Images Dated 15th August 2009

Rabat, Chellah, Morocco

The defensive walls of the site of Chellah, Rabat.
Chellah or Sala Colonia (Arabic: O?O?U?O©a??), is a medieval fortified necropolis located south of Rabat, Morocco.
The site was abandoned in 1154 AD in favour of nearby SalA©. The Almohad dynasty used the ghost town as a necropolis. In the mid-14th century, a Merinid sultan, Abu l-Hasan, built monuments and the main gate, dated to 1339. These later Merinid additions included a mosque, a zawiya, and royal tombs, including that of Abu l-Hasan.
Many structures in Chellah/Sala Colonia were damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The site has been converted to a garden and tourist venue

© 2009 Frans Sellies