Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History / The Siege of Mazagan: Portuguese Fortress in Morocco
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've talked a lot about the Portuguese in Asia and the Americas, but there's a whole other chapter of the Portuguese empire that often gets overlooked — their network of fortresses along the coast of North Africa. These were the first steps of their overseas expansion, even before Vasco da Gama. Luna: Right, like Ceuta, which was taken in 1415. But I don't know much beyond that. Lucas: Exactly. Ceuta was the beginning, but the Portuguese established a string of fortified trading posts — they called them 'fortalezas' — all along the Moroccan coast. Places like Safi, Azemmour, and Mazagan. And it's Mazagan I want to focus on today, because its story is both dramatic and surprisingly long-lived. Lucas: Mazagan was founded in 1514, on the site of an old Moroccan port, about 90 kilometers southwest of modern Casablanca. King Manuel I of Portugal ordered its construction after a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Mamora the year before. The Portuguese realized they needed a stronger foothold. Luna: What was the Mamora defeat? Lucas: In 1513, the Portuguese tried to capture the fortress of Mamora — which is now Mehdya — on the Atlantic coast. They had a huge fleet and an army of 12,000 men, but the Moroccan defenders, led by local tribes and the Wattasid sultan, fought them off. It was a humiliating loss. So Mazagan was built partly to restore Portuguese prestige and to serve as a secure base for trade and raiding. Lucas: The fortress was designed by the Italian military engineer Benedetto da Ravenna, and it was state-of-the-art for its time. It had thick ramparts, a moat, and bastions that could withstand artillery. But even so, its garrison was usually only a few hundred men — surrounded by potentially hostile territory. Luna: That sounds precarious. How did they hold out for so long? Lucas: Well, they had a secret weapon: water. Inside the fortress, they built a massive underground cistern that could store rainwater. It was a Roman-style engineering marvel — a vaulted chamber with columns, reminiscent of the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. This cistern could supply the entire garrison for months, even during a siege. Lucas: And that cistern became absolutely crucial in 1562, when Mazagan faced its greatest test. The Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib — the ruler of Morocco — decided he'd had enough of this Portuguese outpost on his coast. He assembled a huge army, possibly 40,000 men, and laid siege to the fortress. Luna: Wait, 40,000 against a few hundred? That seems impossible. Lucas: It does. But the Portuguese governor at the time, a man named Alvaro de Carvalho, had prepared well. The walls were strong, the garrison had plenty of gunpowder and food, and the cistern was full. The Saadians tried bombardment, mining, and assault, but they couldn't breach the walls. After 40 days, Moroccan forces withdrew, and the siege was lifted. Lucas: There's a famous story from that siege: when the Moroccans threatened to starve the Portuguese out, the governor reportedly ordered that the last of the garrison's grain be thrown into the sea, to show they wouldn't surrender. It's probably apocryphal, but it fits the spirit of the defense. Luna: That's incredible. So Mazagan became a symbol of Portuguese tenacity? Lucas: Yes, but also a burden. Maintaining these North African fortresses was incredibly expensive. They didn't generate much trade revenue because the interior was controlled by Moroccans. The Portuguese called them 'the sorrows of Morocco.' By the late 16th century, the crown was reconsidering the entire strategy. Lucas: After the disastrous Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578, where the Portuguese king Sebastian was killed, the empire went into decline. Spain took over Portugal in 1580, and Mazagan became a Spanish-Portuguese holding. But the fortress continued to hold on, even as other Portuguese outposts in Morocco were lost. Luna: What was daily life like there for the garrison? Lucas: It was isolated and monotonous. The soldiers were often convicts or men sent as punishment. There were some women — wives of soldiers, and also local Moroccan women who converted to Christianity. They farmed a small area outside the walls, but it was dangerous. The Portuguese also maintained a kind of truce with nearby tribes, paying tribute to avoid attacks. Lucas: One remarkable figure from Mazagan's later years is a woman named 'Molina' — actually, we don't know her real name, but she was the wife of a Portuguese captain. In the early 17th century, when the garrison was about to mutiny due to lack of pay, she supposedly rallied the soldiers and kept order. Stories like that highlight how fragile the community was. Luna: So when did the Portuguese finally leave? Lucas: In 1769. By then, Portugal was under the reforming Marquis of Pombal, who decided the fortress was too costly to maintain. And Morocco was now ruled by the powerful sultan Moulay Ismail, who had made several attempts to take it. The Portuguese evacuated Mazagan peacefully, demolishing much of the fortress before they left. They even took the gates with them — those gates are now in the town of Almeida in Portugal. Luna: So what's left of it today? Lucas: Remarkably, the old fortress city survived. After the Portuguese left, the Moroccans repopulated it and called it El Jadida — 'the new one.' The cistern remained intact. In the 20th century, it was used as a setting for movies like 'Othello.' And in 2004, UNESCO declared the Portuguese City of Mazagan a World Heritage site. You can still walk through the cistern and see the Portuguese architecture. Lucas: So Mazagan is a tangible link to that early Portuguese empire — a reminder that the first wave of European colonialism wasn't just about oceans and spices, but also about these small, gritty outposts clinging to the edge of Africa. Luna: It's fascinating how a place that seemed so marginal actually lasted two and a half centuries. And all because of a clever cistern. Lucas: Exactly. It shows how technology and determination could defy the odds. And I think it's a story worth remembering, because those fortresses were the training ground for many of the men who later built the empire in India and Brazil. Luna: I'd love to visit El Jadida one day and see that cistern for myself. Lucas: Me too. It's one of those places where history feels almost tangible. So, that's Mazagan — a small fortress that played a big role in the story of colonialism.