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Vieux-Port de Marseille

The Old Port is the oldest port of Marseille, as well as historical and cultural center of the city since its foundation on this site in antiquity. The port was the economic center of Marseille until the mid-nineteenth century, opened on trade in the Mediterranean Sea and French colonies. Commercial port activities were then moved to other sites further north: the basins of the present Grand seaport of Marseille.
The "old port" is now a marina, place of public gatherings and tourist emblem of Marseille.
The harbor floor is occupied by marshes that have dried up gradually from the Greek occupation and was shown by the archaeological excavations before the construction of an underground car park, Place du General de Gaulle.
From the tenth century, the marshes drained the eastern shore of the harbor take the name of Fourmiguier plan. Warehouses are installed, workings and structure of a communal yard shipbuilding. Rope-makers also settled there and work hemp for making ropes and slings. It is this hemp, in Provencal canebe as does the name Canebière (the mainstreet).
Second port of France, the challenge becomes too great and the decision to escape the city by the Act of August 5, 1844 the government ordered the construction of the basin of the Joliette, north of the port, through an ambitious project (18 million francs). The construction of the embankment resumes techniques Large concrete blocks. Infrastructure of Joliette beginning to be used in 1847, the basin was completed in 1853.

The auxiliary port is also expanded the Friioul. The port expansion continues with the Act of June 10, 1854 and the Decree of 23 November 1856 ordering the construction of ponds and Lazaretto Arenc and pool construction Napoleon (1859) 4. To connect the old and the new port, Imperial Street is paved.WWII overturns part of the Old Port: the old neighborhood on the north shore is dynamited by the Nazis with the help of the French police during the "raid of Marseilles."

Between 22 and 24 January 1943, 30,000 people living in older neighborhoods are expelled. Friday 22 begins a raid aimed at the Jewish population of the neighborhoods of the Old Port: several thousand people were arrested, including several hundred Jews who are sent to the French internment camps and extermination camps 5. House by house, the 1500 buildings of the Old Port are then blown up, leaving a field of ruins. The Transporter Bridge was destroyed in 1944.
The north shore area is rebuilt by the architect Fernand Pouillon in 1948. On this occasion, the dolia dating from Roman times are found and are exposed in situ in the Museum of Roman docks.
In 1976, all fishing activities and the Auction fish are transferred to the port of Saumaty. Passenger traffic and goods is done at the Grand seaport of Marseille (formerly Port Authority) in the basins north of the Old Port, or the side of Fos-sur-Mer. The Old Port is now essentially a municipal marina, completed in this function through the ports of La Pointe Rouge, Friuli and L'Estaque. The only activity is to shuttle passengers to tourist destination of the Chateau d'If, Islands of Frioul and creeks of Marseille.