Mertola, Beja, Portugal, May 13, 2025 (Lusa) - Between the 22nd and 25th of this month, the historic centre of Mértola, in the district of Beja, in south eastern Portugal, will host the 13th edition of the Islamic Festival, which aims to promote "the historical ties" of this Alentejo town with the Mediterranean.
The Mértola Islamic Festival is organised by the town council, in partnership with the Alentejo and Ribatejo Regional Tourism Authority, the Las Fuentes, Mesquita and Três Cultura foundations, as well as almost three dozen institutions.
The main aim of the event is to promote "Islamic heritage and the historical and cultural ties" of Mértola ‘with the Mediterranean’, the town council emphasised in a statement.
Concerts, Alentejo choir singing, conferences and workshops are some of the highlights of the event's programme, whose main attraction is the souk, an Arab market that will ‘fill’ the streets of the historic centre of the Alentejo town with the smells and flavours of the Maghreb, i.e. the countries of north-west Africa.
Music from various latitudes is another of the festival's attractions, with the opening concert bringing together Celina da Piedade, Rodrigo Leão and the Mértola Community Performing Arts Group from 10.30pm on the 22nd in the castle's alcazaba.
Nomad (Portugal) on the 22nd, Carminho (Portugal) and Bombino (Niger) on the 23rd, Buba Espinho (Portugal) and Baba Zula (Turkey) on the 24th and Pedro Mestre (Portugal) on the 25th, among dozens of other acts, will also be performing at the festival.
The festival's closing concert, scheduled for 7pm on the 25th at Largo Vasco da Gama, is curated by Bruno Batista and will feature Sebastião Antunes, Ana Santos, the Alentejo region choral groups Os Vocalistas, Rancho de Cantadores de Aldeia Nova de São Bento, Os Chocalheiros de Vila Verde de Ficalho, choral groups from Mina de São Domingos, Guadiana de Mértola and Os Caldeireiros de São João and musicians from the Dar Ziryab Cultural Centre.
Over the course of the four days, the Mértola Islamic Festival also includes various arts, crafts, dance and percussion workshops, as well as talks, conferences and the presentation of the book ‘Routes of G-Arb Al-Andaluz - Toponymy, written sources and archaeology’, by Santiago Macias.
Exhibitions, storytelling sessions, street entertainment, guided tours and gastronomic experiences are other highlights during the days of the event.
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