Oued Loukos
| Oued Loukos | ||
 The mouth of the Oued Loukos near Larache |
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| Data | ||
| location | Morocco | |
| River system | Oued Loukos | |
| origin | Confluence of several source rivers in the Rif Mountains south of Chefchaouen 35 ° 1 ′ 28 ″ N , 5 ° 22 ′ 46 ″ W |
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| muzzle | at Larache / Lixus in the Atlantic Coordinates: 35 ° 12 ′ 8 ″ N , 6 ° 9 ′ 17 ″ W 35 ° 12 ′ 8 ″ N , 6 ° 9 ′ 17 ″ W
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| length | 176 km | |
| Catchment area | 3730 km² | |
| Big cities | Ksar-el-Kebir , Larache | |
The Oued Loukos ( Arabic واد لوكوس, DMG Wād Lūkūs ) is one of the longest and most water-rich rivers in Morocco .
geography
The 176 km long Oued Loukos has its source in the Rif Mountains south of Chefchaouen , then runs in a south-westerly direction, where it is dammed into a large reservoir south-east of Ksar-el-Kebir . It then swings to the northwest, and after a few meanders it flows into the Atlantic at Larache / Lixus .
economy
The Oued Loukos, which never dries out, is of great importance for the irrigation of the fertile agricultural areas in the Gharb plain , which is one of the most productive growing areas in all of Morocco. Sea salt is extracted in salt pans in its shallow estuary .
history
On a hill above the mouth of the river - which in ancient times was about a kilometer further north - the Phoenicians founded - perhaps as early as 1100 BC. - their city Lixus , which fell to the Romans after the capture of Carthage (146 BC) and after the end of the kingdom of Mauritania and was richly furnished by them with buildings (including a theater / amphitheater). The most important export items in Roman times were cereals, olives and garum , a fish-based spice toast that was served as a side dish to many dishes in Roman cuisine. The ancient port was not far from the Garum basin, which is still visible today.
In 1578, on the Oued Makhazen - a tributary of the Loukos - north of Ksar-el-Kebir, a momentous battle took place in the further history of Portugal and Morocco , in the course of which the only 24-year-old Portuguese King Sebastian I was killed. Since he was unmarried and left no heir to the throne, Portugal was united with Spain from 1580 to 1640 . The hinterland of Morocco was henceforth, i. H. until the beginning of the colonial era, no longer attacked by the European powers.
As early as 1489, the Portuguese briefly occupied the hill with the small town of El Araïch , south of the new estuary, which had been relocated by natural forces . The Spaniards took over this place from 1610 to 1689 and expanded it into a fortress. During the Spanish protectorate , the Spanish and French called the city "Larache".
literature
- Arnold Betten: Morocco. Antiquity, Berber Traditions and Islam - History, Art and Culture in the Maghreb. DuMont, Ostfildern 2009 ISBN 978-3-7701-3935-4 .
- Ingeborg Lehmann, Rita Henss u. a .: Morocco. Baedeker-Verlag, Ostfildern 2010 ISBN 978-3-8297-1251-4 .
