Much of the architecture in Olhão has a Moroccan flavour, replicated in paintings by Portuguese artist Roma Markov now on display at Galeria Côrte-Real in Paderne.
A distance of 230 kilometers from shore to shore, Olhão’s trade links with Morocco are centuries old. It is assumed that sometime in the 18th century local traders – influenced by what they had seen in North Africa – began building their houses in Moroccan style.
Seen nowhere else in the Algarve, they are cube-like with flat roofs known as ‘açoteias’; used as terraces they form an outdoor extension to each home.
All the houses are very similar but no two dwellings are the same. Single, two or sometimes three-storey buildings, many have external staircases and others the addition of a small watchtower on the terrace.
It is said that from these vantage points women would look out for their husbands’ boats returning from the sea.
In the fishing quarter of the town, the narrow cobbled streets are laid out in straight rows and just like in an Arab ‘medina’ it is easy for strangers to lose their way.
Large parts of Olhão were built in the 19th century but towards the outskirts, nearer to the EN125, there are newer houses that continue to adopt the traditional Moroccan design.
Clearly such buildings are still considered to be well suited to the climate.
Artist Roma Markov is intrigued by the simplicity of the design and the slight variations between the houses but, as he points out, “other architectural influences can be seen around Olhão and also nearby in Faro where I live. A hundred years ago there was an influx of educated, sophisticated people from cities in the north of Portugal.
“They came to run new factories and businesses that sprung up across the Algarve, processing cork oak bark and canning tuna and sardines.
“Many of the new arrivals required smart houses and apartments built in the fashionable Arte Nouveau style. All along Olhão’s main boulevard, Avenida da República, there are plenty of examples with colourful tiled friezes and ornate wrought-iron balconies. These homes were built to accommodate executives and office staff but for me the humble abodes of the fisher-folk are far more authentic.”
When commissioned by Galeria Côrte-Real to make paintings of Olhão’s urban environment, Roma made a conscious decision to avoid the showpiece Arte Nouveau buildings. Instead depicting the typically Moroccan houses, “they have given Olhão its distinctive character for around three hundred years,” he says.
Recognising the artist’s detailed knowledge of the Algarve and its history, the owners of Galeria Côrte-Real frequently promote exhibitions of his work and retain a permanent collection of his paintings.
Galeria Côrte-Real is signposted from Boliqueime, Ferreiras and Paderne. It is open Thursday to Sunday, from 11am until 5pm.
912 737 762
By Carolyn Kain
