Borj Dar El Baroud in Tangiers: Walls and military history come on stage

Borj Dar El Baroud has finally opened its doors. The building has been transformed into a fortification interpretativecenter by the Development Company for the Reconstruction of the Port Area of Tangiers, SAPT, a project launched in late 2020 with a budget of 10 million MADs. The project aims at enhancing the walls of Tangiers’ medina to popularize their history and alsoprovide additional animation within the framework of the development project of Tangiers’ port and Marina.

The Dar El Baroud facilities date back to the 15th century. They are located at the North-East corner of the Medina wall and are one of the most imposing military constructions in Tangiers. The space is divided into four terraces. One of them houses Armstrong-type 180 mm diameter anti-shipguns installed by Moulay Hassan the First. The rather rare long-range artillery pieces kept the attackers away from the Moroccan coast.

Borj Dar Baroud is also made up of outbuildings and fortification elements adapted to the firearms of the time (cannons, look-out posts, passages for traffic…) able to satisfy the amateurs of military technology of the time and historians. The site will also be dedicated to the permanent exhibition of the history of the fortified buildings and artillery of the city through mockups, photographs, and maps, in addition to a collection of weapons and military uniforms. The project came into being, according to SAPT, thanks to the involvement of local authorities in the region, and also to the contribution of the Directorate of Military History under the form of artifacts for the exhibition to enrich the center’s museum resources.

Ali ABJIOU