Morocco: Rabat

The capital of Morocco is a city where the classical Moorish architecture is combined with Western traditions. Buildings with bright red roofs are drowning in greenery, and especially interesting to watch them from the height. We offer aircraft using Airpano Aeropano.

On the Atlantic Coast of Morocco, 90 km north of Casablanca, the old city of Rabat is located. And if Casablanca is the center of economic life of the country, then the discount – the capital and the main point on its political map: there are state institutions, embassies and the royal palace. There are many beautiful cities and interesting customs in the country, about which "My Planet" told in the article "Ten facts about Morocco who will surprise you".

The first settlements in this area appeared in the III century BC. NS., But as the city of Rabat (Ribat-El Fatah – "Victorious") leads its history from 1146. The founder of the Dynasty of Almohad ADB AD al-Moon built a fortress on the banks of the River BU River, which was then used to attack Andalusia.

The Rabat has reached the greatest heyday at the third calip of Almhad Yakuba al-Mansur. At the end of the XII century, he suffered here the capital from Marrakesh, and then built a lot of structures in the city, starting with Kasba-Udayai fortress. This citadel that has come down to this day is a bright example of the Moorish architecture of that time. Inside the fortress built up with traditional residential houses with deaf white-blue walls. In the northern part there is an observation deck overlooking the sea.

Khalifa also began the construction of a mosque, which was to become the largest in the world, but only two hundred pillars from sandstone were preserved from it. Failure has been deployed and plan to build a giant minaret Khasan. He had to rise at 86 m, but after the death of Yakub in 1199, the work stopped: the builders stopped at 44 m. According to its architectural look, Minaret Khasan is close to Seville Hiralda, which was built at the same time, and the prototype of both buildings is considered to be a 70-meter minaret Kutubia in Marrakesh.

With the death of Yakub, a period of decline of the Rabat began – by 1515, no more than a hundred residential buildings remained in the city, and the economic power of Morocco moved to Fez. Only in the XVII century began a new life of discount. Mauris, expelled from Spain, found shelter here and began to actively revive the economy.

In 1912, France installed the Protectorate over Morocco, and the Rabat became the capital again, and in 1956, after the country’s independence, the capital’s status was consolidated by King Mohammed V.

Stormy historical events did not prevent the city to save their monuments of antiquity. In addition to the citadel and minaret, the most interesting sights of Rabat include the Royal Palace of Mohammed VI in the old part of the city – Medina. The residence was built in 1864 in a traditional Arabic style – this is a long two-storey yellow-orange building with a green roof and small turrets, decorated with carved arches, paintings and mosaic. From unwanted guests, high walls and vintage guns installed at the entrance are guarded. But those who can get inside, put on blooming gardens with a fountain, in which fish, snakes and turtles live.

On the square near the royal palace there is a family mosque of Sultan Ahl-Fas. Here every Friday afternoon Mohammed VI holds Namaz and people can see their ruler. And in the eastern part of the city on Square, where the remains of the mosque and Minaret Khasan are, in the 1960s, Mohammed V and his sons were erected, which is also an important landmark of discount.

Western culture in the capital Morocco brighter is the Cathedral of St. Peter, built in the style of Ar Deco in 1921. Finally, the discount literally slows down in greenery: many parks are broken here, and the streets and brochions are surrounded by trees.

To get acquainted with the country not only in absentia, read our guide in Morocco.