In appearance, location and its size, the North Bastion is without a doubt the most prestigious military monument in Fes. Its name "burj al-nûr", which in Arabic means “bastion of light”, appears to be a recent one, derived from the French name “"burj nord" (north burj) given on account of its location to the north of the former medina of Fes. Classical sources make no mention of this name, referring only to the "burj" or "basâtîn" the plural of which, "bastiûn", comes from the Latin "bastion". Judeo-Moroccan texts refer to the bastion as "burj al-nâr" (bastion of fire): and this name is indeed highly indicative of the nature of the  military building, which was designed specifically to bear cannons of varying calibre.

Observation of the monument’s layout reveals a perfect balance of the architectural masses, which are harmoniously organised around a square-shaped central nucleus. According to a currently accepted hypothesis, towers would have been added during the Alaouite[1] period; however, a more plausible hypothesis is that there was one single construction phase. The central part is built on three levels – a ground floor, a first floor and a terrace. The thick external parapets were built in rammed earth, and the corners make up the junction between the central building and the towers.

The modern fortifications (sixteenth century) in Fes, and more particularly the “burj nord”, are clear evidence of the Makhzen[2] and the Saadian kings’ desire to subscribe to the trend for modern poliorcetic[3] assault, which was enveloping the whole of the Mediterranean basin. The prestige and power of this work of military architecture must not only have repelled the formidable armies of Turkish Algeria, but, in particular, must have bridled the rebellious city of Fes.

Some see a clear Portuguese influence in this bastion architecture, explained by the lengthy presence of the Portuguese along the Moroccan coasts, and their supremacy in matters of fortification. However, star-shaped fortresses are clearly of European influence[4]. Linking the bastion with the layout of the fortified town of Mazagan appears to us to be incorrect, since, rather than being an isolated fort, the fortified town of Mazagan is a clear illustration of an urban enclosure, with a four-pronged star-shaped layout. We could link it to the star-shaped forts of Fes and Larache, but the architectural principle of this major Lusitanian fortified town is much more evolved, already heralding the fortifications in the “rasante” style of Vauban[5]. Ahmad al-Mansûr[6], who had for a long time travelled in the Mediterranean from Algeria to the Sublime Porte (Istanbul), had seen all this modern architecture for himself. He thus called upon European engineers (Portuguese Spanish, Italian and Dutch) to equip the city of Fes and its port, Larache, with modern works of defence. He allegedly also used soldiers who had been captured during the battle of Oued al-Mahâzin to carry out the most gruelling works. Consequently, instead of referring to Portuguese plans, it would be more accurate to refer to European plans. It was indeed the Italians and the Spanish who were the first to develop this bastion architecture. The Portuguese Crown itself often called upon their know-how to develop fortification projects. The typical plans of the Saadian star-shaped forts (of al-Burj al-Shamâlî, of Hosn al-Fath and of Burj al-Laqlâq) are easily identifiable in Cristobal de Rojas’[7] famous treatise on military architecture.

[1] The ruling dynasty in Morocco since the seventeenth century.

[2] The state system in Morocco.

[3] Relating to the siege of towns and forts

[4] Marseille’s Fort Saint-Nicolas, for example, built in 1680 has such a layout.

[5] Like the Mont-Louis citadel in the Pyrénées-Orientales, built from scratch by Vauban from 1679.

[6] Sharifian sovereign of the line of Sa‘dîs who reigned in Morocoo between 1578 and 1603. The Sharîfs are the descendants of the Prophet; the line of the Sa ‘dîs or Saadians traces its ascendancy to the grandson of al-Hasan (grandson of the Prophet Muhammad), Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya.

[7] C. DE ROJAS, (Tres tratados sobre fortificaciòn y milicia), p.105-109.