The Kasbah of Mehdya. History, Documentation and Conservation of a Fortified Landscape

Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, at the mouth of the Sebou River, the Kasbah of Mehdya preserves a complex history shaped by encounters, conflicts, transformations and cultural stratifications. Its walls, monumental gates, bastions and inner architectures bear witness to centuries of human presence, from the earliest occupation of the territory to the medieval Islamic phases, from the Iberian occupations to the Alawite reconfiguration, and through to the contemporary transformations of the landscape. This volume offers a multidisciplinary reading of the Kasbah as a fortified heritage site and cultural landscape, bringing together history, architecture, survey, material analysis, masonry stratigraphy and conservation. Through historical sources, cartography, direct observation and digital tools, the site is interpreted not merely as an isolated monument, but as a territorial system connected to the river, the ocean, the city of Kenitra and the memory of the western Mediterranean. The Kasbah of Mehdya thus emerges as a built archive, fragile and precious, in which every material trace becomes a clue for understanding the past and guiding the future. The book seeks to contribute to the knowledge, protection and enhancement of this extraordinary place, proposing a vision capable of combining scientific research, preventive conservation and cultural planning.