Rabat

Rabat is today the capital of Morocco as well as the country’s administrative, political and cultural center. The residence of the reigning King Mohamed VI is located in Rabat as well as all the ministries of the Kingdom and all representations of foreign countries. In terms of population Rabat comes second right after the business center Casablanca. Rabat is located on the coast of Atlantic Ocean and on the left bank of the Bu-Regreg River and it forms with its satellite city Saléga a province called Rabat-Salé.
The first settlements on the shores the Bu-Regreg River are mentioned 12-11 centuries BC. The opportune location later on attracted the Romans who created a colony called Sala on the conquered land, it was later renamed to Chellah. Thanks to the Romans, Chellah became the most important river port in Mauritania, but with the fall on the Roman Empire the importance of the port diminished.
From the 8th- 10th centuries AD the territory located on the right of the city of Salé and on the left of the secured estate – ribat belongs to Berbers. The current name of Rabat comes from the Berbers ribat located on the Kasbah Oudaia. The history of Rabat is connected to the wars between Moroccan Muslims and the Spanish.
In the 12th century the mosque and sultan’s palace are erected and the secured city becomes the foothold for the sultan’s army wherefrom the invasions to Catholic Spain take place.
Morocco’s ruling of Spanish territories from Rabat comes to an end in 1609 when the King of Spain Philipp II sends the conqueror- Moriscos back to homeland. The nearly 300,000 successors of conquerors forced back to Morocco had mostly turned to Christianity and could not speak Arabic language. Some of them turned to Fes and Tetouan, some to Rabat-Salé. Being fugitives, strangers and without language proficiency in their historic homeland, the migrants could not find better employment than becoming pirates. Ships that ran aground in the Rabat region were an easy target to pirates. In the 17th-18th century, Rabat becomes a shelter to pirates. Moroccan pirates are successful on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, intimidating the whole of Europe.  From 1621- 1647 there exists a Bu- Regreg republic established by the pirates. The number of pirates diminishes only after the region is annexed to the Sultanate in 1666.
The deeds of Moroccan pirates have most definitely influenced European culture. Voltaire wrote in his “Candide” about the pirates of Salé, Robinson Crusoe is captivated by the pirates of Salé, Cervantes, who was bought out of prison for 500 escudos, was induced to write “Don Quijote” based on his experiences during the 5 years of imprisonment.
The new flourishing period for Rabat begins only in 1912, when the city is made an administrative center for the French protectorate. The city built by the French gets new appearance. In 1956 when Morocco announces its independence, Rabat becomes the capital of the country.