/guid/9202a8c04000641f80000000002bea56 rename

Silves (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsiɫvɨʃ]) is a town and a municipality in the Algarve, southern...

Silves (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsiɫvɨʃ]) is a town and a municipality in the Algarve, southern Portugal. The city has a population of 10,800 inhabitants and the municipality reaches 33,830 (2001). The municipality of Silves is part of the district of Faro. Silves is the former capital of the Algarve and is of great historical importance. The municipality is crossed by the Arade River, which was navigable in historical times and was key to the prosperity of the city of Silves. The waters of the river form the dams of Arade and Funcho. The landscape of the municipality is generally hilly. To the south the municipality borders the Atlantic Ocean. The region of Silves has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic, as attested by archaeological vestiges, including several menhirs. The river Arade, which was navigable in historical times, linked the hinterland to the open ocean and allowed for the transport of produce and commerce. The town of Silves was possibly founded during the times of Roman domination, when the region was part of the Lusitania province. After 713, when the Moors invaded Iberia, Silves became part of the Ummayad kingdom of Córdoba under the Arabic name of Shilb