Perhaps the least visited of the old Portuguese coastal bastions, Azemmour has a backwater air. It is a town with a dual identity. There are the obvious attractions – the walk along the old ramparts, the stroll through the narrow streets of the médina, the view of the Oum er Rbia River – and then there is the walk up to the Zaouïa of Moulay Bouchaïb. Here you can see the whole gammut of stalls and actitivites which are so much a part of a pilgrimage centre: herbalists, apothecaries and fortune tellers, henna-tattoo ladies and candle sellers. And for a summer bathe, about 1 km from the town, is Haouzia beach.
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Azemmour information
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Background
Background
There was a trading post here called Azama in the Carthaginian period, but earlier marble columns dating back to Punic times and Roman coins have also been found in the area. In the 15th century Azemmour was an important trading port on the routes between Portugal and West Africa, trading horses, carpets, jallabah and haiks with Guinea and cereals with Portugal. The Portuguese occupied Azemmour in 1513 as a base from which to attack Marrakech, but under opposition from the Saâdians had to withdraw in 1541. The town assumed regional importance under the Saâdians, but soon lost ground to the growth of its near neighbour, El Jadida. Azemmour is known for embroidery. The town is sometimes referred to as Moulay Bou Chaib, after its patron saint, who has a zaouïa above the town. At the mouth of the Oued Oum er Rbia, the town was once noted for the widespread shad fishing throughout the cooler part of the year. The fish were caught as they went upstream to spawn. Water control barrages have drastically reduced their numbers.
Azemmour is an easy excursion from El Jadida, with plenty of grands taxis doing the 20-minute trip. There are now five trains a day from Casablanca and Rabat. The station, however, is a good 30-minute walk from the town. If you arrive by car, park near the ramparts, where there will be some sort of ‘warden’. All the sights are in easy walking distance. A child may show you up to the ramparts, while the beach is about 30 minutes’ walk away. The busy Rue Moulay Bouchaïb takes you up to the zaouïa of the same name.
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