Oujda

Oujda, city, extreme northeastern Morocco. It lies near the Moroccan-Algerian border. Founded in 944 by Zanātah Imazighen (Berbers), the city was fought over by Imazighen, Arabs, and Turks and destroyed and rebuilt so often that it was called Madīnat al-Ḥairah, “City of Fear.” The Moroccan and Algerian railways meet at Oujda, and the main function of the city is as a trading centre and frontier post. It also has an international airport and owes some growth to the coal, lead, and zinc mines to the south. There are traces of ancient walls, but the city’s appearance is generally modern, with wide avenues and parks. Oujda is near Sidi Yahya (Sayyidī Yaḥyā) oasis, a legendary burial place of John the Baptist and site of the Battle of Isly, where the French defeated the Moroccan army in 1844. It is connected by road and railway with Taza.

Olives and grapes are grown in the irrigated fertile plain in which the city is situated. Cereals (primarily wheat), sheep, and goats are raised on the plain, and esparto grass, bailed and exported for use in making paper, grows throughout the area. Large deposits of anthracite coal are located near Jerada; a lead mine is at Touissit; and lead metal is produced at Oued el-Heïmer. Pop. (2004) 400,738.