Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

A town which formerly rivalled Lisbon in prosperity and influence, Silves on the Algarve, Portugal was known as Xelb by the Moors and was their stronghold in the region, having a huge fortress and a population of around 30,000 by the 12^th century. Silves was an important trading town with boats arriving via the River Arade and leaving packed with cargoes of citrus fruit, figs and cork, the town was a buzzing community filled with mosques, bazaars and minarets. This all came to an end in 1189, when the town was subjected to a siege by Sancho I together with a band of English crusaders. After holding out for some months, the Moorish occupants finally surrendered due to a lack of water, the town was subsequently sacked and many of its citizens killed. Silves today is a busy town, still important for citrus fruits, figs and cork, but with an emphasis on tourism, its attractive old town, a maze of narrow, cobbled streets dotted with cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops, its castle and a number of its older buildings, survived the 1755 earthquake. Silves Map.