Chellah, Green lung of Rabat.

Chellah, (Arabic: شالة‎) or Sala Colonia, Abu l-Hasan’s Ghost Necropolis at the mouth of the Bou Regreg.

 

One of the echoes of Rabat’s long History, Chellah, sits at the shores of the Bou Regreg where it meets the Ville Nouvelle of Morocco’s Capital Rabat. The Royal Palace of the King and Sunah Mosque are a short 5 minute walk away. Although it sands at the door of a modern Capital it holds a strong grip on the areas past. This illustrious past includes a mention by Ptolemy [Referred to as SALA].

The coast has seen the Phoenicians and Carthaginians founding several trading hubs well before the Romans founded a town, Sala Colonia, on the site. Extant are ruined Roman architectural elements including a Decumanus Maximus, as well as those of a forum and a triumphal arch. It seems the necropolis was abandoned in about 1154 AD when the town north of the river, nearby Sale, achieved ascendancy. 

In the mid-14th century, a Merinid sultan, Abu l-Hasan, built several monuments and the main gate (dated to 1339). These later Merinid additions included a mosque, a zawiya, and royal tombs, including that of Abu l-Hasan.

The East-west Roman road and surrounding ruins give a unique feeling as you round each turn. One moment you feel a botanical garden of birds and flowers, descending into the Roman town itself. The feeling is being alive in the time of Ptolemy .Your senses overwhelmed with the road, inscriptions and food storage bins.

Passing the Roman era architecture we reach the lower terraces. Here Abu L-Hasan touched history (and the site).The Masjid, water cisterns from the river tides and the tiled tombs all leave a sense of the power and grandeur of the Merinid Sultans and the Almohad dynasty.

 

The most recent Monarch is Mohammed VI.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_VI_of_Morocco]

He has truly lived up to His heritage by making the area a venue of art and tourism in the heart of his capital. Low cost admissions and handicap ramps all greet the visitor. Yet the King prevented crass commercialism and the site became, and remains, a jewel in Morocco’s crown and a World Heritage Site.