Walls of El Jadida

The city of El Jadida, whose name means 'The New', is found south of Casablanca, along the Atlantic coast. It is an old Portuguese colonial town known for its impressive walls. The Portuguese arrived in the region, a strategic point for trade and navigation, in the fifteenth century. Mazagan fortress was founded in 1506. The city was not fortified, but the walls were built in 1542. It was then one of the strongest fortifications and extremely difficult to conquer. The Portuguese withstood the enemy's attacks for more than two centuries. The famous water tank, that can still be visited, was created to resist for longer.