Chellah, Rabat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Morocco
The Chellah is a walled ruin of a town that lies in a short walk from the current medina of Rabat, south of the Ville Nouvelle. Designated a World heritage Site in 2012, it is the most popular tourist attraction in Rabat and houses both Roman ruins and a medieval Muslim necropolis. Abandoned in 1154 and damaged further by the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 it is an overgrown and atmospheric site adorned by storks’ nests, and a fascinating place to meander around.
The Chellah sits on the banks of the Bou Regreg (now around 2km from the Atlantic) and was built by the Romans in around 40 AD (it was the Roman town – Sala Colonia, or Sala), although being a natural port it may have previously been a site occupied by the Phoenicians or Carthaginians as early as the 3rd century BC.
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