Everywhere you go in El-Jadida, you discover traces of a rich and varied history during your walk: ramparts of the old Portuguese city, military cistern, Sidi Bouafi lighthouse, municipal theatre, Cohen building... Unfortunately, what was called "Mazagan" (Mazagaô in Portuguese), an architectural jewel and symbol of tolerance and coexistence of the three monotheistic religions on Islamic soil, is today almost left to abandonment.

"Mazagan", with its monumental ramparts, its splendid cistern, its 16th-century urban layout and its role in promoting interculturalism, is certainly a tourist destination, but also a living memory that reminds us of a few pages in the history of humanity in this region of the Maghreb and Africa. This is why our ancestors always insisted on preserving the soul and character of these places, in the concern to perpetuate history and transmit it through generations, because they believed that this city and what it symbolised embodied the glory of Morocco more than the power of Portugal.

But the state of disrepair that threatens El-Jadida today poses a threat of degradation to the historic site that is all the more dangerous because it is progressive. Indeed, the visitor, whether Moroccan or foreign, quickly feels revolted during their walks by the dilapidated state of the city's various buildings. Must we wait for someone to come from abroad one day to "prescribe" the right recipe to restore and preserve this wonderful heritage? We certainly have the goodwill and the means in Morocco to do so. Unfortunately, the only thing that has been achieved in the old city is public urinals and a commemorative plaque recalling the date (30 June 2004) of the city's classification by UNESCO as a World Heritage site...

Inside the old cistern, which is one of the top tourist spots in El-Jadida, the interior spaces and vaults have already shown damage due to attacks by fungi and mould for several years. They are the consequence of rainwater infiltration over time. Worse still, the walls of the cistern and other adjacent rooms, as well as part of the vaults, are seriously damaged by humidity and marked by multiple cracks. The roof is also in very poor condition. All these degradations make repair work not only essential but urgent.

"Mazagan", a museum of architectural splendour at its peak during the Renaissance period, is therefore currently in danger. Its urban state is deteriorating day by day, despite a policy of patching up that is often resorted to, but which has yielded no lasting results. The elected officials and public authorities in El-Jadida have a great responsibility in safeguarding this national and international heritage. Citizens jealous of their city and the associations working for its preservation have constantly multiplied messages and alarm signals, but without any real convincing results. It is now a matter of quickly succeeding in putting in place a strategy for restoration and rehabilitation.

Professor Alexandre Alves Costa, a researcher at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (Portugal), once wrote: "it is desirable to restore dignity to certain buildings and to the city itself with a view to recognising its intercultural value. It is essential to combat the risk of destruction and degradation, which is increasingly strong and almost irreversible". International experts are moved by the fate of the old "Mazagan". The least we can do at our level is to move a little more actively.

The Portuguese city has taken more than one name. It was called "Portus Rusibis", "Mazighane", "Borj Cheikh", "Mazagaô", "El Mahdouma", "El Medina", "Mazagan" and finally "El-Jadida", a name given to the city by Sultan Sidi Abderrahmane and which it has kept to this day. The city was classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO on 30 June 2004. It constitutes, with Azemmour, the main tourist attraction in the Doukkala region. The city is famous as much for its historical character as for its magnificent coastline which earns it the nickname of "the Moroccan Deauville". The Horse Show, organised for some years in El-Jadida, has given a seasonal animation back to the city, but there is currently a real need in terms of global tourist promotion to restore its character and its former brilliance.