Great gate
Between two crenellated towers.
Jaro Varga — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wafaa Tajri — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wafaa Tajri — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wafaa Tajri — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Starssurfer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Erwann ANDRE — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jaafri fouad — CC BY-SA 4.0 · EL KHALIL EL ARFAOUI — CC BY-SA 4.0
A historic fortress on a rise overlooking the mouth of the Sebou river on the Atlantic, in the town of Mehdia west of Kenitra. The Sebou was navigable deep inland towards Fes, so holding its mouth brought a great military and commercial advantage, and many powers fought over it through the centuries. Its origins go back to a harbour recorded from the tenth century. In the twelfth century the Almohad sultan Abd al-Mu'min built a shipyard and a fort here, using timber from the nearby forest. The Portuguese held it for a few weeks in 1515, and the Spanish built the fortress of La Mamora here in 1614, until Sultan Moulay Ismail recovered it in 1681 and rebuilt it with a governor's residence, a mosque, barracks, a madrasa and an inn. The highlights today are its massive gate between two crenellated towers, its walls, arches and vaulted passages, and the remains of the mosque and governor's residence inside. The walls look out over the river's bends, the ocean and the long beach. The visit is usually free. Parts of the kasbah are in ruins, so walk carefully and keep away from high edges. It combines easily with Mehdia beach and the Sidi Boughaba reserve in half a day.
Between two crenellated towers.
Arches and walls.
Where river meets ocean.
Mehdia, at the mouth of the Sebou river, about ten kilometres west of Kenitra
Parts of it are still in ruins, so walk carefully; its highlights are the great gate and the view from its walls over the river mouth.