The streets of Silves were once packed with traders, bazaars overflowed with exotic goods, and he gilded domes of many minarets gleamed in the sun. However, only the castle now indicates the town's former wealth and importance.
Inside the castle's walls, nothing remains of the original Moorish buildings but two cisterns; a small one 60m deep of Roman origin, and a larger one. The larger one called "El Moura Encantada", after a legend that says you cn hear a Moorish princess mourning her beloved at this well where he committed suicide.
The castle was built to last and it remains substantially intact. Following the rampart walk, you can take in views over the rooftops of the town to the River Arade, once the site of a bustling harbour, and across countryside planted with the orange, almond and carob trees which the Moors introduced.
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