Rabat
Rabat
The city is located on the Atlantic coast in northwest Morocco, 40 km south of Kenitra and 240 km southwest of Tangier and the Strait of Gibraltar, and 87 km northeast of Casablanca. It is separated from the town of Salé at the mouth of the Bouregreg, hence their nickname “twin towns”
Administratively, its territory - to be distinguished from that of the Rabat agglomeration including its suburb - with an area of 118.5 km27, corresponds to that of the prefecture of Rabat which, since the return to the principle of unity of the city in 20028, is made up on the one hand of the urban commune of Rabat, divided into five districts; on the other hand, the urban commune of Touarga, where the royal palace is located, enclosed in the first. At the last census in 2014, its population was 577,827 inhabitants5, making Rabat the 7th largest city in the kingdom. With its suburbs, it forms the second largest agglomeration in the country after that of Casablanca
The city was founded in 1150 by the Almohads who built a citadel there (which became the Kasbah of the Oudayas), a mosque and a residence. It was then what is called a ribat ("fortress" 11). The current name comes from Ribat Al Fath, "the Victory Camp". Later, Al-Mūmin's grandson - Ya'qub al-Mansūr - enlarged and completed the city, including surrounding it with walls. Subsequently, it served as a base for Almohad expeditions in Andalusia.
After 1269, when the Merinids chose Fez as their capital, Rabat entered a period of decline. Thus, the Moorish explorer Hassan al-Wazzan reported that there were only 100 inhabited houses in 1515. In 1609, following the decree of expulsion of Philip III, 13,000 Moriscos found refuge there, thus revitalizing the city. Until the 19th century, Rabat was known as Salé-le-Neuf.
In 1912, Lyautey made Rabat the seat of the resident general and the capital of the French protectorate in Morocco13. In 1956, upon Moroccan independence, the city remained the country's capital
Since 2012, a set of sites in Rabat has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city also received second place in the CNN ranking of "Best tourist destinations of 2013"
The city is located on the Atlantic coast in northwest Morocco, 40 km south of Kenitra and 240 km southwest of Tangier and the Strait of Gibraltar, and 87 km northeast of Casablanca. It is separated from the town of Salé at the mouth of the Bouregreg, hence their nickname “twin towns”
Administratively, its territory - to be distinguished from that of the Rabat agglomeration including its suburb - with an area of 118.5 km27, corresponds to that of the prefecture of Rabat which, since the return to the principle of unity of the city in 20028, is made up on the one hand of the urban commune of Rabat, divided into five districts; on the other hand, the urban commune of Touarga, where the royal palace is located, enclosed in the first. At the last census in 2014, its population was 577,827 inhabitants5, making Rabat the 7th largest city in the kingdom. With its suburbs, it forms the second largest agglomeration in the country after that of Casablanca
The city was founded in 1150 by the Almohads who built a citadel there (which became the Kasbah of the Oudayas), a mosque and a residence. It was then what is called a ribat ("fortress" 11). The current name comes from Ribat Al Fath, "the Victory Camp". Later, Al-Mūmin's grandson - Ya'qub al-Mansūr - enlarged and completed the city, including surrounding it with walls. Subsequently, it served as a base for Almohad expeditions in Andalusia.
After 1269, when the Merinids chose Fez as their capital, Rabat entered a period of decline. Thus, the Moorish explorer Hassan al-Wazzan reported that there were only 100 inhabited houses in 1515. In 1609, following the decree of expulsion of Philip III, 13,000 Moriscos found refuge there, thus revitalizing the city. Until the 19th century, Rabat was known as Salé-le-Neuf.
In 1912, Lyautey made Rabat the seat of the resident general and the capital of the French protectorate in Morocco13. In 1956, upon Moroccan independence, the city remained the country's capital
Since 2012, a set of sites in Rabat has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city also received second place in the CNN ranking of "Best tourist destinations of 2013"