Bronze Age to the Roman Empire Tavira's origins date back to the late
Bronze Age (1,000-800 BC). In the 8th century BC it became one of the first
Phoenician settlements in the
Iberian 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 progressive progradation of the delta where it was located.
Archaeological excavations brought to light part of a
casemate fortification wall, ritual deposits and urban features pertaining to the settlement on the hill of Santa Maria. It has been claimed that the original name of Tavira,
Balsa, derives from the Phoenician storm god
Baal-zephon, but other Phoenician origins have been suggested. The
Roman town is located a short distance from the modern city. After laying abandoned for a century, the settlement was revived and became even larger during the so-called
Tartessian Period of Tavira. It was again abandoned by the end of the 4th century BC. Another urban center emerged at nearby
Cerro do Cavaco, a fortified hill occupied until the time of Emperor
Augustus.
The Roman Empire to the Moorish Conquest During the time of Caesar, the
Romans created a new port, some from modern Tavira, that prospered, and decayed in parallel with the Roman Empire. When the
Moors conquered Iberia in the 8th century, the port was already extinct. Under Roman rule, Tavira was a secondary passing place on the important road between Balsa and Baesuris (modern
Castro Marim).
Moorish Rule Tavira's Moorish period (between the 8th and 13th centuries) influenced the agriculture, culture, and architecture of the area (as with its whitewashed buildings, Moorish style doors, and characteristic rooftops). The
Tavira Castle, two
mosques, and palaces were built by the Moors. An archaeological survey of the seven-arched revealed that it was not constructed by the Romans, but was originally a 12th-century Moorish bridge. Tavira prospered during the Middle Ages, which established itself as an important port for sailors and fishermen. The area remained predominantly rural until the 11th century, when the town grew rapidly, becoming one of the important settlements of the
Gharb al-Andalus.
The Reconquista In 1242
Dom Paio Peres Correia took 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". , the city conqueror, on the corner of City Hall.
The 1755 earthquake 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 west-southwest of
Cape St. Vincent in the Algarve region. ==Demographics==