Castle of Almada
The Castle of Almada () is a medieval castle located in the civil parish of Almada, Cova da Piedade, Pragal e Cacilhas, in the municipality of Almada, Portuguese Setúbal. History The castle was founded in a strategic position, on a site settled by Muslim forces during the Iberian occupation, referred to as al-Madan (which means gold mine or silver mine), suggesting that the site was built on mineral extraction in the region or epoch, and referred to in the Geografia Nubiense of Muhammad al-Idrisi (dating to the 12th century. During the Portuguese Reconquista of Lisbon (around 1147), Almada was assaulted and conquered by the combined forces of King D. Afonso and a crusader army. Following its conquest, the settlement's defenses were reinforced and expanded following the foral (charter) issued of 1170. King D. Sancho I signed a new foral in 1190. During this period, Almohad forces under the command of caliph Abū Yūssuf Yaʿqūb bin Yūssuf al-Manṣūr following their conquest of the Algarve, advanced to the north, expelling Portuguese forces from citadels in Alcácer do Sal and Palmela, and destroyed the defensive lines in Almada (1191). The Portuguese monarch reconquered the fortifications in 1195, and began the construction of a