Rabat (Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ, literally "Fortified Place"), is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000 (2010). It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region.

The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Salé, Rabat's bedroom community. Together with Temara the cities account for a combined metropolitan population of 1.8 million. Silting problems have diminished the Rabat's role as a port; however, Rabat and Salé still maintain important textile, food processing and construction industries. In addition, tourism and the presence of all foreign embassies in Morocco serve to make Rabat one of the most important cities in the country. Controversy surrounds sweatshop labour by major multinational corporations in the area (see Salé).

Rabat is accessible by train through the ONCF system and by plane through the nearby Rabat-Salé Airport.

Neighborhoods of Rabat

Rabat is an administrative city, it does not have many shopping districts, but many residential neighborhoods. Geographically spread out neighborhoods as follows:

The heart of the city consists of three parts: the Medina (old town), the Oudayas and Hassan, both located to meet the Bouregreg and the Atlantic Ocean.

To the west, and along the waterfront, there is a succession of neighborhoods: First, around the ramparts, the old quarters of the ocean and orange (popular and middle class). Beyond that, a succession of mostly popular neighborhoods: Diour Jamaa, Akkari, Yacoub El Mansour, Massira and Hay el Fath are the main parts of this axis. Hay el Fath, which ends this sequence, evolves into a kind of middle class attendance.

To the east, along the Bouregreg, there are neighborhoods Youssoufia, Douar el Hajj, Mabel Taqaddoum, Hay Nahda, Aviation, Romani (working and middle classes).

Between these two axes, going from north to south, there are 3 main areas (middle class to very easy): Agdal (Ward Building lively mixing residential and commercial functions, predominantly to the middle classes to wealthy), Hay Riad (affluent villas which has been a surge of momentum since the 2000s), and Souissi (neighborhood very easy, mostly residential). On the outskirts of Souissi, in continuity, the district Ambassadors. These neighborhoods are characterized by rapid urbanization in large bodies, airy, often wooded remote mists of the ocean, in contrast to the tighter and denser islets that surround it.

Culture

The biggest place for theatre is the Theatre Mohamed V in the centre of the town. The city also has a few official galleries and an archeological museum. Many organizations are active in cultural and social issues. Orient-Occident Foundation and ONA Foundation are the biggest of these. An independent art scene is active in the city. L'appartement 22, which is the first independent space for visual arts created by Abdellah Karroum, opened in 2002.

Rabat was selected as a filming location for the war film Black Hawk Down (2001).

Main sights

• Mausoleum of Mohammed V
• Mohammed V University is located in the city.
• Hassan Tower
• Chellah necropolis
• Kasbah of the Udayas
• Rabat Archaeological Museum

Source: Wikipedia