Mértola Church-mosque

During our road trip through Mértola and Alentejo, we visited the Church of the Ascension, located next to the castle, whose structure is part of the ancient Islamic mosque and which was rebuilt in the twelfth century in the same place, after the conquest of the city by ​​Sancho II of Portugal in 1238. The geostrategic position of the town of Mértola near the river Guadiana, explains the mix of defensive structures, both civil and religious that are apparent in the city. From the outside, its white walls, conical pinnacles, buttresses and battlements, which give the building a unique and robust feeling, all call the attention of the visitor.