Larache

Larache
Larache Location in Morocco
Coordinates: 35°11′N 6°9′W
Country	Morocco
Region	Tanger-Tétouan
Province
Population (2004)
• Total	107,371
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	WEST (UTC+1)

Larache (also El Araich; العرائش in Arabic) is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tétouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Loukkos River.

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.

In the 15th century superpower due to their marine expenditures Portugal spoke of Larache as the largest Moroccan Port.

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 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 finally retook it in 1689.

Attacks on Larache continued, but it still remained in Muslim hands. In 1765, a French fleet failed in the Larache expedition. But due to the colonisation era Spain took Larache in 1911 and held it for 45 years until 1956.

Today

Today Larache has a population of approximately 117,000. 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 Andalusian in style.

Famous areas and places in Larache

• Grave of Jean Genet
• Lixus (Roman ruins)
• Oued Loukos (Loukkos River)
• Charie Mohammed Al-Khamis (Boulevard Mohammed V)
• Storks Castle
• Boukharis House
• Torres Park
• Jardin of Lions
• The Conservatory of Music
• Dghoghi Houses
• Kessba (Old Medina)
• Port of Larache
• Port Lixus

External links

• Entry in Lexicorient