Get to know Portugal's Arab heritage
While Portugal does not have the Alhambra, Cordoba, or La Giralda, the Arab conquest and occupation of the Iberian peninsula in the early 8th century nonetheless left a profound mark on the history and culture of Portugal. Today, it is first and foremost obvious in the language, where about 800 Portuguese words come from the Arabic. Many place names especially in the south of the country still retain their Arab origin. Lisbon was Al-Ushbuna, Algarve, etc.An Arab tradition which has endured and eventually has become part of the modern Portuguese identity is the azulejos, or the tiles. Many of the most beautiful buildings and structures found in the country are decorated with azulejos. While blue-on-white monochrome tiles showing figures of animals, flowers, people, etc are common, these were Dutch-influenced. The Arab style is shown in the earlier, geometric styles in yellow, blue, green...
