Tavira

Tavira(Portuguese pronunciation:[tɐˈviɾɐ]) is a Portuguese town and municipality, capital of theCosta do Acantilado, situated in the east of theAlgarveon the south coast ofPortugal.It is 28 kilometres (17 miles) east ofFaroand 75 kilometres (47 miles) west ofHuelvaacross the riverGuadianainto Spain. TheGilão Rivermeets the Atlantic Ocean in Tavira. The population in 2011 was 26,167,in an area of 606.97 km.Tavira is the Portuguese representative community for the inscription of theMediterranean Dietas anIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.
Tavira's origins date back to the lateBronze Age(1,000-800 BC).In the 8th century BC it became one of the firstPhoeniciansettlements in theIberian West. The Phoenicians created a colonial urban center here with massive walls, at least one sanctuary, two harbours and a regular urban structure which lasted until the end of 6th century BC, when the location was abandoned in favour of a near-by site, probably due to the prpgressive progradation of the delta where it was located. Excavations led by Maria Maia, Manuel Maia andLuís Fraga da Silva brought to light part of a casemate fortification wall, ritual deposits and urban features pertaining to the settlememt on the hill of Santa Maria. The sanctuary deposits of Pits 2 and 3 pertaining to the sanctuary have been published by Eleftheria Pappa.
It has been claimed that the original name of Tavira, Balsa, derives from a Phoenician storm god:Baal Saphon, but other Phoenician etymologies have also been suggestes. To the Romans it was known asBalsa.
After laying abandoned for a century, it was revived and became an even larger settlement during the so-calledTartessianPeriod of Tavira, was again abandoned by the end of the 4th century BC. Another urban center emerged at nearbyCerro do Cavaco, a fortified hill occupied until the time of EmperorAugustus.
During the time of Caesar, theRomanscreated a new port, some 7 kilometres (4 miles) from Tavira, named Balsa. 
Balsa became a big town, in fact much bigger than Tavira, that grew, prospered and decayed in parallel with the Roman Empire. When theMoorsconquered Iberia, in the 8th century, Balsa was already extinct as a town.
Under Roman rule, Tavira was a secondary passing place on the important road betweenBalsaand Baesuris (todayCastro Marim).
The Moorish occupation of Tavira between the 8th and 13th centuries left its mark on the agriculture, architecture and culture of the area. That influence can still be seen in Tavira today with its whitewashed buildings, Moorish style doors and rooftops. TheTavira Castle, two mosques and palaces were built by the Moors. The impressive seven arched "Roman bridge" is now not considered to be Roman after a recent archaeological survey, but originates from a 12th-century Moorish bridge. This was a good time economically for Tavira, which established itself as an important port for sailors and fishermen. The area remained rural until the 11th century when Moorish Tavira (from the Arabic Tabira, "the hidden") grew rapidly, becoming one of the important towns of the thenGharb al-Andalus(the west), today's Algarve.
In 1242DomPaio Peres Correiatook Tavira back from the Moors in a bloody conflict of retaliation after seven of his principal Knights were killed during a period of truce. Dom Paio's Christian troops decimated most of Tavira's population and the few survivors were kept in a tiny quarter known as "Mouraria".
In the 18th century, the port on its river was of considerable importance for shipping produce such as salt, dried fish and wine. 
Like most of the Algarve, its buildings were virtually all destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. 
This earthquake is thought to have reached 8.5–9.0 on the moment magnitude scale and caused extensive damage throughout the Algarve due to high intensity shaking (XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale) and tsunamis.
The earthquake is referred to as the Lisbon earthquake due to its terrible effects on the capital city, although the epicentre was some 200 km (124 mi) west-southwest ofCape St. Vincentin the Algarve region.
The city has since been rebuilt with many fine 18th-century buildings along with its 37 churches. A bridge links the two parts of the town across theRiver Gilão.
The church of Santa Maria do Castelo, built on the ruins of a mosque, holds the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his knights.
The church dates back to the 13th century, with the clock tower having been recreated from what was once a minaret. A bust of Dom Paio who died in Tavira in 1275, can be seen on the corner of the town hall.
At one time fishing was the area's primary industry but that declined, partly due to the changing migration patterns oftunafish and advancing silt in the river Gilão.
The population is in the region of 25,000 inhabitants (municipality of Tavira) supporting a military base. Although still relatively untouched by mass tourism, there are several golf courses in the vicinity. The local beach lies past the salt pans and can be reached via the nearbySanta Luziafootbridge or by ferry, taking visitors to the sand-bar island known asIlha de Tavira, part of theRia Formosanatural wetlands park.The nearbyPraia do Barril beachhas an 'anchor cemetery', where rusting anchors stand as a tribute to the area’s tuna fishing heritage.
In recent years the Gran Plaza shopping centre, incorporating a cinema, supermarket shops, and restaurants, was built on the outskirts of the town. House prices have increased sharply in recent years. The development of many golf clubs close to the town has also had an effect.
As one of the popular towns in the Algarve, Tavira benefits from tourism which is the primary aspect of the region's economy.
Tavira has ahot-summer Mediterranean climate(KöppenCsa) with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Together withFaro, it is among the sunniest cities in Portugal and in Europe, typically averaging around 3,150 hours of sunshine.Due to its location on the AlgarvianSotavento, Tavira is sheltered from frontal systems coming from the west but exposed to the influences of humid air masses coming from the south. The city receives predominantly western winds. Temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) are registered, on average, once a year. In contrast to the western coasts of Portugal,fogis very uncommon in Tavira, occurring on average only three times a year.
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 6 civil parishes (freguesias):
Tavira has its own railway station on the line fromVila Real de Santo Antónioto Faro and Lagos. Trains are operated byComboios de Portugal(CP). Connections are available at Faro station for trains to Lisbon and the rest of Portugal.
TheA22toll motorway passes near to the town. This offers fast road access along the Algarve coast and eastwards toSeville.
The nearest international airports areFaroandSeville.
Tavira istwinnedwith:
The Associação Internacional de Paremiologia / International Association of Paremiology (AIP-IAP) is based in Tavira. It hosts an annual conference ofproverbscholars in Tavira.