Mehdya المهدية | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Mehdya | |
| Coordinates:34°15′35″N6°39′0″W / 34.25972°N 6.65000°W /34.25972; -6.65000 | |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Region | Rabat-Salé-Kénitra |
| Province | Kénitra |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 16,262 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (WEST) |
Mehdya (Arabic:المهدية,romanized: al-Mahdiyā), alsoMehdia orMehedya, is a town inKénitra Province,Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, in north-westernMorocco. Previously calledal-Ma'mura, it was known asSão João da Mamora under 16th century Portuguese occupation, or asLa Mamora under 17th century Spanish occupation.
According to the 2004 census, the town has a population of 16,262.[1] It is located onSebou River (Oued Sebu).
Mehdya was previously called Al-Ma'mura ("the well-populated") orLa Mamora in Europe, and was a harbour on the coast of Morocco. Per an ancient account, a colony was founded at the site in the 5th century BCE by theCarthaginians, who called itThymiaterium.[2]
It was captured by the Portuguese in 1515, and renamedSão João da Mamora. Altogether, the Portuguese are documented to have seized 6 Moroccan towns, and built 6 stand-alone fortresses on the Moroccan Atlantic coast, between the river Loukos in the north and the river ofSous in the south. Four of the stand-alone fortresses only had a short duration:Graciosa (1489),Forte de São João de Mamora (pt) (1515),Castelo Real ofMogador (1506–10) andAguz (1520–25). Two of them were to become permanent urban settlements:Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir, founded in 1505-06), andMazagan founded in 1514-17. The Portuguese had to abandon most of their settlements between 1541 and 1550, although they were able to keepCeuta,Tangier and Mazagan.[3]
During thefirst Anglo-Spanish War, pirates (including English formerprivateers) had sold captured prizes in Ireland and at theBarbary Coast, where governments struggled to prevent this trade. When peace came in 1604, pirates soon established apirate haven at Mehdya, a location with the advantage of being near Spain and major trade routes. TheMoroccan sultanate tolerated these pirates due to the wealth they brought to the country.[4] However, during summers, Mehdya became less safe as the calmer waters favored thegalleys used to suppress piracy; therefore, the coast ofMunster was used as a complementary base for piracy.[5]
The only port on the Moroccan coast in the hands of neither the Spanish nor the Moors,[6] Mehdya became the main retreat ofAtlantic pirates under the command ofHenry Mainwaring,[7] important not only as a place to sell their plunder, but also for ship maintenance (includingcareening).[6] Around 1610, Mehdya was the site of a three-day battle between Dutch and English pirates.[8] The Spanish blockaded Mehdya in 1611, sinking ships and blocking the harbor entrance.[6] In the summer of 1614, the harbor housed at least 30 ships weighing at or above 100 tons,[9] though thebar prevented the passage of ships of above ~300tons burden.[7]
In order to secure theSpanish treasure fleet route Mehdya, known as La Mamora, was underSpanish rule between 1614 and 1681.[10] AfteroccupyingLarache in 1610, a Spanish fleet under AdmiralLuis Fajardocaptured Al-Ma'mura during the reign ofMulay Zidan in August 1614, due to the period of anarchy that followed the death ofMulay al-Mansur in 1603.[11] After negotiations with Mulay Zidan, they left a strong garrison of 1,500 men, and called the harbourSan Miguel de Ultramar.[2] The works to build theFortress of La Mamora along with the San Felipebastion fort started immediately.[12]
The warlordSidi al-Ayachi led a counter-offensive againstSpain, privateering against its shipping, and obtaining the help of theMoriscos and theEnglish.[11][13] About 1627, he managed to temporarily capture Al-Ma'mura, and add it to hisRepublic of Salé.[11] La Marora was unsuccessfullysieged on other several occasions.
The Spanish retained the city for 67 years, when it was conquered by theAlaouite rulerMoulay Ismaïl.[2][10] According to tradition, theBishop of Cadiz had commissioned a statue ofJesus Christ for the church at La Mamora, which was inhis diocese. When the Moroccans reoccupied the town in 1681 they took the statue and prisoners as loot, and later received a ransom from the Spanish for the return of the statue and the Spaniards, which was taken toMadrid where it is nowadays venerated under the name ofCristo de Medinaceli.[14]
The new SultanMulay Ismail took the city by storm in 1681, and renamed the city al-Mahdiya.[2] (conquest of Mehdya). During this period, the former spanish fortress of La Mamora was restored resulting in the iconicKasbah Mahdiyya .[15] From 1694 to 1696, thePortuguese blockaded this port in order to counter piracy. In 1795,Mulay Slimane closed the harbour of Mehdya to avoid foreign incursions intoKenitra, and Mehdya was abandoned.[12]
During thefrench conquest of Morocco, the French occupied Mehdya in 1911.[2]
About 9,000 Allied troops, carried by 19 warships, were landed in Mehdya duringOperation Torch in 1942.
Capital:Rabat | |
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