MARSEILLES (mar-salz'), French MARSEILLE (mar-say'), a city, prin cipal commercial seaport of France, on the Mediterranean, and capital of the de partment of Bouches-du-RhOne; on the Gulf of Lyons. It lies in the form of an amphitheater round a natural harbor of moderate size now known as the Old Har bor. From the inner end of the harbor runs inland one of the finest of the city thoroughfares, called the Cannebiere next the harbor, while at right angles to this another great thoroughfare or broad av enue runs through the city. Though a handsome city as a whole, Marseilles is not rich in public edifices. The most de serving of notice are the large new ca thedral in the Byzantine style; the Church of Notre Dame de la Garde, on a hill of the same name; the Church of St. Victor; the Hotel de Ville; the Prefecture; the Palais des Arts de Longchamp, with picture gallery and natural history muse um; the exchange; public library; and the triumphal arch through which the town is entered on the side of Aix. The harbor is strongly defended by various works. What is called the New Harbor consists of a series of extensive docks along the shore to the W., with a protect ing breakwater in front.
In recent times Marseilles has made great progress in its extent, street im provements, population, and commerce, largely owing to the conquest of Algeria, and the opening of the Suez Canal. The
most important manufactures are soap, soda, and other chemical products; also olive and other oils, sugar, machinery, iron and brass work, candles, glass, earthenware, etc. The trade is chiefly in soap, olive oil, wine, brandy, corn, flour, dried fruits, tobacco, wool, skins, iron, cotton, etc. Marseilles was founded by a colony of Greeks from Asia Minor about 600 years before Christ, the orig inal name being Massalia. It attained great prosperity as a Greek colonial cen ter, and the Greek language is said to have been spoken here till several cen turies after Christ. It was taken by Cxsar in 49 B. C. On the decline of the Roman Empire it became a prey to the Goths, Burgundians, and Franks. In 735 it fell into the hands of the Saracens, and in the 10th century it came under the dominion of the counts of Provence, and for some centuries after followed the fortunes of that house. During the World War of 1914-1918 Marseilles be came a great military and naval port. Pop. about 600,000.