Borj Nord or Burj al-Shamal (), Al-Burj ash-Shamali () is a fort in the city of

Fez, Morocco Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 m ...

. It was first established in 1582 by the

Saadi dynasty The Saadi Sultanate (also rendered in English as Sa'di, Sa'did, Sa'dian, or Saadian; ar, السعديون, translit=as-saʿdiyyūn) was a state which ruled present-day Morocco and parts of West Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was l ...

, modeled after 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 ** Portu ...

forts in the 16th century. It is among the largest defense structures around the city of Fez and one of the few to incorporate European-style changes in military architecture in the gunpowder age. Today, the fort is open to public as the Museum of Arms.

Historical background of the fort

The fort was built in 1582 by the powerful Saadi sultan Ahmad al-Mansour. The Saadians, whose capital was

Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

, had faced notable resistance to their rule in Fez and the fort is one of several that they built around the city. They were intended to keep the restless population of Fes el-Bali (the old city) under control as much as to actually defend the city from external attacks. Accordingly, the forts were built in commanding positions overlooking the city, from which their canons could easily bombard the city if desired. Along with Borj Nord, the other forts built at this time were:

Borj Sud Borj Sud () is a fort in the city of Fez, Morocco. It was first established around 1582 by the Saadian dynasty, likely modeled after Portuguese forts of the time. It is located on the hills overlooking the old city ( Fes el-Bali) from the south ...

, facing Borj Nord across the valley on a hilltop overlooking Fez from the south;

Kasbah Tamdert Kasbah Tamdert is a fortress and kasbah in Fes, Morocco. It is located near Bab Ftouh in southern Fes el-Bali. History The kasbah was built in the 16th century on the orders of the Saadian sultan Muhammad al-Shaykh in 1549. The Saadians, who ...

, a citadel guarding

Bab Ftouh Bab Ftouh (also spelled Bab Fetouh) is the main southeastern gate of Fes el-Bali, the old walled city of Fes, Morocco. History The name ''Bab (al-)Ftouh'' means literally "Gate of the Opening", but historically this name (also used for Ba ...

to the south-east; and the Borj Sheikh Ahmed, one of three bastions built along the east and south walls of Fes el-Jdid and the one closest to Fes el-Bali. The Saadians built Borj Nord, Borj Sud, and the new bastions of Fes el-Jdid to emulate Portuguese military architecture; a consequence of their wars to oust the Portuguese from Morocco. Their construction was probably helped by the labour and expertise of European prisoners captured in the famous

Battle of the Three Kings A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and forc ...

in 1578. These are the first and arguably only fortresses in Fez designed for the new age of gunpowder. The large corner bastions of the fort (giving it a star-like appearance from above) are believed to have been added later during the

Alaouite The Alawi dynasty ( ar, سلالة العلويين الفيلاليين, translit=sulālat al-ʿalawiyyīn al-fīlāliyyīn) – also rendered in English as Alaouite, Alawid, or Alawite – is the current Moroccan royal family and reigning d ...

period. The original fort would have been more compact and almost cubic in appearance, similar to the Borj Sud which still retains its original form.

Museum of Arms

Borj Nord cannon on display at the Musée des Armes

Today the fort houses the Museum of Arms (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Musée des armes''). Founded in 1963, it was the first museum in Morocco specializing in the history of arms and armour. Its collection includes up to 5000 pieces (only a part of which are on display) originating from 35 countries and dating from prehistory to the 20th century. The museum emphasizes the collection of Moroccan arms, and features a large number that were manufactured in Fez in the Makina, an industrial arms factory established in 1886 next to the Royal Palace in Fez. One of the notable artifacts on display is an enormous

Saadian The Saadi Sultanate (also rendered in English as Sa'di, Sa'did, Sa'dian, or Saadian; ar, السعديون, translit=as-saʿdiyyūn) was a state which ruled present-day Morocco and parts of West Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was l ...

cannon that was used during the Battle of Three Kings in 1578, nearly 5 meters long and weighing around 12 tons.BORJ-NORD MUSEUM
. ''Museums of Morocco''. Retrieved January 13, 2018. The building, the museum and its collection were extensively restored in 2003.

References

Forts in Morocco Buildings and structures in Fez, Morocco 16th-century fortifications Star forts {{Fes Saadian architecture