Larache

Larache ( ) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the Loukkos River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Larache is one of the most important cities of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. Many civilisations and cultures have influenced the history of Larache, starting in the ancient city of Lixus during the 12th century BCE. Between the period of being a strategic Berber town and then a Phoenician trading centre to Morocco's independence era around the 1950s, Larache was a nexus for many cultures.

Larache ( ) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the Loukkos River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Larache is one of the most important cities of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region. Many civilisations and cultures have influenced the history of Larache, starting in the ancient city of Lixus during the 12th century BCE. Between the period of being a strategic Berber town and then a Phoenician trading centre to Morocco's independence era around the 1950s, Larache was a nexus for many cultures. ==History== The ancient city of Lixus lies on the opposite bank of the Loukkos River (northern shore), the city was developed by the Phoenicians (8th–7th century BC) over a pre-existing Bronze Age Lixitae settlement, before the city of Carthage. , depicting the town as the largest in the region]] The city is not mentioned in Arabic historical sources until the 13th century. It was founded by the Idrisite Banu 'Arus. Because of the abundant vines in the area, they named it al-'Ara'ish, meaning "trellis of grape vines", or al-'Arīsh mtā' Bnī 'Arūs ("grape vine trellis of the Banu 'Arus") in longer form. The Almohad caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur (r. 1184–1199) built a fortress here in the late 12th century. In 1270, the Spanish led a successful raid on the city. In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove the inhabitants out of Larache, and again it remained uninhabited until the Saadi Sultan Mohammed ash-Sheikh 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 in 1489¹. 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 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. In 1829, during the Austrian expedition against Morocco (1829), the Austrians punitively bombarded the city due to Moroccan piracy. In 1911, during the colonisation era, Spain occupied Larache and held it for 45 years until 1956. On 7 March 2023, Moroccan archaeologists discovered an ancient tomb dating back over 2,000 years to the Mauretanian period. ==Sites of interest== ==Education== Larache offers 3 types of education systems: Arabic, French and Spanish. Each offers classes starting from pre-Kindergarten up to the 12th grade, as for German in the three last years of high school. The Baccalauréat, or high school diploma are the diplomas offered after clearing the 12 grades. ==Sister cities== Almuñécar, Spain ==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 ==See also== Larache Province Lixus Loukkos River Chabab Larache an old famous football club from the city Oussama Belhcen a musician from Larache European enclaves in North Africa before 1830 ==External links== Website of the latest news about the city and its region 24/24h Official Website in Spanish Forum of Larache City in Arabic Entry in Lexicorient Encyclopedia Islam (p. 418)

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