Chellah, an abandoned Roman city, was transformed in the 13C into a royal cemetery by the Marinides. The ruins of Sala Colonia take the place of honour, exhumed during excavations undertaken in the 20C which revealed the remains of a fountain, a triu..

Dominating a vast esplanade covered in marble and dotted with numerous columns, Hassan Tower is the unfinished minaret of the magnificent mosque which Yacoub el Mansour wanted to have built. Begun in the 12C, construction was never completed, and the..

A defensive fortress and observation post when it was built in the 10C, the kasbah occupies a dominant position. Past the splendid Oudaia Gate , a magisterial entrance, you reach a complex of whitewashed houses crossed by Rue Jamaa, which stops at t..

Is it a work of art or a fortress? A legitimate question, as Oudaia Gate is such a fine illustration of the Almohads’ virtuosity. Made entirely of freestone in a beautiful red ochre colour, it is composed of two horseshoe arches – note the richly scu..

The Rabat medina is bordered to the south by the Andalusian Wall, along which Boulevard Hassan II runs from east to west. Rue Souika, closed to the east by the (19C) Great Mosque, features a string of cafés and little shops, while the perpendicular ..

What a celebration of Moroccan jewellery! It is prehistoric in the first room, made of all shapes and materials - from teeth to precious stones. In the second room it comes from town and country and is paired with traditional costumes. The third room..

The Moorish café in Oudaia Garden is a splendid place to sit on the terrace and enjoy a cup of mint tea. It is a fine example of an Andalusian garden, sheltered by high crenelated walls dotted with morning glories, its terraces full of different shru..

Created in the early 1930s, this archaeological museum offers the fruits of the excavations undertaken at the main prehistoric, pre-Islamic and Islamic sites in Morocco. Archaeological research methods (prospecting, photogrammetry, restoration, datin..

Of all the modern neighbourhoods in Rabat, the most elegant is the former Residence quarter (southwest of town). Here many embassies and ministries are located in a veritable park full of greenery and flowers.

A museographic endowment of some 7,500 pieces. You won’t know where to look first between the costumes, including silk caftans with fine gold embroidery; more embroidery on the cushions, bridal veils, curtains and tablecloths; musical instruments suc..

Maâmora Forest northeast of Rabat is Morocco’s main source of cork oak, used for its bark (Morocco is one of the world’s leading producers of cork) and wood. The precious trees occupy 134 000ha – mixed with some eucalyptus that has been gaining groun..