petits marchands et les baldis \\[citadins\\] se cotisaient pour acheter et équiper un navire ; les femmes elles-mêmes vendaient leurs bijoux pour prendre part à cette fructueuse opération”.  \n  \nHaëdo raconte : “La société des corsaires où figuraient de nombreux renégats, c’est-à-dire des chrétiens convertis, les Turcs de profession”, était caractérisée par son cosmopolitisme où Turcs et Kouloughlis (descendant de père turc et de mère autochtone) côtoient les Maures réfugiés d’al-Andalus, des juifs, des chrétiens, des Arabes et des Berbères autochtones, attirés par la manne corsaire.  \n  \nLe XIe/XVIIe siècle apparaît comme l’âge d’or des corsaires algérois, de gloire et de prospérité pour Alger, ville-État invincible. Les nombreuses expéditions punitives contre Alger échouent.  \n  \nLa supériorité des corsaires d’Alger sur les navires chrétiens vient, d’après Haëdo, de l’adaptation des galères, galiotes et brigantins à la guerre de course et surtout à l’entraînement et à la discipline impitoyable des chiourmes. Équipés de navires plus grands et plus rapides, et surtout des fameux “vaisseaux ronds”, les Raïs ne se contentent pas de la Méditerranée. Ils franchissent le détroit de Gibraltar et mènent des incursions jusqu’en Angleterre et en Islande. En 1024/1616, Mourad Raïs en ramena un riche butin et 400 captifs. Pendant la guerre contre la France (1039-1043/1630-1634), les corsaires algériens s’emparent de 80 navires et font plus de 1300 captifs.  \n  \nAlger, dans cette conjoncture, devient une grande métropole méditerranéenne dont la population dépasse les cent mille habitants, sans compter les milliers de captifs. On en a compté jusqu’à vingt-cinq mille. La ville s’agrandit, se dote de nombreuses mosquées et de maisons de maître, particulièrement dans son Fahs ou campagne alentour, dans lesquelles l’ameublement et la décoration constituent un véritable patchwork : faïences de Delft, marbres d’Italie, verreries de Bohême, glaces de Venise, pendules d’Angleterre, mais aussi les armes, les tapis et cuivres locaux, ainsi que les broderies de soie sur étamine ou toile.","extra":{"country_ids":["dz"],"introd_type":"ET-long#2","location_ids":[241,538,539,540],"et_introduction":"IAM;dz;III;en;1"}}}