El Jadida

El Jadida (الجديدة) is a coastal town of the Morocco, to 96 km of Casablanca. It is the prefecture of the Province of El Jadida.

It is twinned at the towns of Varennes located in the province of Quebec at the Canada.

History

During its history, the town of El Jadida bore several names. It was called El Jadida (the news), " Mazagan" respectively by the Morrocans, Romans and Portuguese.

During his long voyage the Carthaginian admiral Hannon was the first with speaking about El Jadida.

Several centuries later, Ptolémée spoke about the port of Rusibis located at the level 6°40 in latitude in its frame of reference, which corresponds to the current town of El Jadida (32°10).

The Portuguese occupied the area, invaluable by its strategic value. They founded the fortress of Mazagan towards 1506. The city itself was strengthened as of 1542, and thanks to a wall belt thick became a frightening citadel.

Morocco tried to release the city for a long time. During two centuries, Mazagan resisted the attacks. The Portuguese have even due to transform the attic into Citerne to store drinking water in order to hold a long time vis-a-vis these attacks (Portuguese Citerne). The Portuguese presence taken end in 1769, when the city was released by Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah.

The day before the attack, whose consequence was hardly doubtful, the general ordering the place accepted the order to evacuate the city. All the bastions were mined and a series of explosions destroyed the walls, making many victims among the attackers. Between the release of the city and until the beginning of the 19th century, El Jadida bore the name of Mahdouma .

The Sultan Moulay Abderrahmane decided to restore the fortress in 1832. He baptized it El Jadida or the News.

In second half of the 19th century, the old city of El Jadida was populated by an important Jewish community and was transformed into Mellah (Jewish district), then deserted in the years 1950 by most of those.

It is in 1912, under French protectorate, that the city took again the name of Mazagan. It overflowed quickly the old limits of the Portuguese city. A new city was organized around the enclosure.

The French were charmed by this beautiful city. It became thus a balneal center because of its soft climate and of its beaches. After the Independence, in 1956, Mazagan become again El Jadida.

The June 30th 2004, at the time of the 28th session of the committee of the world heritage, behavior with Suzhou in China, the Portuguese city of Mazagan (El Jadida) is proclaimed world heritage of UNESCO.

Today El Jadida attracts the amateurs of history curious to discover the city strengthened by the Portuguese, the film enthusiasts going on the traces of Orson Welles as well as many estivants. Majestic the Portuguese Citerne of El Jadida was used as decoration with many films whose Othello celebrates it Orson Welles. This Citerne was initially the room of weapon of the Moroccan médina before being transformed into Citerne of drinking water at the time of the head office of El Jadida in the middle of the 15th century. The bored vault of an opening and the 25 columns are reflected in enlightened transparent water by a zenith light.

In August takes place celebrates it Moussem Moulay Abdellah Amghar, which attracts more than one hundred thousand visitors.

Economy

El Jadida counts 144.000 inhabitants.

Port activities

The port of Jorf Lasfar is the first port ore tanker and the largest wearing of Africa. Among the large companies which it shelters, there are OCP, JLEC, SONACID…

The highway connecting El Jadida to Casablanca, a 80 km length was opened with circulation starting from November 4th, 2006, with the unfolding of the railway the town of El Jadida will connaitera another fate.

External bonds

www.rusibis.com
www.eljadida.ma
the gate: '' eljadidacity.africa-web.org '' participative Site of the town of El Jadida.

Twinnings

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