Mehdya
Encyclopedia
Mehdya, also Mehdia or Mehedya, is a town in Kénitra Province, Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
, Morocco
. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 16,262. It is located on Sebou River
(Oued Sebu).
in Europe, and was a harbour on the coast of Morocco. It seems to have been occupied by the Carthaginians since the 5th century BCE.
in the south. Four of the stand-alone fortresses only had a short duration: Graciosa
(1489), (1515), Castelo Real
of Mogador (1506–10) and Aguz
(1520–25). Two of them were to become permanent urban settlements: Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir
, founded in 1505-06), and Mazagan founded in 1514-17. The Portuguese had to abandon most of their settlements between 1541 and 1550, although they were able to keep Ceuta
, Tangier
and Mazagan.
in 1610, the Spanish then captured Al-Ma'mura during the reign of Mulay Zidan in August 1614, due to the period of anarchy that followed the death of Mulay al-Mansur in 1603. After negotiations with Mulay Zidan, they left a strong garrison of 1,500 men, and called the harbour San Miguel de Ultramar
. The Spanish retained the city for 67 years.
The warlord Sidi al-Ayachi
led a counter-offensive against Spain
, privateering against its shipping, and obtaining the help of the Moriscos and the English
. He managed to temporarily re-capture Al-Ma'mura for Morocco.
In 1795, Mulay Slimane closed the harbour of Mehdya to avoid foreign incursions.
The French occupied Mehdya in 1911.
About 9,000 Allied troops, carried by 19 warships, were landed in Mehdya during Operation Torch
in 1942.
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen
Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen is one of the sixteen regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-western Morocco. It covers an area of 8805 km² and has a population of 1,859,540 . The capital is Kenitra....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 16,262. It is located on Sebou River
Sebou River
Sebou is a river in northern Morocco. The river is 458 kilometres long and has an average water flow of 137 m3/s, which makes it the largest North African river by volume. The source is in the Middle Atlas mountains. It passes near the city of Fes and discharges to the Atlantic Ocean in Mehdia...
(Oued Sebu).
History
Mehdya was previously called Al-Ma'mura ("the well-populated") or La MamoraLa Mamora
La Mamora, La Mámora, Mehedía or San Miguel de Ultramar, was the Spanish name given to the current Moroccan city of Mehdia during the 17th century. It is located in northern Morocco, at the mouth of the Sebou River, in its West bank...
in Europe, and was a harbour on the coast of Morocco. It seems to have been occupied by the Carthaginians since the 5th century BCE.
Portuguese occupation (1515-1541)
It was captured by the Portuguese in 1515, and renamed São 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 of SousSous
The Sous or Souss is a region in southern Morocco. Geologically, it is the alluvial basin of the Oued Sous , separated from the Sahara by the Anti-Atlas Mountains...
in the south. Four of the stand-alone fortresses only had a short duration: Graciosa
Graciosa fortress
The Graciosa fortress was established on the coast of Morocco by the Portuguese in 1489. It was established on a small river island, about three leagues from the sea, at the junction of river Lucus and river el-Mekhazen , a few kilometers inland from modern Larache...
(1489), (1515), Castelo Real
Castelo Real
Castelo Real was a Portuguese castle established in Mogador, modern Essaouira, by the Portuguese in 1506.-Construction :The Portuguese king Dom Manuel ordered Diogo de Azambuja, the founder of Castello da Mina, to build a castle on a small island, now called "La Petite Ile", in the Moroccan...
of Mogador (1506–10) and Aguz
Souira Guedima
Souira Guedima, formerly known as Aguz, is a Moroccan town 36 km south of Safi, at the mouth of the Tensift River on the Atlantic seacoast. Guedima may also be spelt Kadima, Kdima, Qadima , or Qdima...
(1520–25). Two of them were to become permanent urban settlements: Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir
Agadir
Agadir is a major city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Agadir province and the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region .-Etymology:...
, founded in 1505-06), and Mazagan founded in 1514-17. The Portuguese had to abandon most of their settlements between 1541 and 1550, although they were able to keep Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
and Mazagan.
Spanish occupation (1614-1681)
After capturing LaracheLarache
Larache is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tétouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Loukkos River.In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove...
in 1610, the Spanish then captured Al-Ma'mura during the reign of Mulay Zidan in August 1614, due to the period of anarchy that followed the death of Mulay al-Mansur in 1603. After negotiations with Mulay Zidan, they left a strong garrison of 1,500 men, and called the harbour San Miguel de Ultramar
La Mamora
La Mamora, La Mámora, Mehedía or San Miguel de Ultramar, was the Spanish name given to the current Moroccan city of Mehdia during the 17th century. It is located in northern Morocco, at the mouth of the Sebou River, in its West bank...
. The Spanish retained the city for 67 years.
The warlord Sidi al-Ayachi
Sidi al-Ayachi
Sidi al-Ayachi, also el-Ayachi or al-Ayashi , was a Moroccan marabout and warlord, who decided to make secession from the Sultan of Morocco Mulay Zaidan....
led a counter-offensive against Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, privateering against its shipping, and obtaining the help of the Moriscos and the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He managed to temporarily re-capture Al-Ma'mura for Morocco.
Moroccan recovery (1681)
The new Sultan Mulay Ismail took the city by storm in 1681, and renamed the city al-Mahdiya.In 1795, Mulay Slimane closed the harbour of Mehdya to avoid foreign incursions.
The French occupied Mehdya in 1911.
About 9,000 Allied troops, carried by 19 warships, were landed in Mehdya during Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
in 1942.