Sea Castle (Safi)
| Sea Castle of Safi | |
|---|---|
Ksar el Bahr, Dar Bahar, Castelo do Mar | |
| Safi, Morocco | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Castle |
| Condition | At risk |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 32°17′50.7″N 9°14′39.5″W / 32.297417°N 9.244306°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1515-1517 |
| Built by | Portuguese Empire |
The Sea Castle of Safi is a 16th-century fortification in Safi, Morocco. It was built by the Portuguese Empire beginning in 1515, and it is a heritage monument in the modern period. In the 21st century, the fortress experienced neglect and risk of collapse.[1] By 2023, it was closed and in need of repairs.[2]
History
In the late 15th century, John II of Portugal acquired several fortifications in northern Morocco, and Manuel I expanded this presence down the Atlantic coast. Safi, an important port in the pepper trade,[3] came under Portuguese control in 1488, and it experienced a broader military occupation in 1508 initiated by captain Diogo de Azambuja.[4] The sea fortress at Safi was then constructed in 1515–1517 as part of the network of Portuguese fortifications stretching southward from Tangier and Ceuta.[5]
Description
The sea fortress in Safi resembles that of an earlier fortress in Tangier. The structure is rectangular and rests directly on a cliff over the Atlantic. It features a mix of rounded and squared towers, with one of the towers being attached to the main structure by an arch.[5] It previously contained residential facilities for the Portuguese governor and prisoners.[2] In 1929, a travel writer provided the following description:[6]
A fine old Portuguese castle, the Dar Bahar or House of the Sea, consisting of a series of towers and battlemented walls of great strength and beauty, rises sheer from the Atlantic and completes the system of fortifications. Its base is a rock, against which the waves are constantly breaking in clouds of spray.
— L. E. Bickerstaffe, M.A., Things Seen in Morocco (1929)
Architecture
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Fortress Cannons
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Safi behind a squared tower
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Rounded towers
See also
References
- ^ Bendix, Regina; Eggert, Aditya; Peselmann, Arnika, eds. (2013). Heritage Regimes and the State (2nd ed.). Göttingen University Press. p. 69. ISBN 9783863951221.
- ^ a b Peters, Lucas (2023). Moon Morocco: Local Insight, Strategic Itineraries, Desert Excursions. Moon Publications. ISBN 9781640499782.
- ^ Rogerson, Barnaby (2011). "7. Conquest of Commerce". The Last Crusaders: The Hundred-Year Battle for the Center of the World. ABRAMS, Incorporated. ISBN 9781468302882.
- ^ Livermore, Harold (1966). A New History of Portugal. Cambridge University Press. p. 135. ISBN 9780521055666.
- ^ a b Tracy, James, ed. (2000). City Walls: The Urban Enceinte in Global Perspective. Cambridge University Press. p. 363. ISBN 9780521652216.
- ^ Bickerstaffe, Lovelyn Elaine (1929). Things Seen in Morocco: A Land of Enchantment, of Perpetual Contrasts & of Absorbing Human Interest. Seeley, Service. p. 149. OCLC 847205 – via Google Books.