Kasbah Mahdiyya (also written as Mehdya, Mehdia, Mahdiya), or Kasbah of Kenitra, () is a kasbah located in Kenitra,

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. It is situated at the mouth of the Sebou River on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

, 8 km (4.9 mi) west of the city's train station.قصبة المهدية.. قلعة منسية بنواحي القنيطرة
''Maghress''. Retrieved January 27, 2018. The kasbah was built during the era of the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Abd al-Mu'min Abd al-Mu'min (c. 1094–1163) (; full name: ʿAbd al-Muʾmin ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAlwī ibn Yaʿlā al-Kūmī Abū Muḥammad) was a prominent member of the Almohad movement. Although the Almohad movement itself was founded by Ibn Tumart, Abd al-Mu' ...

, and restored during the Alaouite period in the 17th century.

History

The building was established in a strategic location that connects several areas of Morocco. The Sebou River, which flows to the

, is a navigable river that flows through the Atlas Mountains and reaches inland areas such as the city of Fez. During the Middle Ages, holding this area was key for establishing a logistical, military and commercial advantage. As such, the kasbah was heavily contested by many states throughout history.قصبة المهدية
''Museum with no Frontiers''. Retrieved January 27, 2018. Its foundation dates back to an assembly building, likely built as a part of a harbor from the 10th century. In the 12th century, the Almohad Sultan Abd Al-Mu'min established a dock and attached a fort, using high quality woods from the neighboring forest. The town of Mehdya grew around it and remained small, but was used as a resource center for trade with Europe until the 16th century. In 1515, the Portuguese captured the area and built a fort in a different location, and the occupation only lasted for some weeks. In the 17th century, after the site was briefly used as a hub for piracy, the local authority attempted to gain independence, only to be occupied by Spain. The Spanish constructed the La Mamora fortress and San Felipe baston fort in 1614. It was the work of the royal engineer Cristobal de Rojas and Cristobal Lechuga

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

officer on top of the rocks that overlooks the mouth of the river. The citadel wall built as a part of the fort had become the basis of the current structure. The area was recovered by the Alaouite Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif in 1681, who gave the for, or kasbah, its current name. Sultan Ismail carried out a full-scale reconstruction of the kasbah on the Spanish fort. He built an establishment for administration (Dar el-Makhzen),

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

, barracks,

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

, funduq (traditional inn) and stables. The Sultan also restored the broken citadel walls and demolished the southern section to make way for defense towers and moats. He maintained the three towers on the northern side. He also constructed the monumental entrance gate on the shore, which was named as Bab al-Jadid. His detailed construction also extended to the interior, featuring four halls surrounding the sahn adorned by zellige. There is also a garden and

hamam A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

as well. After closing the harbour to secure Kenitra in the late XVIII century the kasbah was abandoned. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the kasbah was the location of the Battle of Port Lyautey, when it was damaged.

References

{{reflist 12th-century establishments in Morocco Kasbahs in Morocco Almohad architecture Former castles in Spain