Lisbon’s early history dates back to the times of Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians. As the legend tells, it is a city founded and named by Ulysses as Ulissipo or Olissopo, which has its origins in the Phoenician words "Allis Ubbo", meaning "peaceful harbour". It is from there, according to legend, that Lisbon got its name. It also dictated the city’s position and later defined its maritime vocation.
However it was the Romans who started their two-century reign in Lisbon in 205 BC. During the Roman period, Lisbon became one of the most significant cities in Iberian Peninsula and renamed Felicitas Julia.
Later, in 714, the Moors arrived to the Iberian Peninsula and resisted against Christian attacks for about 400 years. Portugal emerged as an independent kingdom in 1143 and our first king Afonso Henriques recaptured the city to the Moors in 1147 and became as one of the world's longest founded cities.
After Lisbon’s recapture it still took one more century to repel all the Moors from the peninsula. Portugal established its continental frontiers in 1297 and is the long-established borders in the world.The 15th century was the point of departure for the Portuguese Discoveries, an era during which Portugal enjoyed abundant wealth and prosperity through its newly discovered off shore colonies in Atlantic islands, the shores of Africa, the Americas and Asia. Vasco da Gama's famous discovery of the sea route to India marked this century. Lisbon was then world's most prosperous trading center. Furthermore, many attractions of the city at present such as Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and Torre de Belém, both classified by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, were built during this period.
However, this era didn’t take long: the earthquake of 1755 destroyed nearly entire city. The city was rebuilt by the Marquês de Pombal, who created the Baixa Pombalina, a commercial area that still attains attraction. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city spread progressively to the North and areas such as the Avenidas Novas (New Avenues) were added.
The last decades Portugal was out of the European mainstream and this helped Lisbon to keep all its rich history, genuine charm and tradition intact. At the same time, a new and modern city develops towards a global beat. Lisbon is now revealing itself as one of Europe’s best kept secrets for foreign visitors.
Today, Lisbon is one of the most beautiful capitals of Europe while still maintaining the marks of its early glorious history.
