Territory, city, wall: on Portuguese military settlements in North Africa

Abstract

The Portuguese presence in Northern Africa started with the conquest of Ceuta, in 1415, and ended with the evacuation of Mazagão, in 1769. Beyond the evident economical and commercial benefits, Europe’s recognition and religious Reconquest were also aimed. The domination consisted on fortified and isolated settlements punctuating the shore, which revealed a huge difficulty in penetrating to the hinterland, towards cities as Fez or Marrakesh, capitals then. One can speak of two kinds of settlement in the territory called “infidel” then. The conquest was a much advantageous process to Portugal, not only for providing an existing urban and commercial fabric, but also for the average duration of these possessions: Ceuta (1415-1640), Qsar es-Seghir (1458-1550), Tangier (1471-1661), Asylah (1471-1550), in the north, and also Azzemour (1513-1541) and Safi (1508-1541), in the south. When the Portuguese took over such former Islamic cities, the collision of a new situation was produced at various levels: surface dimension, military and public architecture and street system. The impact of some public buildings implied a street-layout revision, which sought standardization and regularity. These cities had their surface reduced by new curtain-walls - atalho (downsizing) - that cut short their original perimeter and surface, showing a deeply rational praxis. The foundation was another form of approaching the territory, seeking strategic points of establishment, but less fortunate for the Portuguese crown. New fortified positions in geographically relevant sites allowed an ephemeral effect of pulverisation along the coast. From the failed attempts in Graciosa (1489) or Mámora (1515) to the construction of castles in Santa Cruz do Cabo de Guer (Agadir) (1505-1541), Ben Mirao (1505), Mogador (Essaouira) (1506-1510) or even Aguz (Souira Qedima) (1520-1524), the hostility of the Dukkala and Sus tribes prevented these positions from a longer staying. The exception was Mazagão (1514-1769), today’s the Cité Portugaise or the mellah in the city of El Jadida. This paper wishes to demonstrate how conquests and foundations enabled territorial strategies based on strong settlements along the Maghreb coast supported by satellite strongholds.