Azemmour, town at the Atlantic coast of Morocco
Azemmour is a small town in El Jadida Province, western Morocco, set on the bank of the Oum Er-Rbia River just before it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The old town is enclosed by stone walls and made up of narrow lanes, traditional houses, and a Portuguese-era kasbah with towers and old cannons still in place.
The site was settled in ancient times by Phoenicians and Romans, and later grew into a trading post under Almohad and Merinid rule during the medieval period. In the early 1500s the Portuguese took control and built the fortifications that still define the outline of the old town today.
The name Azemmour comes from the Arabic word for the wild lemon, a fruit that still grows in the surrounding area. Inside the old town, local artists have covered many walls with painted murals, giving the medina an informal outdoor gallery feel that sets it apart from other Moroccan towns.
Azemmour lies about 16 kilometers north of El Jadida and is easily reached from Casablanca by train, car, or bus in roughly an hour. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons to visit, since summers can be very warm, and there are sleeping options both inside the old town and along the nearby coast.
After the expulsion of Jews from Portugal in 1496, many settled in Azemmour and shaped the town's fishing and craft trades for centuries. The Mellah quarter and the tomb of Rabbi Abraham Moul Niss are still standing and can be visited today.
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