Marseille, << mahr SAY >> (pop. 862,211; met. area pop. 1,756,296), is the second largest city in France and the country’s main seaport. Paris is the only larger French city. Marseille, the nation’s oldest city, lies on the Mediterranean Sea.
The city
has the shape of a half-circle. It extends inland from an old port that is too small for modern ships. This port, called Old Harbor, is filled with pleasure boats and surrounded by restaurants and cafes. It is the city’s major tourist attraction. The Canebière, a main street lined with modern shops, extends inland from Old Harbor. It also attracts tourists.
A huge, modern port—which is one of the world’s busiest—extends about 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Old Harbor. Trading ships from many parts of the world dock at the port. Crew members of the ships visit the city and give it a busy, international flavor. Marseille also has attracted many workers from other countries, especially the countries of northern Africa.
Marseille has many beautiful churches. Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde has a large image of the Virgin Mary on its tall steeple that can be seen far out at sea.
Economy
of Marseille is based on trade and manufacturing. The city’s port handles about a third of the traffic of all French seaports. Industries in the area process chemicals, food, and petroleum from many parts of the world. The city’s chief manufactured products include bricks, candles, engines, medicines, soap, and tiles. Marseille has an airport, and highways and trains connect the city with other major European cities, particularly Paris.
History.
Marseille was founded about 600 B.C. by Greek adventurers from Asia Minor, who called it Massalia. Marseille was an independent city until the first century before the birth of Christ. It then came under Roman domination and fell into decline. In the Middle Ages, the city regained its importance during the Crusades, a series of Christian military expeditions to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. Many soldiers and supplies were sent through the port to the Holy Land.
Provence, the region where Marseille is located, became part of France in 1481. Bloody struggles took place in Marseille in the late 1700’s during the French Revolution. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 provided a water route between the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. The canal greatly increased the city’s importance as a shipping center.
