Asilah Getting ready for tourists
Asilah also written Assila or Asila... (Amazigh: Aẓila; Arabic: أصيلة), is a fortified town on the northwest Atlantic coast of Morocco,
located at about 31 km (19 miles) south of Tangier.
You may take a tour inside Assila in this video below:
And here is an extended version without music to give you the feeling of being there
After
mouths of being shut down, Assilah is finally getting ready to receive its faithful
visitors and tourists, the city's
main
economy rely partially on tourism revenue. It is one of the most affected touristic
towns, especially that it is not
only a
favourit destination for foreigners but also for locals. From all over the country,
many people come each summer to Asila to the point that it gets crazily crowded
sometimes.
Known for
being a city of art and artists, the old medina or old town is usually decorated
with all kind of colorful paintings all year long. But it is during the summer
where these paintings are renewed, by local and international
artists..
Visitors have the opportunity to wander within the white wall of the old town
while admiring some great artwork masterpieces.
During this
time of year you could spot painters doing their thing transforming the medina
into a beautiful canvas. Asilah also hosts annual music and arts festivals, including
a mural-painting festival held each year in August. The International
Cultural
Festival usually features jazz and Moroccan music as well as art exhibitions cultural
conferences and other activities.
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| Asilah's Murals |
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| Artist painting walls of Asilah |
History:
Asilah
exists since 15000 B.C, The Phoenicians used to occupy a site 12km from where
it is located today, it was called Zilis or something similar. A part of Asilah
was constructed by the Idrisid dynasty, Cordoban caliph Al-Hakam 2nd rebuilt
the town in 966.
On the
other hand the fortification of the medina was built by the Portuguese after it
was conquered in 1471. It was later used as a base for a planned crusade that
failed resulting in Asilah coming back to Moroccans, but the Spanish conquered
the town shortly after. it remained under Spanish reign till 1692 when it came
back to the Moroccans again under the rule of Moulay Ismail. Asilah served then
as a base for pirates in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in 1829, the
Austrians punitively bombarded the city due to Moroccan piracy.
From 1912
to 1956, it was a town in the part that was occupied by Spain, before Morocco
obtained its official independence in 1956 and the city came back to Morocco.
Asilah is
known for its strong walls and towers, initially the walls were built by the
Almohads and the reinforced by the Marinids and the Wattasids. But the walls
that are still standing now are the ones built by the Portuguese in 1471. They
also reduced the town so they can easily control it.
The main
gates to the old medina are "Bab Homar" and "Bab al-Qasaba" also known as
"Bad Bhar" which means gate to the beach.
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| Modern side of Asilah |
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| Asilah's white walls and plants |
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| Medina's Narrow Streets in Asila |
Inside the town stands a
rectangular tower in Portuguese style, known as "Borj Al-Qamra" but
its original name was actually "Borj Al-Hamra" which translates to
"Red Tower"). It is one of the landmarks of Asilah overlooks an open square where small concerts
are organized each year during the cultural and music festival.
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| Borj Al-Qamra |
