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Mehdya المهدية
Town
Mehdya
Coordinates: 34°15′35″N 6°39′0″W / 34.25972°N 6.65000°W / 34.25972; -6.65000
Country	Morocco
Region	Rabat-Salé-Kénitra
Province	Kénitra
Population
• Total	16,262
Time zone	UTC+0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (WEST)

Mehdya (Arabic: المهدية, romanized: al-Mahdiyā), also Mehdia or Mehedya, is a town in Kénitra Province, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, in north-western Morocco. Previously called al-Ma'mura, it was known as São João da Mamora under 16th century Portuguese occupation, or as La Mamora under 17th century Spanish occupation.

According to the 2004 census, the town has a population of 16,262. It is located on Sebou River (Oued Sebu).

History

Mehdya was previously called Al-Ma'mura ("the well-populated") or La Mamora in Europe, and was a harbour on the coast of Morocco. Per an ancient account, a colony was founded at the site in the 5th century BCE by the Carthaginians, who called it Thymiaterium.

Portuguese occupation (1515)

It was captured by the Portuguese in 1515, and renamed São João da Mamora. Altogether, the Portuguese are documented to have seized 6 Moroccan towns, and built 6 stand-alone fortresses on the Moroccan Atlantic coast, between the river Loukos in the north and the river of Sous in the south. Four of the stand-alone fortresses only had a short duration: Graciosa (1489), Forte de São João de Mamora (pt) (1515), Castelo Real of Mogador (1506–10) and Aguz (1520–25). Two of them were to become permanent urban settlements: Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir, founded in 1505-06), and Mazagan founded in 1514-17. The Portuguese had to abandon most of their settlements between 1541 and 1550, although they were able to keep Ceuta, Tangier and Mazagan.

Pirate haven

During the first Anglo-Spanish War, pirates (including English former privateers) had sold captured prizes in Ireland and at the Barbary Coast, where governments struggled to prevent this trade. When peace came in 1604, pirates soon established a pirate haven at Mehdya, a location with the advantage of being near Spain and major trade routes. The Moroccan sultanate tolerated these pirates due to the wealth they brought to the country. However, during summers, Mehdya became less safe as the calmer waters favored the galleys used to suppress piracy; therefore, the coast of Munster was used as a complementary base for piracy.

The only port on the Moroccan coast in the hands of neither the Spanish nor the Moors, Mehdya became the main retreat of Atlantic pirates under the command of Henry Mainwaring, important not only as a place to sell their plunder, but also for ship maintenance (including careening). Around 1610, Mehdya was the site of a three-day battle between Dutch and English pirates. The Spanish blockaded Mehdya in 1611, sinking ships and blocking the harbor entrance. In the summer of 1614, the harbor housed at least 30 ships weighing at or above 100 tons, though the bar prevented the passage of ships of above ~300 tons burden.

Spanish occupation (1614–1681)

In order to secure the Spanish treasure fleet route Mehdya, known as La Mamora, was under Spanish rule between 1614 and 1681. After occupying Larache in 1610, a Spanish fleet under Admiral Luis Fajardo captured Al-Ma'mura during the reign of Mulay Zidan in August 1614, due to the period of anarchy that followed the death of Mulay al-Mansur in 1603. After negotiations with Mulay Zidan, they left a strong garrison of 1,500 men, and called the harbour San Miguel de Ultramar. The works to build the Fortress of La Mamora along with the San Felipe bastion fort started inmediately.

The warlord Sidi al-Ayachi led a counter-offensive against Spain, privateering against its shipping, and obtaining the help of the Moriscos and the English. About 1627, he managed to temporarily capture Al-Ma'mura, and add it to his Republic of Salé. La Marora was unsuccessfully sieged on other several occasions.

The Spanish retained the city for 67 years, when it was conquered by the Alaouite ruler Moulay Ismaïl. According to tradition, the Bishop of Cadiz had commissioned a statue of Jesus Christ for the church at La Mamora, which was in his diocese. When the Moroccans reoccupied the town in 1681 they took the statue and prisoners as loot, and later received a ransom from the Spanish for the return of the statue and the Spaniards, which was taken to Madrid where it is nowadays venerated under the name of Cristo de Medinaceli.

Moroccan (1681-1912)

The new Sultan Mulay Ismail took the city by storm in 1681, and renamed the city al-Mahdiya. (conquest of Mehdya). During this period, the former spanish fortress of La Mamora was restored resulting in the iconic Kasbah Mahdiyya . From 1694 to 1696, the Portuguese blockaded this port in order to counter piracy. In 1795, Mulay Slimane closed the harbour of Mehdya to avoid foreign incursions into Kenitra, and Mehdya was abandoned.

French protectorate of Morocco (1912-1956)

During the french conquest of Morocco, the French occupied Mehdya in 1911.

About 9,000 Allied troops, carried by 19 warships, were landed in Mehdya during Operation Torch in 1942.

See also

• European enclaves in North Africa before 1830

References

1. "World Gazetteer". Archived from the original on 2012-12-05.
2. ^ Lévi-Provençal, Evariste. "Al Madīya". In Houtsma, Martijn Theodoor (ed.). E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam: 1913 – 1936, Volume 5, L – Moriscos (1987 reprint ed.). p. 122. ISBN 978-90-04-08494-0.
3. City walls: the urban enceinte in global perspective James D. Tracy p.352
4. Senior 1976, pp. 48–50.
5. Senior 1976, pp. 53–54.
6. ^ Senior 1976, p. 76.
7. ^ Senior 1976, p. 29.
8. Senior 1976, p. 35.
9. Senior 1976, p. 73.
10. ^ Sánchez, Juan L. "Gobernadores de La Marora (1614-1681)". La época de los Tercios (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 September 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
11. ^ The Cambridge history of Islam by P. M. Holt, Ann K. S. Lambton, Bernard Lewis p.247
12. ^ Soto, Francisco Javier Bueno (2010). "Larache y La Mamora: dos fortificaciones españolas en tiempos de Felipe III". Aldaba (in Spanish) (34): 51–96. doi:10.5944/aldaba.34.2010.20519. ISSN 2603-9265.
13. Britain and Morocco during the embassy of John Drummond Hay, 1845-1886 by Khalid Ben Srhir, p.14
14. "El Cristo de Medinaceli: Jesús esclavo". ABC. Madrid, Spain. 7 March 1958. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 May 2014.
15. قصبة المهدية. Museum with no Frontiers. Retrieved January 27, 2018.

• Senior, Clive M. (1976). A Nation of Pirates. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 7264 5.

v t e Kénitra Province
Capital: Kenitra
Municipalities	Kenitra Mehdya Sidi Slimane Sidi Yahya El Gharb Souk El Arbaa
Rural communes	Ameur Seflia Arbaoua Azghar Bahhara Oulad Ayad Ben Mansour Beni Malek Boumaiz Chouafaa Dar Bel Amri Haddada Kariat Ben Aouda Kceibya Lalla Mimouna M'Saada Mnasra Mograne Moulay Bousselham Oued El Makhazine Oulad Ben Hammadi Oulad H'Cine Oulad Slama Sfafaa Sidi Allal Tazi Sidi Boubker El Haj Sidi Mohamed Lahmar Sidi Taibi Souk Tlet El Gharb

v t e Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region
Capital: Rabat
Provinces and Prefectures	Kénitra Province Khémisset Province Sidi Kacem Province Sidi Slimane Province Rabat Prefecture Salé Prefecture Skhirate-Témara Prefecture
Cities	Khemisset Sidi Taibi Dar Gueddari Had Kourt Jorf El Melha Kenitra Khnichet Lalla Mimouna Mechra Bel Ksiri Mehdya Moulay Bousselham Ouazzane Oulad Slama Rabat Salé Sidi Allal Tazi Sidi Kacem Sidi Slimane Sidi Yahya El Gharb Skhirat Souk El Arbaa Témara Tiflet

v t e Portuguese Empire
North Africa 15th century 1415–1640 Ceuta 1458–1550 Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550 Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662 Tangier 1485–1550 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487–16th century Ouadane 1488–1541 Safim (Safi) 1489 Graciosa 16th century 1505–1541 Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) 1506–1525 Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525 Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541 Azamor (Azemmour) 1515–1541 São João da Mamora (Mehdya) 1577–1589 Arzila (Asilah)
Sub-Saharan Africa 15th century 1455–1633 Arguim 1462–1975 Cape Verde 1470–1975 São Tomé 1471–1975 Príncipe 1474–1778 Annobón 1478–1778 Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637 Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) 1482–1642 Portuguese Gold Coast 1498–1540 Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500–1630 Malindi 1501–1975 Portuguese Mozambique 1502–1659 Saint Helena 1503–1698 Zanzibar 1505–1512 Quíloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511 Socotra 1508–1547 Madagascar 1557–1578 Accra 1575–1975 Portuguese Angola 1588–1974 Cacheu 1593–1698 Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 1645–1888 Ziguinchor 1680–1961 São João Baptista de Ajudá, Benin 1687–1974 Bissau 18th century 1728–1729 Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975 Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century 1879–1974 Portuguese Guinea 1885–1974 Portuguese Congo Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753. Or 1600. A factory (Anosy Region) and small temporary coastal bases. Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Part of Portuguese Angola from the 1920s.
Middle East 16th century 1506–1615 Gamru (Bandar Abbas) 1507–1643 Sohar 1515–1622 Hormuz (Ormus) 1515–1648 Quriyat 1515–? Qalhat 1515–1650 Muscat 1515?–? Barka 1515–1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602 Bahrain (Muharraq • Manama) 1521–1529? Qatif 1521?–1551? Tarut Island 1550–1551 Qatif 1588–1648 Matrah 17th century 1620–? Khor Fakkan 1621?–? As Sib 1621–1622 Qeshm 1623–? Khasab 1623–? Libedia 1624–? Kalba 1624–? Madha 1624–1648 Dibba Al-Hisn 1624?–? Bandar-e Kong
South Asia 15th century 1498–1545 Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India  • 1500–1663 Cochim (Kochi)  • 1501–1663 Cannanore (Kannur)  • 1502–1658  1659–1661 Quilon (Coulão / Kollam)  • 1502–1661 Pallipuram (Cochin de Cima)  • 1507–1657 Negapatam (Nagapatnam)  • 1510–1961 Goa  • 1512–1525  1750 Calicut (Kozhikode)  • 1518–1619 Portuguese Paliacate outpost (Pulicat)  • 1521–1740 Chaul   (Portuguese India)  • 1523–1662 Mylapore  • 1528–1666 Chittagong (Porto Grande De Bengala)  • 1531–1571 Chaul  • 1531–1571 Chalé  • 1534–1601 Salsette Island  • 1534–1661 Bombay (Mumbai)  • 1535 Ponnani  • 1535–1739 Baçaím (Vasai-Virar)  • 1536–1662 Cranganore (Kodungallur)  • 1540–1612 Surat  • 1548–1658 Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)  • 1559–1961 Daman and Diu  • 1568–1659 Mangalore   (Portuguese India)  • 1579–1632 Hugli  • 1598–1610 Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1518–1521 Maldives 1518–1658 Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1558–1573 Maldives 17th century Portuguese India  • 1687–1749 Mylapore 18th century Portuguese India  • 1779–1954 Dadra and Nagar Haveli
East Asia and Oceania 16th century 1511–1641 Portuguese Malacca 1512–1621 Maluku  • 1522–1575  Ternate  • 1576–1605  Ambon  • 1578–1650  Tidore 1512–1665 Makassar 1515–1859 Larantuka 1557–1999 Macau 1580–1586 Nagasaki 17th century 1642–1975 Portuguese Timor (East Timor) 19th century Portuguese Macau  • 1864–1999 Coloane  • 1851–1999 Taipa  • 1890–1999 Ilha Verde 20th century Portuguese Macau  • 1938–1941 Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was fully recognized.
North America and North Atlantic 15th century 1420 Madeira 1432 Azores 16th century 1500–1579? Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 1500–1579? Labrador 1516–1579? Nova Scotia
South America and Caribbean 16th century 1500–1822 Brazil  • 1534–1549  Captaincy Colonies of Brazil  • 1549–1572  Brazil  • 1572–1578  Bahia  • 1572–1578  Rio de Janeiro  • 1578–1607  Brazil  • 1621–1815  Brazil 1536–1620 Barbados 17th century 1621–1751 Maranhão 1680–1777 Nova Colónia do Sacramento 18th century 1751–1772 Grão-Pará and Maranhão 1772–1775 Grão-Pará and Rio Negro 1772–1775 Maranhão and Piauí 19th century 1808–1822 Cisplatina (Uruguay) 1809–1817 Portuguese Guiana (Amapá) 1822 Upper Peru (Bolivia)
Armorial of Portuguese colonies Evolution of the Portuguese Empire Portuguese colonial architecture Portuguese colonization of the Americas Portuguese Empire in the Indonesian Archipelago Portuguese India Theory of the Portuguese discovery of Australia

• Populated places in Kénitra Province
• Municipalities of Morocco
• Kingdom of the Algarve
• Former Portuguese colonies
• Populated places established in the 5th century BC
• 1515 establishments in the Portuguese Empire
• 1541 disestablishments in the Portuguese Empire
• 1614 establishments in the Spanish Empire
• 1681 disestablishments in the Spanish Empire
• 1681 establishments in Morocco
• Pirate dens and locations