Ever since I first starting coming to Portugal as a little girl I can remember being fascinated with the weathered doors, and old door knockers that adorn them.

I always used to take photos of the doors, finding it hard to resist their weather-beaten charm and actually still take snaps of them to this day!

If you have been to Portugal, you may have seen the ornate little door knockers in the shape of a hand. I've seen them right across the whole of Portugal over the years, and decided it was time to find out a bit more about them, and their history.

These door knockers are said to be a Moorish tradition and can be seen throughout Europe, but most notably in Spain, France and in Portugal.

They are sometimes known as the ‘Hand of Fatima’ - the lady in question being Fatima Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. The original Middle Eastern version was a palm shaped amulet, used to ward off the evil eye, but in Europe the hand can also represent femininity, fertility, strength and good luck.

There are many different types of door knockers in the shape of a hand - left hands, right hands, and some even have a ring. Whatever the history, I think they’re beautiful and always take a little photo whenever I find one when strolling around the villages and towns of Portugal.
Opmerkingen