Larache

History

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 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 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, the Austrians punitively bombarded the city due to Moroccan piracy. Due to the colonisation era, Spain took Larache in 1911 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.

Geography

The city is located on the northwestern coast of Morocco, on the south bank at the mouth of the Loukkos River. It is roughly 80 km southwest of Tangier. The city consists of a compact medina (historic old town), situated next to the river, and a larger "new town", established outside the old medina by the Spanish colonial administration after 1911 and stretching southwards over the coastal plateau.

Climate

Larache has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) with heavy rainfall. The summers are moderately hot and sunny and the winters are wet and cool. The record high temperature of 46.4 °C was registered on July 10, 2021. |Jan record high C = 25.2 |Feb record high C = 29.3 |Mar record high C = 33.8 |Apr record high C = 33.5 |May record high C = 42.8 |Jun record high C = 43.8 |Jul record high C = 46.4 |Aug record high C = 45.2 |Sep record high C = 43.0 |Oct record high C = 38.1 |Nov record high C = 34.0 |Dec record high C = 27.9 |year record high C = |Jan record low C = -3.0 |Feb record low C = -0.6 |Mar record low C = 0.9 |Apr record low C = 5.6 |May record low C = 7.0 |Jun record low C = 10.5 |Jul record low C = 13.0 |Aug record low C = 13.5 |Sep record low C = 11.9 |Oct record low C = 7.2 |Nov record low C = 2.8 |Dec record low C = 1.3 |year record low C = |access-date = 8 October 2023 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231008060551/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Morocco/CSV/LARACHE_60105.csv |archive-date = 8 October 2023}}

Demographics

In the 2024 Moroccan census, the commune of Larache recorded a population of 133,731 inhabitants.

Sites of interest

Landmarks

• Port Lixus
• Plaza de España
• Oued Loukos (Loukkos River)
• Charie Mohammed Al-Khamis (Boulevard Mohammed V)
• Storks Castle
• Boukharis House
• Torres Park
• Jardin of Lions
• The Conservatory of Music
• Kessba, Gebibat & Bab Behar (Old Medina)
• Port of Larache
• Dghoghi Houses
• Balcon Atlantico
• Grave of Jean Genet
• Jewish Cemetery

Lixus

Main article: Lixus (ancient city)

This ancient Mauritanian city gradually grew in importance, later coming under Carthaginian domination. After the destruction of Carthage, Lixus fell to Amazigh (Berber) control, reaching its zenith during the reign of the Mauritanian king Juba II.

Some ancient Greek writers located at Lixus the mythological garden of the Hesperides, the keepers of the golden apples. The name of the city which was often mentioned by writers from Hanno the Navigator to the Geographer of Ravenna and confirmed by the legend on its coins and by an inscription. The ancients believed this to be the site of the Garden of the Hesperides and of a sanctuary of Hercules, where Hercules gathered gold apples, more ancient than the one at Cadiz, Spain. However, there are no grounds for the claim that Lixus was founded at the end of the second millennium BC. Life was maintained there nevertheless until the Islamic conquest of North Africa by the presence of a mosque and a house with a patio with walls covered with painted stuccos.

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.

Primary education

There are tens Moroccan primary schools, dispersed across the city. Private and public schools, they offer education in Arabic, French and some school English until the 5th grade. Mathematics, Arts, Science Activities and nonreligious modules are commonly taught in the primary school.

International Schools

The Colegio Español Luis Vives is a Spanish international school located in Larache, Morocco.

Higher education

Polydisciplinary Faculty of Larache

The Polydisciplinary Faculty of Larache is part of Abdelmalek Essaâdi University in Morocco. This institution offers a diverse range of programs across various fields of study, including sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

Teacher Training Centre

The CFI Larache, a Centre for Teacher Training is a higher education institution affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Professional Training. The CFI Larache accepts holders of DUT, BTS, DEUG, DEUST, or equivalent diplomas and prepares them with pedagogical and theoretical training for a career as teachers.

ISTA

The Institut Spécialisé de Technologie Appliquée (ISTA) Larache is a key vocational training institute in Larache, Morocco, affiliated with the Office de la Formation Professionnelle et de la Promotion du Travail (OFPPT). It offers a variety of programs in fields such as mechanics, electronics, computer science, and construction, designed to equip students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Notable people

• Jean Genet lived for several years and had requested to be buried there. His grave is in the Spanish cemetery of Larache
• Amina Filali, whose suicide in 2012 sparked a political debate on women's rights and article 475 of the Moroccan penal code
• Juan Goytisolo, Spanish novelist, is buried in the Spanish cemetery of Larache
• Mohamed Chrif Tribak, Moroccan filmmaker and screenwriter

Sister cities

• Spain 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

References and notes

References

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4. {{Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition
5. (2010). "'Abd ar-Rasham". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc..
6. Kasraoui, Safaa. (7 March 2023). "Morocco Announces Discovery of 2,000-Old Mauritanian Tomb".
7. (2007). "The Report: Emerging Morocco 2007". Oxford Business Group.
8. (15 April 2014). "Larache {{!}} Morocco".
9. . (10 July 2021). ["60105: Larache (Morocco))"](https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=60105&ano=2021&mes=7&day=11&hora=0&min=0&ndays=30). *[[OGIMET]]*.
10. "Population légale du Royaume du Maroc répartie par régions, provinces et préfectures et communes selon les résultats du Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat 2024".
11. "Larache Cemetery, Larache, Morocco".
12. (11 August 2022). "Enseignement préscolaire: 40 nouvelles unités pour la province de Larache".
13. Montes Presa, José María. (2006). "Colegio Español Luis Vives de Larache". Aljamía. Revista de la Consejería de Educación en Marruecos.
14. "". link
15. "Présentation de la FPL".
16. "Répertoire des établissements de formation de formateurs de la Francophonie : Établissements".
17. "ISTA LARACHE - OFPPT".