« Not far away from the river Malucha (Marwacht , MALWIYA), which separates two kingdoms of Jugurtha and Bocchus ,there is a rocky mountain with a great height and enough space to establish a little fort on it that can’t be reached except through a narrow path . And the rest of it are just very vertical cliffs, as they are made up by human being. The fort was provided with sufficient soldiers and weapons. And there was a great store of wheat, besides a spring of water. The area was no use for any other Fortification towers or any war machines. No one can approach the fort except in case of dangerous adventure…”
This is how The Roman Historian Sallust described Thazuda tower which the king Jugurtha used as refugee escaping the track of the Roman leader Maryos.
Thazuda tower was built on a hill on the top of Mount Gorogo (Nador) . The brightest periods of this monument were in the era of the Marinids.It was their starting point.Thus, it became the capital of the North East region of Al-Maghreb (Morocco), a store to their taxes and center of trade.
Later on, by the fall of Melilla and Ghassasa cities by the Spanish troops, it was the only front which took the burden of resistance and defense. The tower was where Ali Al a’attar, one of the Andalus leaders, settled down and run his resistance and attacks against the Spanish invaders. Other leaders succeeded him through several generations till the 17th century .Since then, its fate and remnants has been left in the hands of time and under factors of nature .
Does such important monument in Morocco deserve a special care?
Reference : إقليم كرط – Province of Kurt
Translated by : Mohamed EL KADAOUI
