Founded in the 11th century, it later became a haven for pirates in the 17th century as anindependent republic before being incorporated intoAlawi Morocco. It recorded a population of 1.089.554 in the2024 Moroccan census.[2] The city still preserves its historicmedina (old town), with many major monuments dating from theMarinid period (13th–15th centuries). Salé is connected to Rabat bya tramway and also contains theRabat–Salé Airport, the main international airport serving both cities.
The Phoenicians established a settlement called Sala,[5][6] later the site of a Roman colony,Sala Colonia, across the river on the south side of the Bou Regreg estuary.[7] The localBanu Ifran apparently cultivated the legend that the city's name was derived from that of Salah, son ofHam, son ofNoah.[8]
The Arab historiansal-Bakri andIbn 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.[9] The town of Salé proper was probably founded in the 11th century by families fromal-Andalus (present-day Spain and Portugal), most importantly the Banu 'Ashara.[9][10] The latter family included learned jurists (faqihs) and judges (qadis) and they became the city'sde facto rulers.[11]
The Banu 'Ashara reportedly hostedIbn Tumart, the founder of theAlmohad movement, in their palace in 1121, while he was on his way toMarrakesh.[10][11] 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.[9] When Abd al-Mu'min summoned the rulers of al-Andalus to pledge allegiance to him in 1151, he received them in this palace.[11]
Later in the 12th century, when the Almohad caliphYaqub al-Mansur (r. 1184–1199) founded Ribat al-Fath (present-dayRabat) 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.[9] The currentGreat 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.[12][10] (Its present-day form, however, is the result of 18th-century renovations.[10]) Al-Mansur is also reported to have created the first bridge linking the city with Rabat across the river.[10]
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 aswater gates through which boats passed.[10] The Marinids added new religious and charitable constructions, including theMadrasa of Abu al-Hasan, theZawiya al-Nussak, and amaristan (hospital for thementally ill).[10]
In the 14th century, Ibn 'Ashir (d. 1362 or 1363), aSufi mystic from al-Andalus, moved to Salé and attracted other Sufis to him, includingIbn Abbad al-Rundi.[16] Ibn Ashir later became the patron saint of the city[9] and his mausoleum dominates the large seaside cemetery of the medina.[10]
In the 17th century, Salé became a haven forBarbary pirates, among them theMoriscosexpelled from Spain turned corsairs, who formed an independentRepublic of Salé.[17] Salé pirates (the well-known "Salé Rovers")[18] enslaved civilians from European coasts; capturing, for, example, 1,000 English villagers in 1625, selling them later in Africa.[19] They sold their crews and sometimes passengers into slavery in the Arabic world.[20] Despite the legendary reputation of the Salé corsairs, their ships were based across the river in Rabat, called "New Salé" by the English.[21][22]
European powers took action to try to eliminate the threat from the Barbary Coast. On May 1628, the city of Salé wasbombarded by Spain[23] and, in 20 July 1629, it bombarded by French AdmiralIsaac de Razilly with a fleet composed of the shipsLicorne,Saint-Louis,Griffon,Catherine,Hambourg,Sainte-Anne,Saint-Jean; his forces destroyed three corsair ships.[24][25]
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 toSultan 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 table 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 andFez; 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 theManifest 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 ownmellah, where the Jewish community resided. Raphael Encaoua, a famous rabbi born in Salé is buried in the Jewish cemetery nearby.[26]
Salé has aMediterranean climate (Csa) with warm to hot dry summers and mild damp winters. Located along the Atlantic Ocean, Salé has a mild, temperate climate, shifting from cool in winter to warm days in the summer months. The nights are always cool (or cold in winter, it can reach Sub 0 °C (32 °F) sometimes), with daytime temperatures generally rising about 7 to 8 °C (45 to 46 °F). The winter highs typically reach only 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) in December–February. Summer daytime highs usually hover around 25 °C (77.0 °F), but may occasionally exceed 30 °C (86.0 °F), especially during heat waves. Summer nights are usually pleasant and cool, ranging between 11 °C (51.8 °F) and 19 °C (66.2 °F) and rarely exceeding 20 °C (68.0 °F). Rabat belongs to the sub-humid bioclimatic zone with an average annual precipitation of 560 mm.
The historic old city (medina) of Salé occupies a large area near the mouth of the Bou Regreg river. It is enclosed by defensive walls pierced with several entrances, the most notable of which isBab el-Mrisa ('Gate of the Little Port'), a monumental gate on the southeast side of the city, dating to the 1270s.[10][32]
The religious center of the city is theGreat Mosque, located in the western half of the medina. Next to the mosque is theMadrasa of Abu al-Hasan, amadrasa building dating to 1342,[10][32] which is one of the architectural highlights of the city.[33][10] A number of tombs andzawiyas are also located in the area near the Great Mosque and in the large seaside cemetery occupying the southwestern corner of the medina. The mausoleum complex of Sidi Abdallah ibn Hassun, one of the two patron saints of the city, is located just west of the mosque. The other patron saint of the city, Ibn Athir, is buried in a prominent mausoleum further west, near the shore.[32]
One of the other historic landmarks of the city is theFunduq Askour, the formermaristan (hospital).[10] It was originally built by the Marinid sultanAbu Inan towards 1350. All that remains of the original building today is a highly decorated entrance portal.[32]
A short distance east of the city walls is theZawiya al-Nussak, originally built in 1356 by Abu Inan, most likely as a lodge forSufis.[34] By the 20th century it had fallen into ruin but it has recently been restored. Its most significant and well-preserved feature is a stone-carved entrance portal.[35]
Another landmark outside the city walls is the 14th-century aqueduct built by the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan to improve the city's water supply. A preserved section roughly 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) long can be found to the north of the medina, at one point straddling the modern road that leads north to Kenitra.[32]
In December 2017,AS Salé became Africa's basketball club Champion. It was the first continental crown in the club's history.[36] The football section ofAS Salé is the football club of the city.[citation needed]
TheRabat–Salé tramway was the first tramway network in Morocco and it connects Salé with Rabat across the river. It was opened on 11 May 2011 after a construction cost of 3.6 billionMAD.[37][38] The network was constructed byAlstom Citadis and is operated byTransdev.[39][40] As of February 2022, the network had two lines with a total length of 26.9 km (17 miles) and 43 stations.[38][41] In 2023, an extension of the network was being planned and is due to be completed by 2028.[37]
Water supply andwastewater collection in Salé was[when?] irregular, with poorer and illegal housing units suffering the highest costs and most acute scarcities.[42] Much of the city used to rely upon communalstandpipes, which were often shut down, depriving some neighbourhoods of safedrinking water[42] for indefinite periods of time. Nevertheless, Salé fared better than inland Moroccan locations, wherewater scarcity was even more acute.[42] Improvements from the government, local businesses and the water distribution companies ofRégie de distribution d'Eau & d'Électricité de Rabat-Salé (REDAL) as of 2010[update] have meant that this situation has improved drastically.[43]
The filmBlack Hawk Down was partially filmed in Salé, in particular the wide angle aerial shots with helicopters flying down the coastline.
The characterRobinson Crusoe, in the early part ofDaniel Defoe's novel by the same name, spends time in captivity of the local pirates, theSalé Rovers, and at last sails off to liberty from the mouth of the Salé river - an adventure less well remembered than the protagonist's later sojourn on thedesert island.
^Giles Milton (2005) [2004]. "A New and Deadly Foe".White Gold • The Extraordinary Story of Thomas Pellow and North Africa's One Million European Slaves (Large Print ed.). Oxford: Isis Publishing Ltd. p. 14.ISBN0-7531-5647-4.summer of 1625, the mayor of Plymouth reckoned that 1,000 skiffs had been destroyed, and a similar number of villagers carried off into slavery. These miserable captives were taken to Salé
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