Portuguese settlements: a unique history in Morocco

In the 15th century, Portuguese navigators dropped anchor off the Atlantic coast of Morocco, leaving an architectural and cultural legacy that is still visible today. The Portuguese cities – Mazagan (El Jadida), Ceuta, Ksar es-Seghir, Agadir, Safi and Mogador (Essaouira) – constitute a unique heritage, bearing witness to an era when the ocean was a route for conquest and trade.

These cities were fortresses in enemy territory

These settlements are characterised by their imposing military architecture: thick ramparts, angular bastions, a vaulted cistern and a Manueline church. Mazagan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, perfectly illustrates this fusion between a European fortress and adaptation to the arid climate. Its cistern, lit by a skylight, remains a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering. Closed since 2021, its restoration began in 2026.

The Moroccan transition

Beyond the stone, these cities tell the story of centuries of exchange and coexistence. The Portuguese cannons have long since rusted away, but the

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fortification techniques, place names and certain rituals have permeated the urban fabric of Morocco. A reflection of how Moroccan culture permeated Al-Andalus! Following the Portuguese withdrawal in the 16th century, the Saadian and then Alawite sultanates reclaimed these strongholds – with the exception of Ceuta, which had become Spanish – Moroccanising them whilst preserving their original structure.

Today, strolling through the medina of Essaouira or beneath the vaults of El Jadida is like traversing a layer of history where Europe and North Africa have long gazed at one another in the salty mirror of the Atlantic. These cities are no longer military outposts, but crossroads of memory, inviting the visitor to see Morocco in a different light.