2-376-880 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Statue of Ibn Qasi, Lord of Mertola, outside Mertola Castle, Mertola, Portugal, 2009. Ibn Qasi was a mystic and skilled military leader who unified Southern Portugal and fought the power of the Almoravides in the 12th century. The castle of Mertola is located on the highest point of the village. Even though the castle is of Muslim origin, the current building dates from a reconstruction carried out by the knights of the Order of Santiago after the village was taken by the Christians. The most notable feature of the castle is its 30 metre-high keep tower, finished around 1292, which has an inner hall covered with Gothic vaulting. The defences include a city wall, which still encircles the village.