Chellah

The Chellah (or Shalla) is a medieval fortified necropolis and ancient archaeological site in Rabat, Morocco, on the south bank of the Bou Regreg estuary[1]. Phoenicians established a trading emporium here in the first millennium BC[1]. The site later became Sala Colonia, a Roman colony in Mauretania Tingitana, abandoned in Late Antiquity[1]. In the late 13th century, the Marinid dynasty began using it as a necropolis, enclosing a portion with walls and building a religious complex by the mid-14th century[1]. The necropolis declined in the 15th century, suffering earthquake damage and looting[1]. 20th-century excavations uncovered the Roman town ruins[1]. Today it is a tourist site and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012[1].