Rabat’s history dates back about 2200 years to an inception as a settlement along Atlantic shores, a time during which it was referred to as Chella—Chella would ultimately be conquered by Rome in its Augustinian era.
Rabat exchanged administrative hands until the tenth century, as Muslim influx into the region brought new rulers and purpose. The city now served as a launch point for battalions and fleets endeavoring a Moorish conquest of Spain. The resulting successful series of military endeavors earned the would-be capital the title Ribatu l-Fath, which translated as “stronghold of the victory.”
With the addition of walls and the establishment of the Muslim center as a capital, mosque and infrastructural construction swelled until around the 1200’s, when Fez began to takeover as Morocco’s leading commercial and cultural focal point.
Piracy would be a big problem in this seaside area until around 1829, when Austria began attacking Rabat, along with other port cities, in retaliation for an attack on an Austrian ship. In 1912, Rabat was once more made capital, this time under the dominion of a French protectorate.
Morocco would gain independence in 1956
Rabat History
