Heritage in Morocco

Living in this part of the world the past is always with us, with many sites of historical interest. But if you want to explore the heritage of another country, where should you go?  

Morocco is the gateway to Africa, just a few miles from Spain. It’s been a melting pot of different cultures for millennia as people from the two continents mix and mingle at this international crossroads. Empires may have risen and fallen over the years, but their legacy still remains in Morocco as these nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites prove: 

• Archaeological Site of Volubilis 

Built around 300BC, close to modern day Meknes, Volubilis has been ruled by the Berbers, Carthaginians and the Romans in its time. Despite being abandoned since the 11th century and partially destroyed after an eighteenth century earthquake, there is still plenty to see here with several public buildings still partially standing and several intact mosaics to see.  

• Historic City of Meknes 

One of the four Imperial Cities, Meknes was the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail, perhaps Morocco’s most famous historical leader. He used his phenomenal wealth and success to improve the city, building high walls with spectacular gates, mosques, gardens and more. The architecture is a subtle mix of European and Islamic styles, and the city is nicknamed ‘City of a Hundred Minarets’.   

• Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou 

Star of a thousand films and TV shows, from The Living Daylights to Game of Thrones, this great fortress city is made up of six forts and close to fifty palaces. The huge, blocky earthen clay walls built on a hillside can be seen from miles around. 

• Medina of Essaouira 

There’s plenty to see in this cool seaside town. Huge coastal walls still enclose a large part of the medina, and Dutch cannons still protrude beyond the ramparts. Inside the walls craftsmen ply their trade in the same way they have done for centuries.  

• Medina of Fez 

Step through the stunningly ornate gates and you’re in a world of small winding high-walled alleys that twist and turn and occasionally open up into wider areas where you’ll find a myriad of traditional stalls and craftsmen selling their wares. Watch out for the donkeys and bicycles (it’s the largest car-free urban area in the world). 

• Medina of Marrakesh 

Surrounded by the ochre walls that give the city its nickname, the medina of Marrakech contains souks, hammams, riads and the world-famous Djemma El Fna.

• Medina of Tétouan 

Tétouan is in north Morocco, between the Rif Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. The medina here may be one of the smallest in the country, but it’s one of the best-preserved examples of 8th century towns around. 

• Portuguese City of Mazagan 

The Portuguese ruled this port city on the Atlantic coast for over 200 years, and they left behind them some spectacular buildings that now stand as an ‘outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures’.

You can fly to Morocco in less than three and a half hours from Bristol Airport.

For more information go to: www.muchmorocco.com/