Going back to the 16th century, El Jadida was built as a fortified colony on the Atlantic ocean. Also known as The Portuguese City of Mazagan, the city is one of the first settlements in Africa that was done by Portuguese explorers on their route to India.
The city has witnessed the exchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, reflected in the architecture and technology. The first citadel was built in 1514 by the brothers Francisco and Diogo de Arruda. The architects Joao Ribeiro and Juan Castillo enlarged the citadel turning it into a star-shaped fortification, in accordance with the plans of the Italian architect Benedetto da Ravenna.
Going back to the 16th century, El Jadida was built as a fortified colony on the Atlantic ocean. Also known as The Portuguese City of Mazagan, the city is one of the first settlements in Africa that was done by Portuguese explorers on their route to India.
The city has witnessed the exchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, reflected in the architecture and technology. The first citadel was built in 1514 by the brothers Francisco and Diogo de Arruda. The architects Joao Ribeiro and Juan Castillo enlarged the citadel turning it into a star-shaped fortification, in accordance with the plans of the Italian architect Benedetto da Ravenna.
