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 hroughout the course of Morocco’s Islamic phase, the country’s political and cultural centers were mainly concentrated in the cities of Fez and Marrakech, with a brief episode in Meknes . All the cities were inland, on the edge of the Middle or High Atlas. These were the three official capitals, the seats of the makhzen , in pre-colonial Morocco.
Fez | Marrakech | Meknes
 
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he city of Fez was the first major city of the three. It was founded by Idriss I (Idriss ibn Abdellah ibn al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib, the cousin and son-of-law of the Prophet Mohammed) in 789 in the fertile Sais plain, on one side of the Fez River, with access to the Taza Gap, which, historically, connected Morocco to the rest of the Maghreb and the Middle East. Later, when Idriss’s son came of age, he built another another settlement on the other side of the river and devised silver coins struck with the inscription Al Aliya, or City of Ali. One side housed what has been called the Andalusian quarter because refugees from al-Andalus settled there, while the other side was settled by refugees from Kairaouan ( Tunisia ). Thus, two sets of immigrants settled in the city, divided by a river, connected by a bridge called Qantra bayn al-mdoun (bridge between cities) that still exist today. Idriss II died in his mid-thirties, probably poisoned, and the settlements remained divided by a wall until the Almoravid leader, Yussef bin Tashfin demolished it in 1069, united the two settlements, and built a fortress around the whole city. By that time, the city had become quite prosperous, with running water, and continued to do so for most of its pre-colonial history. It grew into the cultural and bourgeois center of the country, with a very exotic population mix, including Andalusians, converted Jews, and Berbers. The city’s merchants did business in early modern England and in sub-Saharan Africa . Today, the city is not doing as well, but it is already working on a renaissance. The world’s premier festival of sacred music is held here every year in early June and the city is a major university town.
Fez is a world heritage city; it boasts the best preserved medina (medieval town of narrow paths and alleyways) in the Islamic world. One can begin by surveying the whole medina (Old Fez) with its minarets from Borj Sud (built by Portuguese prisoners) before venturing inside to visit the madrassas (medieval colleges), the Qarawiyyin mosque and library, the zawya (lodge) of Moulay Idriss II, and stroll out in Fez Jdid (New Fez) outside the medina’s gates along the Dar al-Makhzen complex.
The Marinid dynasty established architecturally exquisite colleges (madrassas) for the training of scholars and clerks for its administration, the finest of which is the Bou Inania, completed, together with the clock (magana) outside, in the 1350s. The college’s tile work, cedar wood, stucco and Italian marble are covered with Arabic calligraphy from the Koran. The clock was restored by a Moroccan horologist in 1990.
Other madrassas in Fez include the Attarine madrassa (completed in the 1320s), the Seffarine madrassa (1280s), Sahrij madrassa (1320s).
The Qarawiyyin mosque, founded by a refugee from Kairaouan, Fatima bint Mohammed al-Fihri in 857, was the biggest mosque in Morocco and probably North Africa, until the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca was completed. It is the one of the oldest universities in the world and has the oldest minaret in Morocco, dating from AD 956. With fourteen doors and a space than can accommodate 20,000 worshippers, it was improved and enlarged by various rulers and was totally remade by the Almoravid sultan Ali ben Yussef ibn Tashfin from 1135 to 1143. The two flanking pavilions modeled on those of the Lion Court in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, were added by the Saadians. The University’s library own tens of thousands of precious and rare books (a 9th century manuscript of the Koran, an original copy of Ibn Khaldun’s History, one by Ibn Rushd or Averroës, etc.) All these scholars, like Leo Africanus, participated in the intellectual life of the city. The University has now moved to modern quarters on the edges of La Ville Nouvelle (New City).
Inside the medina is the zawya (shrine) of Moulay Idriss II, whose uncorrupted remains were unearthed in 1308 and buried in the shrine, built in 1437. It was only then that it turned into a horm offering asylum.
Outside the medina’s wall is the dar al-makhzen (royal palace) of sprawling walls and pavilions. The newest addition, with seven golden gates, was added in 1980, and displays a poem embodying the spirit of Moroccan hospitality and tolerance. A rough translation goes something like this:
I am the gate of goodness, hopeful pilgrims flock to my doors
In design, my art has surpassed the royal treasures of old
My worth is well above the edifices of ages gone by
My magnanimity is famous, my beauty obvious
Great is the glory of Hassan II, Prince of the Faithful
Graced by his Lord with strength, his endeavors clearly blessed
If people seek me and come to our domain
I say: Welcome. Enter in peace my secure gate.
 
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 orocco is a corruption of Marrakech (itself a corruption of Marrakuch, or “land of the sons of Kuch” in Mauretania ), which means that Marrakech was often the name given to Morocco in pre-colonial times. The area had long been occupied, but the city was founded on the Hawz plain by the Almoravids around 1070, who then turned it into the capital of their far-flung empire. It was also the capital of the Almohads who built the Koutoubia and El Mansour mosques and Bab Aguenaou. The Marinids didn’t do much in Marrakech, but the Saadians founded the mellah (Jewish quarters), rebuilt the Kasbah and the Ben Youssef Mosque and madrassa ; built a hospital and the new Mouassine mosque. They also built the Badi Palace and the Saadian tombs. The city prospered through trade in sugar, saltpetre, cotton and silk. It was the transit point for sub-Saharan products—slaves, gold, ivory, gum arabic and ostrich feathers—exported to Atlantic ports. The city is now Morocco’s most popular and, by far, the most chic tourist destination. It attracts major world conferences and hosts an annual international film festival that was launched after the tragic events of 9/11. Martin Scorcese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Sean Connery are among the stars who have been honored in the first three years.
Among the places worth visiting are the Almoravid Qubba (known locally as the Qubba al Barudiyin). It is one of the few Almoravid monuments left in the city. Through its bold designs, this 12th century qubba (dome), created by Ali ben Yussef, introduces many shapes familiar in later Moorish architecture. One could also see the pipeline system (khattara) that brought water from the Atlas mountains to the city.
The Koutoubia mosque was built by the Almohads, its name inspired by the "Kutubiyyin" (scribes, booksellers) who had stalls in the area. Each façade of the 70 m high minaret (the oldest of three famous Almohad minarets, including the Giralda in Seville and the Tour Hassan in Rabat) displays a different set of motifs. The domed square minaret established the Maghrebi minaret style. It is still one of largest mosques in Africa, and can accommodate 20,000 faithful.
The Bab Agnaou was also built by the Almohads; it is one of few stone structures in the city of pink pisé. It was carved from local "blue" Gueliz still being quarried near Marrakech.
The Kasbah Mosque (El Mansouria) was finished between 1185 and 1195 and has been restored regularly.
Construction of the Palace Badi , financed by ransom money, gold, and revenues from sugar exports (a flourishing industry in the Sous region then) was started in 1578 (a few months after the Battle of Three Kings on August 4, 1578 ) and was finished in 1603. The palace walls were 2 m thick contained 360 rooms had four sunken gardens planted with sweet-smelling flowers. In 1696, the Alawite king Moulay Ismail stripped the palace bare in order to embellish his own in imperial city in Meknes , a process that took 12 years. A small gallery houses a rare Almoravid minbar (pulpit) crafted in Cordova and installed in Marrakech in 1147. In 1996, it was restored by a team of conservationists from Morocco and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Saadians made Marrakech their capital, so it is no wonder they have a necropolis here, known as the Saadian tombs , housing 16 sultans, the mother of Ahmed al-Mansour, builder of the Badi Palace , and servants. The high wall was built by Moulay Ismail to protect it. The necropolis remained hidden until it was discovered during World War I.
The Ben Youssef madrassa was founded by the Marinids in 14th century, but in 1564, the Saadians expanded it into a 132-room dorm and turned it into largest madrassa in the Maghreb . The decorations in the court are comparable with the Courtyard of Lions in the Alhambra . Pay attention to the horse-shoe shaped mihrab , surrounded by designs that include the pine cone motif, a tribute to the (endangered) cedar trees of the Atlas mountains . The school could house 800 students.
Stroll to the Mellah through Bab Berrima. The formidable Saadian Sultan Abdellah al-Ghalib moved Jews here in 1558. A talented community of traders and craftsmen and had its own gardens, souks , fountains and cemetery. Before 1936, 16,000 Jews were living here.
No visitor will avoid the world-famous plaza known Jama al-fna with its carnivalesque atmosphere, but the Majorelle Gardens, the 12 th -century Menara (whose picture is engraved on the most popular brand of Moroccan green tea), the Palmeraie with its 30,000 acres of palm trees in the outskirts of the city, the fantasia show of Chez Ali , and several gardens in the city (dating back to the Almoravids) are also worth a visit if time allows. Many five-star hotels in Marrakech have delightful gardens and pools. Merely walking around Marrakech is a delight.
 
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 nlike Fez , the world heritage city of Meknes e-zitoun ( Meknes of the Olive Trees) is originally a Berber town, the center of a rich agricultural region in the Sais plain, overlooking the Boufekrane river, where olives, grain, vegetables and grapes are grown. By the 10th century, it was the principal market of the Zenata Meknassa Berbers, and although most dynasties since the Almoravids had some presence here, it remained as provincial then as it is now. In 1666, the Alawite Moulay Ismail was appointed to be governor of Meknes . He worked hard, was loyal to his brother, and proved to be efficient. After the death of his brother in 1672, he succeeded to the throne, which he kept until 1727. He decided to build a brand new Imperial City and employed thousands of Berber and European slaves in this monumental project. Here he assembled a standing force of 25, 000 abids (Black Guard), built vast storehouses and stables, and set out to unify the country and crush dissidence. Ascetic in taste, God-fearing, and second to none in his majestic aspirations, he offered to marry Louis XIV's illegitimate daughter, Marie Anne de Bourbon, the future Princess of Conti who inspired novelists and poets, and sent letters to King James II arguing in favor of Protestantism. His Christian prisoners were ministered to by Franciscan missionaries. Yet his Imperial City didn't last him. Black Guard anarchy and the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 destroyed most buildings and monuments, and Morocco 's capital would never again be in Meknes.
The best way to visit this imperial complex is through Bab el Mansour el elj . This is arguably Morocco 's most famous gate. Its pillars were torn from the nearby ruin of Volubilis. Designed by Moulay Ismail's court architect, the renegade Christian known as Mansour al-elj, it would be completed in 1732 during the reign of Moulay Abdellah.
The small domed building known as Qubbat al Khayatin was a reception hall for foreign ambassadors seeking ransom for Christian prisoners. The subterranean vaults next door are assumed to be a dungeon of horrors by guides, where Christian prisoners spent the rest of their lives in total darkness, chained to massive columns, but it probably was nothing more than a vast storeroom.
Moualy Ismail is buried in the mausoleum across the street, with one of his wives, and two of his hundreds of children. King Mohammed V restored it in 1959 and allowed non-Muslims to visit (except on Fridays). The tall French clocks inside were offered as gifts in 1700 by Louis XIV, and the pillars in the ante-chamber are of Carrara marble brought from Italy in exchange for sugar.
Through Bab Ariih (Gate of the Wind) and at the end of the palace complex is Hri es Souani , next to the Agdal basin. This is a massive warehouse whose silos held provisions for the court and standing army. Its 23-foot thick walls ensure that temperature is constantly at 13 degrees Celsius. Grain was poured in from high windows and ground by huge millstones turned by three horses. Part of Martin Scorcese's The Last Temptation of Christ was filmed here.
Fez | Marrakech | Meknes
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