Kasbah of Agadir

The Kasbah of Agadir[1] or Agadir Oufla is a historical landmark in Agadir, Morocco that housed the old city of Agadir, much of which was affected by the earthquake that struck the city. The fort is located on the top of a mountain rising 236 meters above sea level in the north of the town of Agadir near the current port.

Kasbah of Agadir

The name

Agadir Oufla[2] is the local name of the Kasbah of Agadir. The word "Agadir" means "fort", and "Oufla" is an Amazigh word meaning "above". Agadir Ofla, therefore, implies the fortress at the top.

Walls Agadir Kasbah

Historically

The Kasbah or Agadir Oufella (the upper town of Agadir) was built in 1540 by Sultan Mehmed Sheikh al-Saadi to protect the city from possible invasions, especially Portuguese.  Portuguese who had settled at the foot of the mountain since 1470 AD as part of their search for India. To build the Kasbah on top of the same peak. This strategic location enabled the bombardment of Portuguese installations with artillery in 1541 and the liberation of the Portuguese fort, Santacruz. Consequently, the importance of the fort decreased until Alghalb Biallah Alsaedii mostly rebuilt it.

The construction phases of the Kasbah

The Kasbah was mainly built for military reasons to protect the city and its port from possible foreign invasions

Lighting walls Agadir Kasbah night

In 1505: captain Joao Lopez de Sequeira[3] built in stone and lime a small fort to protect a source of freshwater.

In 1511: the Souss tribes launched the first attack against the Portuguese settled in Agadir.

In 1513: the king of Portugal Dom Manuel bought this small fort and called it Santa Cruz de Cape de Guir ("Santa Cruz do Cabo de Aguer").

In 1536: the Saadian Sultan Moulay Abdallah El Kaim Bi Amri Allah declared the holy war, against the invaders. His son Mohamed Cheikh El Mehdi finally seized Agadir.

In 1540: Mohamed Cheikh became ruler built the Kasbah, surrounding it with fortified towers and installing between 40 and 50 guns to defend the city.

Earthquakes

The Kasbah was destroyed for the first time in November 1755 during Lisbon earthquake. Then in 1960, during Agadir earthquake.

The components of the fort before the earthquake

The fortress of the Kasbah of Agadir before the earthquake consisted of:

  • The outer wall is supported by towers and has a twisted door designed for defensive purposes.
  • Great Mosque.
  • Hospital.
  • Treasury and postal building
  • Houses, alleys and junior yards.
  • Mallah, a Jewish neighborhood
  • Shrines, the most important one is the mausoleum of Sidi Boudjemaa Aknaou.
  • Mausoleum of Lala Yamna
  • View from the hill to the port of Agadir
  • View from the wall of the Kasbah of Agadir Ofla
  • Agadir Kasbah Walls
  • Agadir Kasbah Walls
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References
  1. "Agadir Ofellah (The Kasbah) | Sites & Monuments of Agadir". Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  2. France, PASS Technologie, 26, rue Louis Braille, 75012 Paris. "Kasba d'Agadir Ighir (Oufella)". idpc.ma (in French). Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  3. "João Lopes de Sequeira", Wikipédia (in French), 2019-11-03, retrieved 2019-11-20

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