The Four Imperial Cities
Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Rabat — each dynasty chose its capital
Fes was first. Founded in 789 by Idris I, expanded by his son Idris II, it became the intellectual and spiritual capital. The University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859, is recognised by UNESCO as the oldest existing, continually operating degree-granting university in the world. Fes remained the capital — or at least the cultural heart — for most of Moroccan history. Its medina, Fes el-Bali, is the largest car-free urban area on earth.
Marrakech was the Almoravid answer. Founded in 1070 by Youssef ibn Tachfin, the Saharan warrior who built an empire from Senegal to Spain. The Almohads made it greater — the Koutoubia mosque, the ramparts, the Agdal gardens. The city's name may be the origin of the word Morocco itself — Marrakush, the land of God.
Meknes was Moulay Ismail's obsession. The Alaouite sultan who ruled from 1672 to 1727 wanted his own Versailles. He got it — 25 kilometres of walls, 20 gates, stables for 12,000 horses, granaries that could feed his army for 20 years. He used 25,000 slaves and 30,000 prisoners to build it. The Heri es-Souani — the royal granary and stables — remains one of the most impressive engineering projects in Moroccan history.
Rabat became the capital under the French protectorate in 1912 — chosen by Lyautey for its Atlantic coast position, its port, and its distance from the religious authority of Fes. It remains the administrative capital today. But Rabat's history is far older — the Almohad Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour began the Hassan Tower here in 1195, intending the world's largest mosque. He died before completing it. The tower stands at 44 metres — about half its planned height.
Four cities. Four dynasties. Four visions of power. The pattern tells you everything about how Morocco was governed: each new ruler built his own world rather than inherit his predecessor's.
Explore the full interactive module — with dynasty timelines, architectural inventories, and the power geography of Morocco's four capitals — at Dancing with Lions: https://www.dancingwiththelions.com/data/imperial-cities
Interactive Module
Data and visualisation by Dancing with Lions
