The broken up rocky ruin washed around
by the sea
is located south of the m outh of Oued Ksob and
is known
as "Borj el Oued " or "
Castle in the Sand" but also incorrectly “The Portuguese Fort” and
"Bordj el Baroud" or 'bourj el oued"
Late 18th century
construction of defensive fortresses..
included also Borj el Bermil
at the entry of the port, Borj el Assa at the
island of Mogador ( Ile Purpuraires ) and Borj el Baroud
south at the river Oued Ksob. Borj el Baroud was an isolated fortress which served as a store
for gunpowder probably situated somewhere between Bab Marrakech
and Sidi Mogdoul. There are no traces left of it today
caused by the new settlements and the construction of Boulevard
Mohammed V.
Borj El Oued
It was reconstructed in the Sultan
Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah times on the rests of an old
fortress - probably Carthaginian and a "megdul"Phoenician . It served in the antiquity as a lighthouse
with fire of wood.It collapsed the 13 january 1856 following
a disastrous flood of Oued Ksob.
There are many reasons to believe that this
structure may have been an integral part of the Phoenician
settlement on the Purple Island.
The Phoenician word ‘'migdol'‘
for watchtower would justifie naming this place Mogador.
A common name for Bordj el Oued is "The Castle in the sand" and it is a misbelief that this ruin was an inspiration for the song "Castles made of sand" by Jimi Hendrix.
Jimi visited Essaouira a short stay in 1969 and the song was released in 1967.
Borj el Oued with the
mosque on the Island of
Mogador. South side of the mosque there is a battery.
Borj el Baroud was an isolated fortress which served as a store
for gunpowder probably situated somewhere between Bab Marrakech and Sidi Mogdoul. There are no traces left of it today
caused by the new settlements and the construction of Boulevard
Mohammed V.
