São Clemente is a Portuguese civil parish (''

freguesia (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Portuguese over ...

'') in the municipality of

Loulé Loulé () is a city and Concelho, municipality in the region of Algarve, Faro District, district of Faro, Portugal. In 2021, the population of the entire municipality was 72,373 inhabitants, in an area of approximately . The municipality has two p ...

. The church of St. Clemente (Portuguese: Igreja Matriz de São Clemente) is the oldest and most important church in Loulé. It dates back to the second half of the 13th century and was built on the site of a former mosque The Church built in Gothic style consists of three naves, divided by Gothic arches supported by narrow columns. In the 16th century, several side chapels were added and five altarpieces were built. Located across the church is Jardim dos Amuados which is an old Arab Muslim cemetery. The St. Clemente Church bell tower is the oldest part of the church. It dates to the period of Muslim Moor rule in Portugal. It was the original

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

of a former mosque and used for issuing the Islamic call to prayer ( Adhaan) five times a day for faithful to come to the mosque for congregation. It is one of the very few remaining Moorish minarets and mosque structures in Portugal. On 20 June 1924, the church was classified as a national monument by Decree No. 9842.Loule Concehlo
http://www.cm-loule.pt Retrieved 21 March 2020.

Gallery

File:Igreja Matriz de Loulé ou Igreja de São Clemente 2016.jpg, Front view of Church of St. Clemente. File:Loule Church - The Algarve, Portugal (1399505908).jpg, Church belfry, the original

of a former mosque. File:TorreSinoIgrejaMatrizLoule.JPG, Closer look of the bell tower, one of few surviving original

in Portugal.

Historical buildings

* Castle of Loulé, * National Monument of Portugal

References

Freguesias of Loulé Former mosques in Portugal {{Faro-geo-stub

Gallery

Historical buildings

See also

References