The Ultimate Travel Guide to Morocco: History & Attractions

A sensory journey through ancient medinas, Sahara dunes, colourful souks and stunning Atlas Mountains.

A Glimpse into History

Morocco's history is a tapestry woven from Berber, Roman, Arab, Moorish, and French threads spanning 3,000 years. The indigenous Amazigh (Berber) people have inhabited North Africa since at least 10,000 BC, and their culture and language survive powerfully to this day. Carthaginian and Roman settlements along the coast left lasting marks — the ruins of Volubilis near Meknes are among North Africa's best-preserved Roman cities. The Arab conquest of the 7th century brought Islam, which became and remains the cornerstone of Moroccan identity. The Umayyad and then successive Berber dynasties — Almoravids, Almohads, Merinids — built the magnificent medinas, mosques, and madrasas that define Morocco's medieval cities. At its peak in the 13th century, the Almohad Empire controlled Morocco, Spain, and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Fes, founded in 789 AD, became one of the Islamic world's greatest centres of learning — its Qarawiyyin University, founded in 859 AD, is the world's oldest continuously operating university. European powers carved up the Maghreb in the 19th century, and France established a protectorate over Morocco in 1912. Independence came in 1956 under King Mohammed V. Morocco today is a constitutional monarchy, the only African country with coastline on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and a remarkable blend of sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab world, and Europe.

Top Attractions in Morocco

Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech

The vast central square of Marrakech is a UNESCO Intangible Heritage site and one of Africa's great theatres of daily life. By day, snake charmers, monkey handlers, and henna artists occupy the square; by evening, dozens of food stalls transform it into an open-air restaurant with a thousand aromas, surrounded by storytellers, musicians, and acrobats under the stars.

Sahara Desert, Erg Chebbi

The golden dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga rise to 150 metres and stretch to the Algerian horizon — Morocco's most dramatic landscape. A camel trek at sunset into the dunes, followed by a night in a Berber camp under an ocean of stars in one of the world's darkest skies, ranks among travel's most profound experiences.

Chefchaouen Blue City

Tucked in the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen's medina is famously painted in dozens of shades of electric blue and white — a tradition begun in the 1930s by Jewish refugees who considered blue the colour of heaven. The mountain light, photogenic alleyways, and relaxed atmosphere make Chefchaouen Morocco's most Instagram-worthy destination.

Fes el-Bali Medina

The world's largest car-free urban area and UNESCO-listed Fes el-Bali is a medieval city of 9,000 alleyways where 13th-century craft traditions survive unchanged — tanneries where leather is dyed in stone vats, wood-carvers, weavers, and brass-workers all working as their ancestors did for a thousand years.

Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca

The second-largest mosque in the world rises 210 metres above the Atlantic Ocean — part of the building is literally built over the sea with a retractable roof. Completed in 1993, its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres, and the craftsmanship — 6,000 master artisans working for five years — represents the pinnacle of Moroccan artistic tradition.