Oujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of half a million inhabitants. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea.
Oujda is home to Oujda Angads Airport , which receives many international flights coming from Europe, and also to a French and Arabic language university, Université Mohammed Premier .
The land upon which the city is founded, as well as much surrounding territory, came under the domination of the Roman empire in AD 117. See image posted at History of Morocco.
The city was then "founded" in the 10th century, and was the capital of a tribe called Zenata. The city was rebuilt in 13th century by sultan Abou Youssef . The French twice occupied it (in 1844 and again in 1859). Also to the west is Isly which saw a major Franco-Moroccan battle in 1844. Once Morocco was occupied by the French, Oujda was used as a military base to control eastern Morocco. The city grew up along the roads built by and owes much of present form to the French.
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