Portuguese fortress built to protect the city is still there today. After 1541, the city played a major role in Morocco as one of the safest and biggest seaports in the country. Many ambassadors to the Saadian and Alaouite kings during the 16th–18th centuries came to Morocco via Safi; its proximity to Marrakech, then capital of Morocco, helped expand the maritime trade in the city. Louis De Chénier, consul of the French court in Morocco in 1767, reported that the city was the only usable seaport at the time. A French Navy captive, Bidé de Maurville, who wrote the account of his stay in Morocco in his 1765 book Relations de l'affaire de Larache, reported the presence of an important number of foreign trading houses in the city : Dutch, Danish, British and French. After the Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah built the city of Mogador (modern-day Essaouira), he banned foreign trade in all Moroccan ports except in his newly built city. Consequently, Safi stopped playing a leading role in the Moroccan trade. Safi's patron saint is Abu Mohammed Salih. In 1942 as part of Operation Torch, American forces attacked Safi in Operation Blackstone. During November 8-10, 1942 the Americans took control over Safi and its port and took relatively few casualties compared to the other operations at Casablanca and at Port Mehdia. Population The inhabitants are composed of Berbers and Arabs descendants. The Berber origin is related to: The berbers who lived in the region before the foundation of the city. The berbers who came later from the sous plains, south of the region. The Arab origin is related to two tribes: Abda: They descend from Banu Hilal and have hugtalled in the region in the twelfth century and spawned : Bhatra and Rabiaa. Ahmar: They descend from Maqil. Safi also used to have a large Jewish community, more than 20% of the population, , many of whom subsequently emigrated to France, Canada and Israel. Economy In the early 20th century, the Algerian potter Boujemâa Lamali established a pottery school in Safi, supported by the colonial administration. Since then pottery has been a mainstay of Safi's economy. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic there were 2,000 registered artisans working in the city's 212 workshops, and thousands more unregistered artisans. Sport Football and rugby are popular sports in Safi. The local football team Olympic Safi have been competing in Morocco's premier football