EnglishCastle
Beni Boufrah, Torres Al-Qal’a [Akla/Torres de Alcalá], North Africa, Marocco
Military Architecture
In 1981 Patrice Cressier listed a series of fortified structures, some of which he attributed to the Portuguese. This work, which was never published, was only commented upon and discussed in academic circles and among experts. As mentioned in the entry regarding Azrou Maheli, in the early 16th century the region between Velez de la Gomera, on one hand, and Melilla and Caçaça on the other, supposedly had a series of fortified works controlled by the Portuguese, which were transferred to the hands of the Spanish through the Treaty of Sintra in 1509.
The most important of those fortresses was located in Beni Boufrah, near the Mediterranean coast and its ruins were visible until recently. It seems that this fortress marked the eastern boundary of the Portuguese presence on the Mediterranean coast and was one of the windows that controlled sea traffic and ensured a connection to the interior.
Cressier attributes this structure to the Portuguese, taking into account the materials used, the shape of the towers, the plan of the fortress and the way the ensemble was brought together. These elements and the ceramics which are still visible seem to point, to an occupation in the late 15th century, which would seem to confirm his opinion regarding its Portuguese origin.
The fort displays a stone structure and a wall with five towers. It is in the shape of an irregular square of about 26 metres on each side. The wall facing north also has a thickness of 1.60 metres, whereas that on the south side, already in an advanced state of decay, rests upon a rocky outcrop. Four of the towers reinforce the corners of the fortress, whereas the fifth marks the entrance and there are some traces of the use of wood. These towers, already significantly decayed, would have had an external diameter of 5.50 metres and varied heights according to the elevations of the land. Cressier determined the height of the towers, obtaining the following measurements: 5.70 metres (northwest tower), 4.50 metres (northeast tower), 4.50 metres (east tower), 7.50 metres (southeast tower) and 3 metres (southwest tower). In Portuguese style the towers are filled with heterogeneous materials and shuttering was used in their construction.
The ensemble, which, according to all witnesses, conveys a sense of solidity, is in a general state of advanced decay. The doubts that this – and other – structures raise will only be overcome with a systematic study and, especially important, an archaeological campaign.