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El Jadida (, ; originally known in
Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–1 ...
as Maziɣen or Mazighen; known in
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Por ...
as Mazagão) is a major port city on the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...
coast of
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, located 96 km south of the city of
Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
, in the province of
El Jadida El Jadida (, ; originally known in Berber as Maziɣen or Mazighen; known in Portuguese as Mazagão) is a major port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 96 km south of the city of Casablanca, in the province of El Jadida and the r ...
and the region of
Casablanca-Settat Casablanca-Settat ( ar, الدار البيضاء - سطات, ad-dār al-bayḍāʾ - siṭṭāt; ber, ⴰⵏⴼⴰ - ⵙⵟⵟⴰⵜ, anfa - sṭṭat) is one of the twelve administrative regions of Morocco. It covers an area of 20,166 km² ...
. It has a population of 170,956 as of 2022. The fortified city, built by the
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Por ...
at the beginning of the 16th century and named Mazagan (Mazagão in Portuguese), was taken by the Moroccans in 1769. El Jadida's old city sea walls are one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World. The ''Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan'' was registered as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
in 2004, on the basis of its status as an "outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures" and as an "early example of the realisation of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology". According to UNESCO, the most important buildings from the Portuguese period are the
cistern A cistern (Middle English ', from Latin ', from ', "box", from Greek ', "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by t ...
and the Church of the Assumption, both in a Manueline style. The city, and particularly its neighbouring town of Sidi Bouzid, becomes extremely busy in the summer season with an influx of mainly Moroccan holiday-makers. Nearby is the five-star resort complex of Mazagan, which attracts some middle-class and upper-class Moroccans as well as many international visitors from the
Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
as well as from Europe and beyond. Mazagan complex has a golf course designed by Gary Player, casino, nightclub and restaurants. Between Mazagan complex and El Jadida is the Pullman Hotel, attached to which is Royal Golf El Jadida, another 18-hole course. The presence of nearby
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...
s and
factories A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. ...
is responsible for the
pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
of El Jadida's
beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shells ...
es. The city is expanding as of 2014, partly as a result of increased activity at the nearby Jorf Lasfar port and its industrial zone.


Names

The original name of the city in the
Berber language The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight,, ber, label= Tuareg Tifinagh, ⵜⵎⵣⵗⵜ, ) are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related languages spoken by Berber commu ...
was: Maziɣen / Mazighen, which means "The Berbers". El Jadida's other names and nicknames in other languages were: Cap Soleis, Portus Rutilis, Rusibis, Mazighen (), al-Breyja (), Mazagão, al-Mahdouma () and Mazagan.


History

Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese, an anchorage used by boats appears to have existed at the current site of El Jadida throughout the Middle Ages and in ancient times. The name ''Mazighan'' was first documented by the 11th-century Arab geographer
al-Bakri Abū ʿUbayd ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb ibn ʿAmr al-Bakrī ( ar, أبو عبيد عبد الله بن عبد العزيز بن محمد بن أيوب بن عمرو البكري), or simply al-Bakrī (c. 1040–1 ...
. In 1502 a Portuguese captain, Jorge de Mello, landed at this location, allgedly driven here by a storm. He and his crew took refuge in an abandoned tower, called ''al-Briya'' or ''al-Burayja,'' to defend themselves against any potential attack by the locals. After returning to Portugal, he obtained permission from the Portuguese king, Dom Manuel, to found a fortress here in 1505, but evidence indicates that he did not carry this out, as when the Portuguese army passed here on their way to conquer Azemmour in 1513 they found nothing but the old tower. As Azemmour was difficult to access, the Portuguese returned and built a citadel at the more accessible Mazighan in the summer of 1514. This citadel was a rectangular building with four towers, one of which was the old tower that already stood here. The architects were two brothers, Diego and Francisco de Arruda. The location then became known in the
Portuguese language Portuguese ( or, in full, ) is a western Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is an official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, ...
as ''Mazagão''. During the next few decades the Sa'dids rose to power and began expelling the Portuguese from their coastal fortresses, with the most significant event being their expulsion from Santa Cruz (present-day
Agadir Agadir ( ar, أݣادير, ʾagādīr; shi, ⴰⴳⴰⴷⵉⵔ) is a major city in Morocco, on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean, and south ...
) in 1541. In response, the Portuguese king John III ordered the evacuation of Portuguese positions at Azemmour and Safi and concentrated on building a more defensible position at Mazagão instead. As a result, the Portuguese fortification was expanded into the larger walled fortress we see today in 1541. The
Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal ( la, Regnum Portugalliae, pt, Reino de Portugal) was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and ...
would continue to control the city until 1769, when they abandoned Mazagão, their last territory in Morocco. Upon their forced departure, the Portuguese destroyed the Governor's Bastion. Most of the Portuguese inhabitants were sent to the colony of Brazil, where they founded a new settlement called ''Nova Mazagão'' (the present Mazagão in the state of Amapá). The city was then taken over by
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
Mohammed ben Abdallah in 1769 and remained largely uninhabited, having been dubbed ''al-Mahdouma'' ('The Ruined'). Eventually,
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
Abd al-Rahman of Morocco ordered that a mosque be built, and the destroyed portions of the city were rebuilt during his reign in the early nineteenth-century. The reinvigorated city was renamed ''al-Jadida'', meaning 'The New'. The town underwent a revival and soon outgrew Azemmour as the most important city in the area. Alongside the Muslim population was also a community of Jews, who participated in the city's revival.


Landmarks


Fortress of Mazagan

The design of the Fortress of Mazagan is a response to the development of modern artillery in the Renaissance. The star form of the fortress measures ''c'' 250m by 300m. The slightly inclined, massive walls are ''c'' 8m high on average, with a thickness of 10m, enclosing a patrolling peripheral walkway 2m wide. At the present time the fortification has four bastions: the Angel Bastion in the east, St Sebastian in the north, St Antoine in the west, and the Holy Ghost Bastion in the south. The fifth, the Governor's Bastion at the main entrance, is in ruins, having been destroyed by the Portuguese in 1769. Numerous colonial-era Portuguese cannons are still positioned on top of the bastions. The fort had three gates: the Seagate, forming a small port with the north-east rampart, the Bull Gate in the north-west rampart, and the main entrance with a double arch in the centre of the south rampart, originally connected to land via a drawbridge. A ditch, ''c'' 20m wide and 3m deep, formerly filled with seawater, surrounded the fort. During the time of the French Protectorate the ditch was filled in with earth and a new entrance gate was opened leading to the main street, the Rua da Carreira, and to the Seagate. Along this street are situated the best preserved historic buildings, including the Catholic Church of the Assumption and the Portuguese cistern.


The Citadel

The Citadel, located at the heart of the walled city, was the first permanent Portuguese construction on this site in 1514. It is a building with a rectangular floor plan measuring about , with three major rooms around a central space and four towers (one at each corner). The southern El-Briya Tower (originally known as ''al-Burayja'') was of local, pre-Portuguese origin and it was here that the Portuguese first took refuge when they arrived in 1502. One of the northern towers was later re-purposed as the base of a 19th-century minaret built for the nearby mosque. The cistern is located beneath the Citadel.


Portuguese cistern

The semi-subterranean chamber has a roughly square plan measuring around per side, was constructed with five rows of five stone pillars and columns. The chamber is built in a late Gothic style known as Manueline, with a vaulted ceiling of brick masonry and stone
ribs The rib cage, as an enclosure that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum in the thorax of most vertebrates, protects vital organs such as the heart, lungs and great vessels. The sternum, together known as the thoracic cage, is a se ...
. Its original function is not clear. It may have been an armory, barracks, or granary, but it is recorded as having been converted into a cistern in 1541. It was designed by an architect named Miguel de Arruda but the construction work was delegated to João de Castilho. A round opening in the center of the chamber served to collect rainwater. The cistern is famous especially for the thin layer of water that covers the floor and creates fine and ever-changing reflections in the otherwise dark vaulted chamber. Its visual qualities are such that several movies have been filmed within the cavernous space, of which
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
' ''
Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cy ...
'' is the best known internationally.


Churches

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, a prominent building located south of the Citadel, was the main
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities ...
of the Portuguese settlement. It was constructed or begun when the fortress was expanded in 1541. It has a nave, a choir, a sacristy, and a square-shafted bell tower. At least three other churches existed, though generally only partial remains of them are still present today. Two small churches were adjoined to some of the bastions of the fortress. Another, the Church of Mercy (''Misericórdia'') was part of the Citadel.


Synagogues

A number of synagogues also existed inside the old city, attesting to the importance of the Jewish community here in the 19th and 20th centuries. One prominently visible example is the Bensimon Synagogue, inaugurated in 1926 and attached to earlier structures in the northern corner of the former fortress. Its construction was sponsored by four brothers of the Bensimon family: Nessim, Messaoud, Abraham, and Mordechai.


Museum of Resistance and Independence

Located near the beach south of the old city and the port, this museum and exhibition space is dedicated to the memory of Moroccan soldiers and resistance to the French Protectorate regime. It is housed in a 20th-century colonial era building constructed in a "Mauresque" style.


Climate

El Jadida has a
hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Csa''). In winter there is more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in El Jadida is . About of precipitation falls annually.


Education

The city houses many post-secondary academic institutions: Chouaib Doukkali University, including the following institutions: *Faculty of Science *Faculty of Letters and Humanities *Faculty of Juridical, Economic and Social Sciences * National School of Applied Sciences (ENSA) *National School of Business and Management (ENCG) *Superior School of Technology (EST) - Sidi Bennour (Outside El Jadida) Office of Vocational Training and Promotion of Labor (OFPPT), including the following institutions: *Professional Qualification Center (CQP) *Specialized Institute of Applied Technology (ISTA) - Al-Massira *Specialized Institute of Applied Technology (ISTA) - City-of-the-Air *Specialized Institute of Hotel and Tourism Technology (ITHT) El jadida - *Specialized Institute of Hotel and Tourism Technology (ITHT) Al Haouzia - (Outside El Jadida) *Institute of Applied Technology (ITA) - Azemmour (Outside El Jadida) and: *Regional Centers for the Professions of Education and Training (CRMEF) *Section of "Higher Technician Certificate" (BTS) (at ar-Razi Technical High-School) *Section of "Preparatory Classes for Great Schools" (CPGE) (at ar-Razi Technical High-School) *Higher Institute of Engineering and Business (ISGA) (private)


Sports

The main football club of the city is Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi, currently playing in the Botola Pro 1.


Nearby cities

Near El Jadida, are located the city of Azemmour in the northeast and the town of
Sidi Bouzid Sidi Bouzid ( ar, سيدي بوزيد '), sometimes called ''Sidi Bou Zid'' or ''Sīdī Bū Zayd'', is a city in Tunisia and is the capital of Sidi Bouzid Governorate in the centre of the country. Following the suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi in ...
in the southwest. Within a perimeter of around 120 km or less, are located
Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
, Berrechid,
Settat Settat ( ar, سطات, siṭṭāt, ber, ⵥⴻⵟⵟⴰⵜ, ẓeṭṭat) is a city in Morocco between the national capital Rabat and Marrakesh. Settat is located by road south of the centre of Casablanca, roughly an hour's drive. It is the cap ...
,
Sidi Bennour Sidi Bennour (Berber: ⵙⵉⴷⵉ ⴱⵏⵏⵓⵕ, Arabic: سيدي بنور) is a city in Sidi Bennour Province, Casablanca-Settat, Morocco. Historically speaking, the name derives from the name of a famous sufi saint called Abi Yannur (Arabic: ...
, Oualidia, Youssoufia, Safi.


Notable people

* Jaafar Aksikas, author * Driss Chraïbi, author * André Elbaz, painter and filmmaker * André Guelfi, racing driver * Driss Jettou, former prime minister, president of the Supreme Audit Court * Abdelkebir Khatibi, author * Abdellah Lahoua, footballer * Chaïbia Talal, painter * Mohamed Nahiri, footballer * Zakaria Hadraf, footballer * El Mehdi Karnass, footballer *Yousra Mansour, vocalist of Bab L' Bluz * Youssef Kaddioui, Former international footballer * Suleiman Zanfari, racing driver


Twin towns – sister cities

El Jadida is twinned with: *
Arenzano Arenzano (local lij, Rensën) is a coastal town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, Liguria, northern Italy, facing the Ligurian Sea. , it has a population of 11,445. This varies during the holiday seasons due to tourist flow. There ...
, Italy (1964) * Barcelos, Portugal (2009) *
Nabeul Nabeul (; ar, نابل ,Tamazight: ⵏⴰⴱⴻⵍ), is a coastal town located in northeastern Tunisia, on the south coast of the Cape Bon peninsula and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on both sides. It is the first seaside resort in Tunisia. ...
, Tunisia (1985) *
Sète Sète (; oc, Seta, ), also historically spelt ''Cette'' (official until 1928) and ''Sette'', is a commune in the Hérault department, in the region of Occitania, southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Sétois'' (male) and ''Sétoises' ...
, France (1992) *
Sintra Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated ...
, Portugal (1988) * Varennes, Canada * Vierzon, France (1987) * Tacoma, United States (2007)


See also

* Tourism in Morocco *
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
Mohammed ben Abdallah


References


External links

*() {{Authority control Former Portuguese colonies World Heritage Sites in Morocco Port cities and towns on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast Kingdom of the Algarve Populated places in El Jadida Province Municipalities of Morocco 1502 establishments in the Portuguese Empire 1769 disestablishments in the Portuguese Empire 1769 establishments in Morocco Provincial capitals in Morocco Phoenician colonies in Morocco