Salé

Founded in the 11th century, Sale became a medieval merchant port and entrepot. Salé became a haven for pirates in the 17th century as an independent republic before being incorporated into Alawi Morocco. It recorded a population of 1,089,554 in the 2024 Moroccan census. The city still preserves its historic medina (old town), with many major monuments dating from the Marinid period (13th–15th centuries). Salé is connected to Rabat by a tramway and also contains the Rabat–Salé Airport, the main international airport serving both cities.

History

Early history

The Phoenicians established a settlement called Sala, later the site of a Roman colony, Sala Colonia, across the river on the south side of the Bou Regreg estuary. The local Banu Ifran apparently cultivated the legend that the city's name was derived from that of Salah, son of Ham, son of Noah.

The Arab historians al-Bakri and Ibn Hawqal mention the existence of a town along the Bou Regreg at an early era, but they may have been referring to Chellah (former Sala Colonia) rather than the present town of Salé. The town of Salé proper was probably founded in the 11th century by families from al-Andalus (present-day Spain and Portugal), most importantly the Banu 'Ashara. The latter family included learned jurists (faqihs) and judges (qadis) and they became the city's de facto rulers.

The Banu 'Ashara reportedly hosted Ibn Tumart, the founder of the Almohad movement, in their palace in 1121, while he was on his way to Marrakesh. They resisted the Almohad invasion under Ibn Tumart's successor, 'Abd al-Mu'min (r. 1130–1163). As a result, the latter destroyed the city walls, eliminated the Banu 'Ashara and seized their palace. When Abd al-Mu'min summoned the rulers of al-Andalus to pledge allegiance to him in 1151, he received them in this palace.

Later in the 12th century, when the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur (r. 1184–1199) founded Ribat al-Fath (present-day Rabat) across the river, Salé seems to have remained important and was used as a residence by the Almohad caliphs, who also made various improvements to the city. The current Great Mosque of Salé was built on the order of Yaqub al-Mansur in 1196, over the site of city's former main mosque whose roof had collapsed. (Its present-day form, however, is the result of 18th-century renovations.) Al-Mansur is also reported to have created the first bridge linking the city with Rabat across the river.

Marinid period

In September 1260, Salé was raided and occupied by warriors sent in a fleet of ships by King Alfonso X of Castile. The Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Abd Al-Haqq (r. 1258–1286) reconquered the town and afterwards helped to rebuild the city walls. The historic gate of Bab el-Mrisa was constructed at this time and remains a landmark of the city.

During the Marinid period, the city's fortifications continued to be upgraded and a new protected harbour was built. The harbour, located on the south side of the city, was linked to the river by two channels, with Bab el-Mrisa and another monumental gate serving as water gates through which boats passed. The Marinids added new religious and charitable constructions, including the Madrasa of Abu al-Hasan, the Zawiya al-Nussak, and a maristan (hospital for the mentally ill).

In the 14th century, Ibn 'Ashir (d. 1362 or 1363), a Sufi mystic from al-Andalus, moved to Salé and attracted other Sufis to him, including Ibn Abbad al-Rundi. Ibn Ashir later became the patron saint of the city and his mausoleum dominates the large seaside cemetery of the medina.

Republic of Salé

In the 17th century, Salé became a haven for Barbary pirates, among them the Moriscos expelled from Spain turned corsairs, who formed an independent Republic of Salé. These were the Salé pirates (the well-known "Salé Rovers"). In 1609, Philip III decreed the expulsion of all Moriscos (people of Muslim or Moorish descent) from Spain. About 2000 of these refugees, originally from the town of Hornachos near Badajoz, Spain, settled around Salé and occupied the kasbah, attracting between 5000 and 14,000 other Moriscos to join them. Rabat and neighboring Salé united to form the Republic of Bou Regreg in 1627. They engaged in piracy, captured ships and sold their crews and sometimes passengers into slavery in the Arabic world. Despite the legendary reputation of the Salé corsairs, their ships were based across the river in Rabat, called "New Salé" by the English.

European powers took action to try to eliminate the threat from the Barbary Coast. In May 1628, the city of Salé was bombarded by Spain and, on 20 July 1629, it was bombarded by French Admiral Isaac de Razilly with a fleet composed of the ships Licorne, Saint-Louis, Griffon, Catherine, Hambourg, Sainte-Anne, Saint-Jean; his forces destroyed three corsair ships.

20th century

During the decades preceding the independence of Morocco, Salé was the stronghold of some "national movement" activists. The reading of the "Latif" (a politically charged prayer to God, read in mosques in loud unison) was launched in Salé and became popular in some cities of Morocco.

A petition against the so-called "Berber Dahir" (a decree that allowed some Berber-speaking areas of Morocco to continue using Berber law, as opposed to Sharia law) was given to Sultan Mohamed V and the Resident General of France. The petition and the "Latif" prayer led to the withdrawal and adjustment of the so-called "Berber Decree" of May 1930. The activists who opposed the "Berber Decree" apparently feared that the explicit recognition of the Berber customary law (a very secular-minded Berber tradition) would threaten the position of Islam and its Sharia law system. Others believed that opposing the French-engineered "Berber Decree" was a means to turn the tables against the French occupation of Morocco.

The widespread storm that was created by the "Berber Dahir" controversy created a somewhat popular Moroccan nationalist elite based in Salé and Fez; it had strong anti-Berber, anti-West, anti-secular, and pro Arab-Islamic inclinations. This period helped develop the political awareness and activism that would lead fourteen years later to the signing of the Manifesto of Independence of Morocco on 11 January 1944 by many "Slawi" activists and leaders. Salé has been deemed to have been the stronghold of the Moroccan left for many decades, where many leaders have resided.

Salé, like many other Moroccan cities, had its own mellah, where the Jewish community resided. Raphael Encaoua, a famous rabbi born in Salé is buried in the Jewish cemetery nearby.