From Rabat to Marseille : Šālla and the 1922 Exposition Coloniale in France

Arabic geographical sources describing al-Marib al-Aq (circa today's Morocco) in the 12th century unequivocally depict the site of lla (French 'Chellah') as a compound of ruins, some ancient, some Islamic. 1 Since two new urban centres, Rabat and Sal, had come into existence nearby on the Atlantic coast, it appears that lla gradually lost its prominent position as well as most of its population.Nonetheless, the first Marnid sultan, Ab Ysuf (r.1258-1286), chose this place to be his dynasty's burial ground, and major building activities took place there during the reigns of Ab l-asan (r.1331-1351) and Ab Inn (r.1351-1358). 2 Apart from erecting the royal funerary complexcomprising a mosque, a madrasa, several mausolea, courtyards, and ablution buildings (fig.1)the site was also surrounded by ramparts.The construction of the walls began, as recorded by the foundation inscription on the main gate, in 1339.Contemporary sources reveal that the funerary ensemble functioned as a place of pious visitation already in the Marnid period .In subsequent centuries, however, the identities of the people interred in lla faded from public memory, and the site became revered as a sacred place associated with various popular sagas and cults.3