The region constituting Morocco has been inhabited since the
Paleolithic era over 300,000 years ago. The
Idrisid dynasty was established by
Idris I in 788 and was subsequently ruled by a series of other independent dynasties, reaching its zenith as a
regional power in the 11th and 12th centuries, under the
Almoravid and
Almohad dynasties, when it controlled most of the
Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb. Centuries of
Arab migration to the Maghreb since the 7th century shifted the demographic scope of the region. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Morocco faced external threats to its sovereignty, with
Portugal seizing some territory and the
Ottoman Empire encroaching from the east. The
Marinid and
Saadi dynasties otherwise resisted foreign domination, and Morocco was the only North African nation to escape Ottoman dominion. The
'Alawi dynasty, which rules the country to this day, seized power in 1631, and over the next two centuries expanded
diplomatic and commercial relations with the
Western world. Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean drew renewed European interest; in 1912, France and Spain divided the country into
respective protectorates, reserving an
international zone in Tangier. Following intermittent riots and revolts against colonial rule, in 1956, Morocco regained its independence and reunified.
Image 3portrait of his excellence Mohamed Ben Ali abgali with Al sulham, ambassadeur of king morocco to the court of saint jame.august 1725. (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 5The Berber entrepot
Sijilmassa along the trade routes of the Western Sahara, c. 1000–1500. Goldfields are indicated by light brown shading. (from History of Morocco)
Image 39Couscous is traditionally enjoyed on Friday, the holy day in Islam. Garnished with vegetables and chickpeas, it is served communally. (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 43A window displaying a wrought iron window grill in
Asila. The knots are tied with bent metal in the traditional way, rather than
soldered. (from Culture of Morocco)
Image 44Sultan
Abd-al-Aziz with his bicycle in 1901. The young sultan was noted for his capricious spending habits, which exacerbated a major trade deficit. (from History of Morocco)
Image 45Idrisid dirham, minted at al-'Aliyah (
Fes),
Morocco, 840 CE. The coin features the name of
Ali: a son-in-law of
Muhammad, the fourth
Caliph, and an ancestor of the Idrisids.
Image 50French artillery in Rabat in 1911. The dispatch of French forces to protect the sultan from a rebellion instigated the
Agadir Crisis. (from History of Morocco)
The city was founded in 1070 by
EmirAbu Bakr ibn Umar as the capital of the
Almoravid dynasty. The Almoravids established the first major structures in the city and shaped its layout for centuries to come. The red
walls of the city, built by
Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122–1123, and various buildings constructed in red sandstone afterwards, have given the city the nickname of the "Red City" (المدينة الحمراءAlmadinat alhamra) or "Ochre City" (ville ocre). Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural, religious, and trading center for the
Maghreb. ('Full article...)
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^In the 2014 census, the
High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Casablanca as 3,359,818,[1] which corresponds to the population of Casablanca Prefecture.[2]
^In the 2014 census, the High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Fez as 1,112,072,[1] which corresponds to the combined population of those parts of Fez Prefecture not within the cercle of Fez Banlieue ("suburbs").[2]
^In the 2014 census, the High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Meknes as 632,079,[1] which corresponds to the combined population of the municipalities of Meknes,
Al Machouar – Stinia,
Toulal and
Ouislane.[2]
^In the 2014 census, the High Commission for Planning gave the legal population of Rabat as 577,827,[1] which corresponds to the population of Rabat Prefecture.[2]
^The population figure refers only to the urban centre (HCP
geographic code [
fr] 09.001.05.09.3) of the rural commune of Drargua.