Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Rabat Quick Facts

Capital of: Morocco
Location: Northwest Morocco on the Atlantic coast.
Population: About 621,000 for the metropolitan area (the figure rises to close to 2 million if you include the area surrounding Rabat).
Mayor: Fathallah Oualalou
Possible English meanings: Ribatu I-Fath (“Strong hold of Victory”) is the term from which the name derives.
Significant sights, or sites: From the earliest Mosques and buildings of the 12th century (the Medina) to the French administrative building projects of the 1920s (Ville Nouvelle), a good portion of Rabat is a UNNECO heritage site.
Public Transportation: Tram and Train
Airport: Rabat–Salé Airport
Founding and brief history: Beside the ancient city of Salé, Rabat is fairly young having become known only in the 12th century. It has had its rises and declines over the centuries from the capital of a Caliphate (the Almohad) and key port town, as part of a pirate republic and even a ghost town. To being shelled by the Austrian empire for harbouring pirates to being invaded and used as protectorate headquarters by the French, it made its way through history until it became the capital of the independent Kingdom of Morocco.
When I first realized existed: About the time I realized that Casablanca was not the capital of Morocco.
One interesting fact: The national dish of Morocco is Couscous.


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