Silves was once the capital of the whole district of the Algarve. During the 11th century the Moors constructed lavish palaces and created a cultural center of learning for the whole Iberian Peninsular in the city,although an important town, commerce began a slow decline in the 15th Century due the silting-up of the Rio Arade. Until that point the river had given the town good access to the sea.
Silves retains its former charm in the streets of the old 'almedina', which are still laid out as they were in medieval times, although most of the town and nearly all its ancient buildings were destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. The castle however remains, with it's impressive underground water reservoir. The city's 13th Century Cathedral (Sé Velha) was built on the site of a Mosque, part of the structure collapsed in the 15th Century and much of it was remodeled in the 18th century following damage caused by the earthquake. The elements surviving from the original building are the main Baroque facade, dominated by the Gothic doorway, and a veranda held up by corbels with gargoyles and above this a circular window.
