
Mouraria is one of Lisbon’s most traditional and multicultural neighborhoods. After all, it was to this part of the city that the Moors came to live after D. Afonso Henriques conquered Lisbon in 1147, until they were finally expelled from Portuguese territory four centuries later.
Today, more than six centuries later, this beautiful area of the Portuguese capital is still the choice of more than 50 different nationalities, the majority of whom come from China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mozambique, to name but a few of the neighborhood’s largest communities.
On one of our last walks through this neighborhood, we realized that, despite its multiculturalism, Mouraria is still a typical Lisbon neighborhood, with its own characteristics, traditions and customs and, above all, its unique people.
As soon as you enter this neighbourhood, located between Martim Moniz and the Castelo de São Jorge, you quickly become aware of multiple dialects, many beliefs, but above all that Alfacinha neighbourhood accent that so characterizes the people and communities of the city’s more traditional neighbourhoods.
It’s a unique sensation and you have to pay close attention to feel it, but when it happens it’s a great feeling: you ‘re in the heart of Lisbon, where the significance of all the history that the city carries on its shoulders beats the strongest.
More security after 2009
Mouraria wasn’t always one of the safest places in the city. Although today it is quite welcoming, before the 2009 redevelopment it was a problematic and run-down neighborhood.
But the truth is that with the growth of the city, which turned to tourism with a more consistent and improved offer, times quickly changed and today it is one of the biggest attractions for outsiders visiting the capital.
In fact, along with other neighborhoods such as Alfama, Mouraria is part of a “must-see” itinerary, especially for those who want to get to know the city’s roots and its culture.
The redevelopment of some areas of the neighborhood, such as Largo da Achada, a true haven of relaxation in the middle of Mouraria, is a clear example of the changes this part of the city has undergone, making it more “visitable” and attractive to both foreign and domestic tourists.
Largo da Achada is just behind the Church of São Cristóvão, next to one of the oldest houses in the city, dating from the time of the 1755 earthquake, with doors and windows that are very hard to find in Lisbon today.
On your visit you’ll also find corners like this one, next to Calçada da Rosa, where you can relax while listening to the residents doing their laundry in the nearby washhouse.
And, of course, don’t forget to wander around and venture into the dozens of little corners and alleys in this neighborhood. It’s definitely worth all the time you spend here. You’ll feel Lisbon like never before.
Another of the attractions of these corners are the tributes, in the form of installations on their walls, to some of the best-known residents of the Mouraria neighborhood.
Camilla Watson is the artist responsible for this open-air exhibition, in a museum that is always open to visitors, who don’t have to pay for a ticket to learn the stories of each of these individuals.
One of these stories aroused our curiosity, that of Fabia Loreti, the woman who had the most children in this neighborhood: 21, 12 of them still alive
The birthplace of Fado?
There are clearly two Lisbon neighborhoods that “claim” the title of cradle of Fado: one is Alfama, where the Fado Museum is located, and the other is Mouraria, where Severa, the first known Portuguese fado singer, was born and lived.
The story goes that this 19th century singer fell in love with an aristocrat and it was from there that our music reached the best salons of the time.
Fernando Maurício, the acclaimed “King of Mouraria Fado”, also lived here, and Mariza, who is now the most international of our fado singers, grew up in Mouraria.
Our visit to Mouraria ends here, with much still to tell. So here’s a challenge for you to visit and share your experience with us.
Bairros de Lisboa: Alfama, o mais tradicional e pitoresco da capital