The Imperial Cities

Fes was founded by Idris II in 808 CE — the first capital of the first Muslim dynasty in Morocco. The Marinids made it their capital in the 13th century and built the madrasas that define the city's architectural identity. The Bou Inania and Attarine madrasas are among the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the world — zellige, carved plaster, and painted cedar in compositions of breathtaking complexity. Fes el-Bali — the old city — is the largest car-free urban zone in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the spiritual capital of Morocco.

Marrakech was founded by the Almoravids in 1070 and remade by every dynasty since. The Almohads built the Koutoubia mosque. The Saadians built the tombs and El Badi Palace. The Alaouites built the Bahia Palace. The French built the Ville Nouvelle. The result is a city that contains the architectural production of a thousand years — layered, contradictory, and vital. Marrakech is the tourist capital, the cultural capital, and the most recognisable Moroccan city in the world.

Meknes was Moulay Ismail's obsession. The Alaouite sultan (1672-1727) chose this modest provincial town as his capital and spent 55 years transforming it into a rival to Versailles. The ramparts extend 40 kilometres. The royal granaries — Heri es-Souani — stored grain for 12,000 horses. The Bab Mansour gate is the most monumental in Morocco. Meknes today is the quietest imperial city — less visited than Fes or Marrakech, more liveable, more authentically itself.

Rabat became the capital under the French protectorate — Lyautey chose it for its coastal position, its defensibility, and its distance from the conservative religious establishment of Fes. It remains the political capital — the royal palace, parliament, and government ministries are here. The Kasbah des Oudayas, the Hassan Tower, and the Chellah necropolis give Rabat its historical weight. The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art gives it cultural ambition.

Explore the full interactive module — with city maps, dynasty timelines, and the architectural inventory of each imperial capital — at Dancing with Lions: https://www.dancingwiththelions.com/data/imperial-cities