Rabat, July 21, 2025 – The Europe Today: A remarkable new chapter in Morocco’s cultural and historical narrative is emerging from beneath its coastal waters. The National Center for Studies and Research in Underwater Cultural Heritage has announced the discovery of 20 historic shipwrecks resting along the country’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.
Long presumed lost to history, these vessels—now revealed through dedicated underwater research—offer compelling insights into Morocco’s rich and largely overlooked maritime legacy.
According to Azeddine Kara, Director of the Center, the shipwrecks were found in multiple coastal regions, including El Jadida and parts of northern Morocco. The ships, dating primarily from the 19th and 20th centuries, served various functions—ranging from warships to merchant vessels—each one contributing to the maritime life that once thrived along Morocco’s shores.
“These discoveries help us reconnect with a part of our history that remained hidden under the water for generations,” Kara told SNRTNews. “They reflect the diversity of maritime activity that shaped our coastline across time.”
Underwater Cultural Heritage in Focus
The announcement shines a spotlight on the broader field of underwater cultural heritage, which includes not only shipwrecks but also submerged artifacts, human and animal remains, and historical structures preserved beneath the sea. Such elements are of immense archaeological, historical, and cultural value, helping to deepen understanding of Morocco’s role in centuries of maritime exchanges, trade, and exploration.
This wave of discoveries comes at a significant legislative moment. A new national heritage protection law has recently been approved—introducing, for the first time, dedicated provisions for the safeguarding of underwater heritage.
The updated legal framework signals a shift in national policy, acknowledging the strategic importance of Morocco’s geography, with its extensive coastlines along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Historically located at the crossroads of civilizations, Morocco’s waters have long served as routes for empires, navies, traders, and explorers.
Now, the remnants of those interactions—once buried under the sea—are being carefully brought to light.
National Center Leads the Way
To lead this critical effort, the Ministry of Youth established the National Center for Studies and Research in Underwater Cultural Heritage, a specialized body tasked with conducting scientific research, managing underwater excavations, and formulating strategies to preserve and promote findings for public engagement.
The center’s mission not only contributes to the preservation of Morocco’s submerged heritage but also opens up new avenues for education, tourism, and historical scholarship.
As these shipwrecks begin to tell their long-silent stories, Morocco reclaims a vital part of its maritime identity—one shaped by centuries of movement, conflict, commerce, and cultural exchange beneath the waves.
