The Kingdom of Morocco occupies the northwestern corner of Africa across the Strait of Gibralter from Spain. It has a long coast facing northwest on the Atlantic Ocean and a much shorter coast facing north on the easternmost Mediterranean Sea. During most of the nineteenth century France, Spain, and other European countries maneuvered to gain control of Morocco. In 1912 it was finally divided; although the monarchy remained in place France and Spain assumed formal protectorates over the country. The French protectorate included the northwestern coast from the Agadir area through Mehdia, while Spain had a protectorate over the northern coast and portions of the far south. In 1923 the northwestern city of Tangier was removed from the Spanish sector to become an international zone. Morocco resumed its independence in 1956 but Spain continues to control the northern cities of Ceuta and Melilla and several small islands off the Mediterranean coast. For lighthouse fans the implication of this history is that Morocco's lighthouse heritage is partly Spanish and partly French. The French zone of influence extends from Mehdia to Agadir, with Spanish influence to the north and south. However, the design of lighthouses in all parts of the country shows a strong native Moroccan style. This page includes lighthouses of Morocco's northeast coast facing the Mediterranean Sea; it includes lighthouse from two of the country's twelve administrative regions. There are separate pages for Southwestern Morocco, Northwestern Morocco and the Spanish Coast of Morocco (including Ceuta and Melilla). Arabic and Berber are the official languages in Morocco. Darija (a Berber-influenced dialect of Arabic) and French are common spoken languages. The Arabic word for a lighthouse is mnarh or manara (منارة). Ra's is a cape or headland. Lighthouses in Morocco are operated by the Etablissements de Signalisation Maritime (ESM) division of the infrastructure ministry (Ministère de l'Équipement et de l'Eau). ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volumes D and E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.
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![]() Sidi Abed Light, Al Hoceïma, October 2011 ex-Panoramio photo copyright Miguel Ruiz; used by permission |
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Oriental Region: Lighthouses East of Melilla |
Information available on lost lighthouses: Notable faux lighthouses: |
Adjoining pages: Enclaves: Spanish Morocco | East: Western Algeria | West: Northwestern Morocco
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Posted August 18, 2005. Checked and revised June 2, 2024. Lighthouses: 16. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.