Early history The harbor, which is now Mohammedia, was originally named Fedala (). The name comes from the
Arabic words
Fadl Allah () which means "favor of God". According to Graberg de Hemsö, it comes from
Fayḍ Allāh, meaning "bounty of God". Traces still exist of its business role under the
Almoravid dynasty. It was frequented in the 14th and 15th centuries by
merchant ships from Europe seeking cereals and dried fruits. In 1773, the Sultan Sidi
Mohammed ben Abdallah made of Fédala a grains warehouse of
Tamasna province and built the Kasbah to protect the shops for traders. He built the white mosque Al Atik as well.
French Protectorate During the precolonial period, competition between the
Western powers to ensure the economical exploitation of
Africa was behind the merger of Europeans interests in the ports of Morocco. In the region of Fédala, the German family Mannesmann acquired a large area of land. The Treaty of November 4, 1911 between
France and
Germany on the partition of Africa forced the Mannesmann family to abandon the lands they held for Georges and Jacques Hersent, two French industrialists, who noticed the existence of a natural bay, valuable for the creation of a large port at low cost. The group Hersent created the Franco-Moroccan company in 1912 and founded the port company in 1914 that took a leading part in the development of Fédala. The rapid growth of the city started around the port, which allowed the development of various industries such as canning fishery products, agro-industry plants, tannery, textile, etc.. The seaside town took shape in 1925 and the Esplanade was built in 1938. The construction of the sea line in 1951 made of Fédala the first and most modern oil port in North Africa. The church of Saint James (Saint Jacques), which overlooks the main square, was erected in 1934 by Jean and Georges Hersent, in memory of their son and nephew Jacques (3 February 1893 - 26 July 1917), who died at the Marne during the
First World War. The invasion was carried out by the Center Attack Group of the Western Task Force which landed on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The landing began at 4 AM.
New city ,
Mohammed V Fédala was renamed Mohammedia on 25 June 1960 in honor of King
Mohammed V, the restorer of
Moroccan independence, on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the Samir oil refinery. The new name indicates the modern character of this city. Today, the city serves as both a seaside resort and a manufacturing center. Mohammedia is also a resort city containing a golf, tennis club and many other recreational activities. In addition, people call it which means "city of flowers and sports". Within the past decade, Mohammedia's beaches "Sablet & Mimosa" have drawn many people from Casablanca, and its nearby cities. Sablet and Mimosa have been under development, building new beach condos, villas, as well as more investments in small businesses which creates more jobs. Summer is simply the best season in Mohammedia being that there is more involvement due to an increase of the population. There is a wide range of outdoor activities including basketball, soccer, surfing, and fishing. The night life is a great experience to be part of, including several cafes, restaurants, clubs, and a boardwalk. A couple of beach residential areas that are good places for vacation are "Residence of Oubaha" and "Palm Beach." There are several other projects going on in the city of Mohammedia as well as infrastructure throughout the city. On 22 December 2022, a huge explosion erupted after a gas storage facility went up in flames. Authorities claimed to have no casualties. Families and citizens living near the facility have evacuated the surroundings. After 2 hours of the incident, local authorities contained the fires caused by the explosion. ==Geography==