From the fruitful table of the Central Mosque of Lisbon to the Moorish Castle in Sintra and the Algarve coasts, which took its name from Arabic... Discover the heritage of Andalusia in Portugal with your family.
The capital Lisbon hosts one of the most deep-rooted Islamic communities in Europe. The spiritual heart of your trip should definitely be the Central Mosque of Lisbon (Mesquita Central de Lisboa). This large mosque, which draws attention with its elegant architecture decorated with tiles, is not only a place of worship but also the center of halal food. The restaurant inside the mosque is a wonderful meeting point where you can eat local dishes and desserts made entirely from halal slaughtered meat with your family with peace of mind after the noon or Friday prayer. After satisfying your hunger, you should go to Alfama (which takes its name from Al-Hamma, meaning hot spring in Arabic), the oldest neighborhood of the city. While walking through its narrow stone streets, you will see the plan of an old Islamic city and feel the breath of the ancestors in these lands.
The town of Sintra, just 40 minutes away from Lisbon, is a wonderful weekend route with its lush green forests and cool air. What makes this place special for Muslim families is the Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros), stretching like a crown from the forests to the hills. Built in the 8th century by the Muslims who conquered the Iberian Peninsula, this castle is an immense open-air museum to tell your children about the power of Islamic history in Europe. Walking on the walls of the castle and watching the whole Sintra valley and the ocean opens one's horizon. Since it may be difficult to find a halal restaurant in the region, you can have a peaceful picnic where nature and history intertwine with your travel food you prepared yourself in the pine forests at the foot of the castle with your family.
Portugal's famous southern coasts Algarve take their name from the Arabic word 'Al-Gharb', meaning 'The West'. If your understanding of a holiday is resting by the ocean and spending time in privacy with your family, this place is wonderful. If you get away from the tourist crowd and go to the town of Silves, you will see the traces of the city, which was once the capital of the Andalusian Umayyads in this region. The red bricks of Silves Castle are like the elegant seal of our civilization in these lands. The Algarve region is very rich in terms of sheltered villa renting (self-catering). Instead of crowded pools of hotels, by renting a villa with its own pool and high walls, you can make your own barbecue with halal meat in the evenings; and during the day, you can contemplate Allah's art of creation on the cliffs by the ocean as a family.
When Portugal is mentioned, the ocean and those famous yellow trams usually come to mind. However, this beautiful country was part of the Andalusian civilization for centuries. We have prepared 3 wonderful routes for Muslim families living in or coming to Portugal for a holiday, where we can both feel our historical roots and safely eat our halal food.
With its warm-hearted people and tolerant culture, Portugal is one of the countries in Europe where a Muslim family will feel most comfortable. Knowing that thousands of words of Arabic origin still live in Portuguese while walking in its streets, and looking for the traces of our old civilization in the narrow streets of Alfama gives one a great spiritual pleasure. Whether you stay in the center of Lisbon or rent a private sheltered villa for your family in Algarve during your trip; as HalalWorld.com, we are always with you with accommodation options that suit your beliefs, are alcohol-free, and respect your privacy. We wish you peaceful weekends with your family accompanied by that mild wind of Portugal!
