Rabat

Rabat, city, capital of Morocco, in Rabat-Salé Prefecture, on the Atlantic Coast at the mouth of the Bou Ragrag River, opposite Salé, in the northwestern part of the country. It is a port and has considerable industry, including the manufacture of textiles, processed food, and building materials. Government activities, tourism, and handicraft production are also important to the city's economic base. Rabat is the site of Mohammed V University (1957); the National Conservatory of Music, Dance, and Dramatic Arts; institutes for the study of agriculture, public administration, and applied economics; the Museum of Antiquities, with archaeological exhibits; and a museum of Moroccan art. Of special interest in the area are the 12th-century Hassan Tower (a 55-m/180-ft minaret) and other parts of the mosque of Yakub al-Mansur (about 1160-99), now mostly in ruins. The settlement was established in the 12th century as a military post (Arabic ribat). The modern importance of the city dates from 1912, when it was made the capital of the French dependency of Morocco. When Morocco became independent in 1956, Rabat continued as the nation's capital. Population (2004) 1,622,860.