Marseille has a complex history. It was founded by the Phoceans (from the greek city of Phocea) in 600 B. C. and is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The town is a far cry from the Cézanne paintings and Provençal clichés of sleepy villages, "pétanque" players and Marcel Pagnol novels. With around one million inhabitants, Marseille is the second largest city in France in terms of population and the largest in terms of area. Its population is a real melting pot of different cultures. It is also said that there are more Comorian people in Marseille than in Comoros! Indeed, the people of Marseille have varying ethnic backgrounds, with a lot of Italians and Spanish having immigrated to the area after the second world war.
Unsurprisingly, Marseille's cuisine is focused on fish and seafood. Its two flag-bearing specialities being the famous fish broth "bouillabaisse" and aïoli, a garlic sauce served with vegetables and dried cod.
Marseļa (Marseille) - pilsēta Francijas dienvidos Vidusjūras krastā pie Ronas upes grīvas. Francijas otra lielākā pilsēta (aiz Parīzes). Lielākā Francijas osta un lielākā osta Vidusjūras krastos. Pilsētas iedzīvotāju sastāvs ir ļoti raibs, bet apmēram 25% no iedzīvotājiem ir Ziemeļāfrikas izcelsmes. Pilsētā ir arī trešā lielākā ebreju kopiena Eiropā.
Pie Marseļas uz salas atrodas Ifas cietoksnis, kurā, pēc leģendas, bijis ieslodzīts grāfs Monte-Kristo. Francijas himna (Marseljēza) nosaukta pilsētas vārdā.
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