Basra: the leading Moroccan city in civilization
 Written by: Abbas Kassim Al-Maryani
 

Basra is one of the important historical Moroccan cities located in the northwestern part of the Maghreb, and its location is close to the Mediterranean Sea on the one hand, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. It was founded in the early third century AH by the Idrisids who made it their second capital.  Its abundance, beauty and privileged location.  At the beginning of this article, the reader may wonder what he reads, and go by his perception that we are talking about our ancient Iraqi city of Basra, certainly not!  Basra, which we are talking about, is a Moroccan city that was founded about two centuries after the Iraqi city of Basra.  To Morocco, and after him, he and his children were able to establish their state there.  Opinions differed as to the reason for calling this city by this name, some travelers go by saying that it was named as an analogy to the ancient Iraqi city of Basra due to the similarity between them in terms of soil and location, or it was named so after the Iraqi city of Basra, which Imam Ali (peace be upon him) visited in the Camel War, and some considered this  The name is given to the reddish-colored clay that was characteristic of this city, so it was called.  Despite the young age of this city, but it played great and important political and civilized roles in the Moroccan region, like its eastern counterpart, Basra.  This city for several interventions and wars from both sides managed in one era to be controlled by the Fatimids, then the Umayyads of Andalusia in another era, and all of this did not weaken its civilized role, which was close to or parallel to the role of the Iraqi city of Basra, but later it was subjected to demolition and destruction by  The Fatimids, after nearly a century and a half of civil and political innovation, remained in ruins to this day.  It was also characterized by a very special economic situation;  Because of its important agricultural resources, the most famous of which is the cultivation and export of flax;  That is why it was called (Basra linen), as well as grains and other crops, and its important marine and land location as it is connected to the sea and the ocean on the one hand, and the wild areas of Morocco on the other hand, where it contributed to the development of trade in it, as well as its animal products that also contributed to the economy of this city  for the abundance of pastures;  Therefore, it was characterized by its good taste.  In addition, a number of senior Moroccan jurists, scholars and poets emerged in this city who added a lot to Arab and Islamic civilization, including Abu Zakaria al-Sadafi, and Abu Harun al-Omari al-Basri, whose lineage goes back to Omar Ibn al-Khattab. Many historians and travelers such as Ibn Khaldun wrote about this city.  And Ibn Abd Rabbo al-Andalusi, and al-Maqdisi, and Ibn Jubayr.
 Sources
 * Abu Faraj al-Isfahani: the fighter of the Taliban
 * Yaqoot Al-Hamawi: Dictionary of Countries
 * Dr.  Muhammad Ali Dabour: The city of Basra in Morocco.