The Moorish Beyond the Tourist Trail Quarter Free Walking Tour

King John the first ruled from 1385 to 1433 and started the biggest colonial empire in the world, first with Ceuta/ Morocco in 1415 and fast-forwarding it to Macau that remained the Portuguese empire until 1999.

The first fado singer of all times was this lady, Maria Severa, a lady from the streets that used to work on the streets. Do you know what I mean? “Fado Vadio” is a type of Fado that doesn’t follow any rules, it’s like a free and wild fado, sung mostly in the streets. This is the Fado that Maria Severa invented. You also have Fernando Mauricio, a legend in Mouraria and a fado singer, born and raised here. Later on, we will go deep on his and Maria Severa life.

So, we have seen 3 different historical moments: Cordoba Emirates and the beginning of the arabic presence in Lisbon, The conquest of Lisbon, the moors got played by the christians and Lisbon became part of Portugal, and the beginning of inquisition times and the new christians.

The symbolic win and the biggest move the christians could do was to invade St. Jorge’s Castle, with that action, Lisbon would be taken by the Portuguese from the moors. That is the reason why Martim Moniz decided to throw himself into a closing door, allowing crusade soldiers to get into the Castle.

The flag of Lisbon. The black and white has been chosen because it was actually the colors most used on the boats when going to Ceuta during the first wave of discoveries. In fact, it is also the flag of Ceuta because of it.