Salé

Salé (Arabic: سلا, romanized: salā, [salaː])[a] is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Along with some smaller nearby towns, Rabat and Salé form together a single metropolitan area.[3][4] Founded in the 11th century, it later became a haven for pirates in the 17th century as an independent republic before being incorporated into Alawi Morocco. It recorded a population of 890,403 in the 2014 Moroccan census.[2] The city still preserves its historic medina (old town), with many major monuments dating from the Marinid period (13th–15th centuries). Salé is connected to Rabat by a tramway and also contains the Rabat–Salé Airport, the main international airport serving both cities. The Phoenicians established a settlement called Sala,[5][6] later the site of a Roman colony, Sala Colonia, across the river on the south side of the Bou Regreg estuary.[7] The local Banu Ifran apparently cultivated the legend that the city's name was derived from that of Salah, son of Ham, son of Noah.[8]