Kenitra is a city in northern Morocco, formerly (1932–1956) known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sbu river, and is one of the three main cities of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the Chef-lieu of the Province of Kénitra. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S. Naval Air Facility served as a stopping point in North Africa.
The history of the city begins with the foundation of a trading-post by the Phoenicians, known back then as Thamusida. Under the Antonine dynasty, a Venus temple was built there.
Before the French protectorate, there was only a kasbah in the area where the modern city can today be found.