El Jadida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida)* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| State Party |  Morocco |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv |
| Reference | 1058 |
| Region† | Arab States |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2004 (28th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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El Jadida (الجديدة) is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, in the province of El Jadida. It has a population of 144,440 (2004 census) and is the port for Marrakech, 110 miles to the south. From the sea, El Jadida has a very un-Moorish appearance; it has massive Portuguese walls of hewn stone.[1]
El Jadida, previously known as Mazagan (Portuguese: Mazagão), was seized in 1502 by the Portuguese. From 1580 to 1640, Portugal was under Spanish dynastic rule. Portuguese abandoned Mazagão in 1769. Many of its inhabitants were evacuated to Brazil, where they founded new settlement Nova Mazagão (now in Amapá). El Jadida was then taken over by Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah.
The Portuguese Fortified City of Mazagan was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, on the basis of its status as an "outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures" and as an "early example of the realisation of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology".
According to UNESCO[2], the most important buildings from the Portuguese period are the cistern, and the Manueline church of the Assumption.
At present, the city's main exports are beans, almonds, maize, chick-peas, wool, hides, wax and eggs. It imports cotton, sugar, tea and rice. The presence of nearby ports and factories is responsible for the pollution of El Jadida's beaches.
Essaouria connects to El Jadida to the south via the R301 road.
Contents |
[edit] People
- Driss Chraïbi (1926 – 2007)
[edit] Town twinning
[edit] References
- ^ Paula Hardy, Heidi Edsall, Mara Vorhees (2005). Morocco. Lonely Planet. ISBN 1740596781.
- ^ Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida) - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
[edit] External links
- (French) Website Of El Jadida
- Website of El Jadida, Morocco
- Website of Mazagan
- El Jadida entry in Lexicorient
- [1] El jadida Camping
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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