Larache ( ar, العرايش, al-'Araysh) is a city in northwestern

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the

Loukkos River The Loukkos River (واد لوكوس) (Spanish:Río Luco) is a major river in northern Morocco. Although it is relatively short (about 100 km), the river is the third largest in Morocco with an average flow of 50 m³/s. The Loukkos river's s ...

meets the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Larache is one of the most important cities of the

Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima ( ar, طنجة - تطوان - الحسيمة, ṭanja - tiṭwān - al-ḥusayma; ber, ⵟⴰⵏⵊⴰ ⵜⵉⵟⵡⴰⵏ ⵍⵃⵓⵙⵉⵎⴰ, ṭanja tiṭwan lḥusima) is the northernmost of the twelve regions of ...

region. Many civilisations and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

s have influenced the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

of Larache, starting in the ancient city of Lixus during the 12th centuryBCE. Between the period of being a strategic

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–19 ...

town and then a

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their his ...

n trading centre to Morocco's independence era around the 1950s, Larache was a nexus for many cultures.

History

In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from

Asilah Asilah (; ar, أزيلا or أصيلة; pt, Arzila; es, Arcila) is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about south of Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact. History The town's history d ...

and

Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...

drove the inhabitants out of Larache, and again it remained uninhabited until the Saadi Sultan

Mohammed ash-Sheikh ''Mawlay'' Mohammed al-Shaykh al-Sharif al-Hassani ( ar, محمد الشيخ الشريف الحسني) known as Mohammed al-Shaykh ( ar, محمد الشيخ) (b. 1490 – d. 23 October 1557) was the first sultan of the Saadian dynasty of Morocc ...

decided to repopulate it and build a stronghold on the plateau above river Loukos. He constructed a fortress at the entrance to the port as a means of controlling access to the river. For a long time, attempts by the Portuguese, Spanish and French to take it met with no success. The Portuguese established the nearby

Graciosa fortress The Graciosa fortress was established on the coast of Morocco by the Portuguese in 1489. It was established on a small river island, about three leagues from the sea, at the junction of river Lucus ( Wadi Lukkus) and river el-Mekhazen (Oued Makhazi ...

in 1489. The Kasbah, which was built in 1491 by Moulay en Nasser, later became a pirate stronghold. In 1610, the town passed to the Spanish, who stayed there until 1689, but who mainly used the ports as trading stops and never really administered the town.

Moulay Ismail Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif ( ar, مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف), born around 1645 in Sijilmassa and died on 22 March 1727 at Meknes, was a Sultan of Morocco from 1672–1727, as the second ruler of the Alaouite dynasty. He was the se ...

finally conquered Larache in 1689 . Attacks on Larache continued, but it still remained in Muslim hands. In 1765, a French fleet failed in the

Larache expedition The Expedition of Larache occurred in June 1765 when French Navy troops attempted to invade the Moroccan city of Larache following a bombardment of Salé and Rabat. It is an example of the sporadic failure of Western arms against local forces in co ...

. In 1829, the Austrians punitively bombarded the city due to Moroccan piracy. Due to the colonisation era Spain took Larache in 1911 and held it for 45 years until 1956.

Lixus

Lixus Lixus may refer to: * ''lixus'', the Latin word for "boiled" * Lixus (ancient city) in Morocco * ''Lixus (beetle)'', a genus of true weevils * Lixus, one of the sons of Aegyptus and Caliadne Caliadne (; Ancient Greek: Καλιάδνης ) or Cali ...

is the site of an ancient city located in Morocco just north of the modern seaport of Larache on the bank of the Loukkos River. It was built by a Berber king in 1180 BC. Lixus was one of the

Kingdom of Mauretania Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic, covering northern present-day Morocco, and southward to the Atlas Mountains. Its native inhabitants, ...

's ancient cities. It was settled by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC. Lixus was part of a chain of Phoenician/Carthaginian settlements; other major settlements further to the south are Chellah and Mogador. When Carthage fell to Ancient Rome, Lixus, Chellah and Mogador were annexed to the

. This ancient Mauritanian city gradually grew in importance, later coming under Carthaginian domination. After the destruction of Carthage, Lixus fell to Amazigh (Berber) control, reaching its zenith during the reign of the Mauritanian king Juba II. Some ancient Greek writers located at Lixus the mythological garden of the Hesperides, the keepers of the golden apples. The name of the city which was often mentioned by writers from Hanno the Navigator to the Geographer of Ravenna and confirmed by the legend on its coins and by an inscription. The ancients believed this to be the site of the Garden of the Hesperides and of a sanctuary of Hercules, where Hercules gathered gold apples, more ancient than the one at Cadiz, Spain. However, there are no grounds for the claim that Lixus was founded at the end of the second millennium BC. Life was maintained there nevertheless until the Islamic conquest of North Africa by the presence of a mosque and a house with a patio with walls covered with painted stuccos.

Today

In the

2014 Moroccan census The 2014 Moroccan census The moroccan census of the population, officially named general census of the population and the habitat (RGPH), is a census taking place every ten years in the kingdom. It is established under the responsibility of the Hig ...

Larache recorded a population of 125,008 inhabitants. Periods of Berber, Arab and Spanish rule have left their mark, although the most dominant is the Muslim influence. The layout of the old town is typically Moorish, while houses in the new town seem to be

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...

n in style.

Climate

Larache has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Csa'') with heavy rainfall. The summers are moderately hot and sunny - ideal for the city's beaches - and the winters are wet and cool. The record high temperature of was registered on July 10, 2021.

Famous areas and places in Larache

(Roman ruins) *Port Lixus *Plaza de España *Oued Loukos (

) *Charie Mohammed Al-Khamis (Boulevard Mohammed V) *Storks Castle *Boukharis House *Torres Park *Jardin of Lions *The Conservatory of Music *Kessba, Gebibat & Bab Behar (Old Medina) *Port of Larache *Dghoghi Houses *Balcon Atlantico *Grave of

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Thief ...

Education

The Colegio Español Luis Vives, a Spanish international school, is in Larache.

Famous people

* Sidi Jilali bin Abd Allah El-Masbahi, native of Saqiyat al-Hamar, is considered a saint of Larache. * Lalla Mennana El-Mesbahi (El-Masbahiya) , his daughter, is also considered a saint and patroness of the city. * Tayeb bin Mohamed bin Laarbi El-Mesbahi, The great-grandson of Lalla Mennana, who was in charge of her mausoleum and one of the most revered persons in the city. *

lived for several years and had requested to be buried there. His grave is in the Spanish cemetery of Larache. *

Amina Filali On 10 March 2012, Amina El Filali (sometimes also referred to as Amina Filali) (1996–2012), a 16-year-old girl from Larache, Morocco, committed suicide by taking rat poison, after she was forced by her family to marry a man who had raped her whe ...

, whose suicide in 2012 sparked a political debate on women's rights and article 475 of the Moroccan penal code. *

Juan Goytisolo Juan Goytisolo Gay (6 January 1931 – 4 June 2017) was a Spanish poet, essayist, and novelist. He lived in Marrakesh from 1997 until his death in 2017. He was considered Spain's greatest living writer at the beginning of the 21st century, yet ...

, Spanish novelist, is buried in the Spanish cemetery of Larache.

Gallery

File:Larache Plaza de Espana.jpg, Plaza de España File:Larache Medina.jpg, Bab Behar or Old Medina File:Larache Fortress.jpg, Larache Fortress File:Larache seafront.jpg, Balcon Atlantico File:Larache Souk.jpg, Larache Souk File:Larache Music Academy.jpg, Larache Music Academy File:Larache Spanish Consulate.jpg, Spanish Consulate File:Larache Iglesia Pilar.jpg, Iglesia Pilar File:Larache - Oued Loukous.jpg, Oued Loukous File:Larache, sur la côte Atlantique (14346666832).jpg, Larache and the Atlantic Ocean

Sister cities

Almuñécar Almuñécar () is a Spanish city and municipality located in the southwestern part of the comarca of the Costa Granadina, in the province of Granada. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean sea and borders the Granadin municipalities ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

References and notes

External links

Website of the latest news about the city and its region 24/24hOfficial Website in SpanishForum of Larache City in ArabicEncyclopedia Islam (p. 418)
{{Authority control Populated places in Larache Province Populated coastal places in Morocco Port cities and towns on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast Former Spanish colonies Provincial capitals in Morocco