The Marinid Tombs of Chellah: A Forgotten Royal Necropolis

In this episode of The Story of Morocco, Lucas and Luna explore the Chellah necropolis in Rabat, a site that began as a Roman settlement (Sala Colonia) and later became the Marinid dynasty's royal burial ground in the 14th century. They discuss how Sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali and his son Abu 'Inan Faris commissioned elaborate tombs, a mosque, and a madrasa at Chellah, blending Islamic architecture with Roman ruins. Lucas explains the political symbolism of building a dynastic necropolis outside Fez, the role of the ulama in Marinid legitimacy, and the mysterious abandonment of the site after the Marinid decline. Luna asks about the black storks that now nest in Chellah and the 1990s restoration controversies. The episode also touches on the Merinid patronage of the Maliki school, the influence of the Qarawiyyin, and the site's later use as a garden under the Alaouites. Listeners will learn about the zellij tilework, the surviving minaret, and the decayed inscriptions that hint at a once-grand funerary complex. #Chellah #Marinid #Rabat #SalaColonia #AbualHasan #AbuInan #MoroccoHistory #IslamicArchitecture #MedievalNecropolis #Zellij #Maliki #Qarawiyyin #Alaouite #Archaeology #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica #Podcast #Morocco #Almoravid Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo