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Safi Morocco

Safi

Heraldic

Administration

Country

Morocco

Region

Doukkala-Abda

Province

Safi

Mayor

Mohamed Karim ( PI ) ( 2009 )

Postcode

46000

Geography

Contact

32 18 '02 "North
9 14 '21 "West / 32.300483, -9.239159

Altitude

500 m

Area

9600 ha = 96 km ²

Demography

Population

485 798 inhabitants (2008).

Density

5 060.4 inhabitants / km ²

Location

Safi ( Arabic : ) is a city in Morocco , located on the Atlantic coast. It is the capital of the Doukkala-Abda prefecture and its province. Its port is one of the largest in the country. The city is also home since the 1960s, a major industrial complex processing of phosphate. Safi currently has 485 798 inhabitants.

Summary

1 History
- 1.1 The opening of European
- 1.2 The turn of the ^twentieth century
2 Monuments Safi
3 Industry
4 Sports
5 Key areas
6 Personalities
7 Twinning
8 Gallery
9 See also
- External 9.1 Links

History

There is little written on the birth of Safi, the tip Oussadion, Phoenician counter - whether to believe the geographer Ptolemy - probably later attended by the Romans , it appears in the Arabic texts under the name Asfi at From the ^eleventh century , then it is a small port of local interest.

Safi (Hadirat al Mouhit) or City of the surrounding sea, in the words of Ibn Khaldun , assured, as a port of the capital Marrakech of the Empire Almohad the ^twelfth century , a direct relationship with Andalusia and presented itself as a highly urbanized area, provided particularly important fortifications and a large central mosque. The latter was attached to many institutions.

Under the Almohad at the end of the ^twelfth century , Abi Mohammed Salih , patron saint of the city since founded a fortified convent ribat or in a suburb adjoining the city of Tasaffyn (Al-Safi), which reached the religious a wide reputation.

It establishes, in effect, two religious orders, the first of its kind held in Morocco, a mystical path or tariqa and Tafa of Houjjaj remarkable organization of the pilgrimage to Mecca, through a vast network of shelters ( Sijilmassa , Tlemcen , Candle , Barqa, Alexandria ,...), at a time when this obligation was suspended due to insecurity.

Consists of two urban entities, the city grows, the ^fourteenth century , a madrasa built by Abul Hassan Al Marini, a bimaristan (hospital) and many other institutions, a qaysaria a Mohtasseb, as Safi and as necessary as a place of importance that trade exchanges with Genoa , Seville , Marseille , etc..

At the end of the ^fifteenth century , Portuguese pressure increases, and leads to the occupation of the city that lasted from 1488 until its takeover by Saadi , in 1541. Tzaffin the Portuguese was the main fortified place for the control of the coastal region, extending to Marrakech.

Again connected to Marrakech in the Saadi , Safi remains one of the largest ports in the kingdom until the creation of Essaouira , in the second half of the ^seventeenth century. It remains the headquarters of foreign consulates and participate during the ^nineteenth century , the commercial opening of Morocco on foreign powers.

As in Tangier , the Jewish community is important and is not installed in a Jewish quarter. The existence of cults mixed Jewish-Muslim, such as that delivered to the mid- ^twentieth century to Oulad Zmirro, the seven holy Jews buried in Safi, reflects the agreement that has prevailed for several centuries between the two communities.

Etching of the city XV ^century , when Tzaffin named by the Portuguese.

The opening on Europe

In the ^fifteenth century , Safi opens to European trade. The Portuguese even appreciate its natural harbor, so they take it by force in 1488, by a combined operation (by land and sea) rise from their base at Mogador (Essaouira). Around the city, they build a wall and built a fortress on the sea But this work does not last long, because once in 1541 , the Portuguese, who just lost the city of Agadir, Safi evacuate voluntarily.

This does not interrupt the trade with Europe , which instead intensify. The French have their share.

In the ^seventeenth century , the consul of France and his residence in Safi is in its walls that the commander of Rasilly sign on behalf of Louis XIII several commercial treaties between France and the Empire Cherifian. But the ^nineteenth century , the decline is complete.

The turn of the ^twentieth century

The revival is first come to the fishing industry: the sardine is the specialty of Safi since the development of the cannery opened its fishermen a huge market. Then Jbilet ores and phosphates Youssoufia (90 km north-east of Safi) invaded the docks, causing the expansion and modernization of the port.

Finally, it is Safi the country took its first big step in the industry by building a large chemical complex (1972) a few miles south of the city. From 1920, the port of Safi is the subject of progressive extensions, thanks to increased export of phosphates. But it was during the Second World War , the fleet has grown significantly related to the development of canned food, which will Safi, in the early 1950's , the first sardine port in the world for fishing and the cannery. Safi is also famous for the activity of its potters , attested from the ^twelfth century. This event was a new intensity in the nineteenth ^century , and a gradual rebirth, thanks to the creation, by 1920, a school of ceramic and a pilot workshop with Master Lamali, which helped renew and to perpetuate this activity on the Hill Pottery.

Safi is also known for his role in the resistance and the struggle for independence from Morocco. Three persons have signed Safi Manifesto of Independence : Haj Mohamed Bouamrane , M'hamed Belkhadir and Abdeslam El Mestari.

Monuments Safi

Minaret Almohad.
Castle sea: it is a Portuguese fort dating from the XVI ^century. It has the distinction of being built practically on the water. His condition deteriorated and appears to be doomed to disappear before the negligence of the Moroccan Ministry of Culture and local authorities.
The Cathedral Portuguese first building gothic Africa.
Dar Asultane: former residence of the sultans Alawite , she also served as protection for the city because of its position and now it has been transformed into a museum ( National Museum of Ceramics ) and its terrace offers a nice view over the city.
The mausoleum of the seven brothers benzmiro (synagogue).
Citadel Ben Hamiddouch.
Palais du Caid Ben Aissa if Omar, dating from the ^nineteenth century (Dar Si Aissa).
Fortress Agouza to Souiria Lakdima.
Fortress Ha'ir.
Home Galabru.

Safi had a large Jewish community that emigrated to France , the Canada or Israel , which at the time represented more than 20 percent of the population.

Industry

There are two major industrial units in Safi:

The chemical complex of the Moroccan Phosphates Office

A unit of Moroccan Phosphates Office (OCP), which is a national company in charge of the whole chain phosphate / fertilizer. It is the second largest producer of phosphate in the world, just after the American IMC Agrico Co. (Freeport McMoRan group). Mining is carried on three main sites: Khouribga , Gantour and Boukraa , who delivered in 2000 respectively 14.1 Mt, 5.2 Mt and 2.2 Mt of phosphate ore merchant. Processing centers in phosphate phosphoric acid (2.7 Mt in 2000) are located in the industrial coastal Jorf Lasfar and Safi and those developing fertilizer (2.4 Mt) are in all Chemical Safi and Jorf Lasfar. The OCP is by far the largest exporter of crude phosphates and phosphoric acid and one of the largest international suppliers of fertilizers such as triple superphosphate (TSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP).

Plant Cement of Morocco in the province of Safi:

The plant in Safi was commissioned in 1993 , is located 35 km north of the city of Safi. The factory is equipped with a kiln dry process kiln with Polysius with a diameter of 4.2 m and a length of 62 m, with a five-storey tower with a miniature Preca. The main workshops are:
- Crushing: HAZMAG hammer.
- Pre-homogenization: pre-homogenization and circular BEDESCHI.
- Raw grinding: vertical roller mill PFEIFER.
- Online Cooking POLYSIUS.
- Cement grinding: FCB ball mill.

Sports

Safi is a city of surfing , recognized by top surfers. It offers fans sliding one of the best lines of Africa (ranked number 3 worldwide), engulfing more than 100 meters. The windsurfing is also honored.

Despite the modest sports facilities in the city, it has a sports club: The Olympic Safi playing in Division 1 football. The SCO is also a great rugby team. The city is also a bastion of athletics. In effect three Safiots are now veterans of the discipline known worldwide. Pigeon racing has its share too, there are three associations in the city pigeon namely: Al Fath, Assalam and Kors. This is because Safi is a city of quitters of pigeons for the Canary Islands.

Safi is becoming the destination of boating center of Morocco and at the same time the nearest beach of Marrakesh.