RABAT

town, west-central Malta, adjoining Mdina, west of Valletta. In Roman times the site of Mdina and Rabat was occupied by Melita, the island's capital. The modern names date from the Arab occupation of Malta, when Mdina was fortified and what remained outside the walls was called rabat (suburb). There are many Roman ruins, including a partially restored villa housing a museum. Extensive early Christian catacombs are beneath the town, and there are several cave churches and medieval churches and monasteries. The nearby Verdala Palace (1586) was built as a summer residence for the grand masters of the Hospitalers (Knights of St. John of Jerusalem) and was used by the governors of the islands. Situated within an agricultural region, modern Rabat produces wine and a variety of handcrafted textiles. Pop. (1985 prelim.) 12,920. Arabic Ribat, national capital and one of Morocco's four imperial cities, on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River, opposite the town of Sal. The history of Rabat is closely connected to that of neighbouring Sal, the site of which was first occupied by the Roman settlement of Sala (Shella). During the 10th century, Sal was established by the Zenata Berbers, who were orthodox Muslims, to house the heretical Berghouata Berbers. Rabat itself was founded in the 12th century by 'Abd al-Mu'min, the first Almohad ruler, as a ribat (camp) at which to quarter the troops for his jihad (holy war) against Spain. He later abandoned his efforts in Spain in order to concentrate his efforts on the conquest of North Africa. It was the third Almohad sultan, Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur, who named the place Ribat al-Fath (Camp of Victory), from which the name of the present city is derived. He also erected the great fortified wall within which the modern town has developed, and he built the notable tower of Hassan (still standing). After 1609 the unified community of Rabat-Sal became the home of large numbers of Andalusian Moors who had been driven from Spain and, later, of the Sallee Corsairs, the most dreaded of Barbary pirates. Under the French, Rabat was made the administrative capital and, upon Moroccan independence, was designated, together with the city of Sal, an urban prefecture; it now embraces an area of 492 square miles (1,275 square km). The old town, still surrounded by ramparts, lies near the coast. Within its fortifications are the medina (ancient Muslim town) and millah (Jewish quarter). To the north, on a cliff above the Bou Regreg, stands the 17th-century fortress of Casbah des Oudaa, with a splendid 12th-century Almohad gateway, an Andalusian garden, and an adjoining madrasah (college) that houses a museum of Moroccan art. Southeast of the old town are a number of outstanding historical structures, including the 12th-century tower of Hassan, a magnificent minaret, and the ruins of the mosque of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur (never completed); to the southwest of the old town are an archaeological museum and ar-Rouah city gate, also dating from the Almohad rule. The modern quarter of Rabat is partly enclosed by the fortified wall. Relatively modern structures, including a royal palace built in the 1950s, Muhammad V University (founded 1957), the national library, and various administrative buildings, are located in the city's southern outskirts. No longer a port of any significance because of the silting up of the river mouth, the city is now the centre of an important textile industry and is noted for its carpets, blankets, and leather handicrafts. Other economic activities include fruit and fish processing and the manufacture of bricks and asbestos. Rabat is connected to Casablanca (57 miles to the southwest) and Tangier (174 miles to the northeast) by road and railway, and it has an international airport. Pop. (1982) 518,616.