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MOROCCO

Morocco, a North African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, is distinguished by its Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences. Marrakesh’s medina, a mazelike medieval quarter, offers entertainment in its Djemaa el-Fna square and souks (marketplaces) selling ceramics, jewelry and metal lanterns. The capital Rabat’s Kasbah of the Udayas is a 12th-century royal fort overlooking the water.

Top attractions in Morocco

Marrakesh

Marrakesh, a former imperial city in western Morocco, is a major economic center and home to mosques, palaces and gardens. The medina is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. A symbol of the city, and visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque.

Casablanca

Casablanca is a port city and commercial hub in western Morocco, fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The city's French colonial legacy is seen in its downtown Mauresque architecture, a blend of Moorish style and European art deco. Standing partly over the water, the enormous Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, has a 210m minaret topped with lasers directed toward Mecca.

Agadir

Agadir, a city along Morocco’s southern Atlantic coast, in the foothills of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, is the capital of Agadir-Ida Ou Tanane province. A resort destination, it's known for its golf courses, wide crescent beach and seaside promenade lined with cafes, restaurants and bars. Agadir's hilltop kasbah was destroyed in a 1960 earthquake, but its original old wall remains standing.

Fes

Fes is a northeastern Moroccan city often referred to as the country’s cultural capital. It’s primarily known for its Fes El Bali walled medina, with medieval Marinid architecture, vibrant souks and old-world atmosphere. The medina is home to religious schools such as the 14th-century Bou Inania and Al Attarine, both decorated with elaborate cedar carvings and ornate tile work.

Tangier

Tangier, a Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar, has been a strategic gateway between Africa and Europe since Phoenician times. Its whitewashed hillside medina is home to the Dar el Makhzen, a palace of the sultans that's now a museum of Moroccan artifacts. The American Legation Museum, also in the medina, documents early diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Morocco in an 1821 Moorish-style former consulate.

Rabat

Rabat, Morocco's capital, rests along the shores of the Bouregreg River and the Atlantic Ocean. It's known for landmarks that speak to its Islamic and French-colonial heritage, including the Kasbah of the Udayas. This Berber-era royal fort is surrounded by formal French-designed gardens and overlooks the ocean. The city's iconic Hassan Tower, a 12th-century minaret, soars above the ruins of a mosque.

Essaouira

Essaouira is a port city and resort on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Its medina (old town) is protected by 18th-century seafront ramparts called the Skala de la Kasbah, which were designed by European engineers. Old brass cannons line the walls, and there are ocean views. Strong "Alizée" trade winds make the city’s crescent beach popular for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Merzouga

Merzouga is a small Moroccan town in the Sahara Desert, near the Algerian border. It’s known as a gateway to Erg Chebbi, a huge expanse of sand dunes north of town. West of Merzouga, Dayet Srji is a seasonal salt lake that’s often dry in summer. When full, it attracts a wide range of migratory and desert birds, including desert warblers, Egyptian nightjars and, occasionally, flamingos.

Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate is a city south of Morocco’s High Atlas mountains, known as a gateway to the Sahara Desert. Its huge Taourirt Kasbah, home to a 19th-century palace, has views over the rugged local landscape, which features in several movies. Northwest is the fortified red-earth city of Aït Ben Haddou. Northeast is the rocky Todra Gorge. A road winds southeast through the Draa Valley’s lush palm groves to the desert.

Meknes

Meknes is a city in northern Morocco. It’s known for its imperial past, with remnants including Bab Mansour, a huge gate with arches and mosaic tiling. The gate leads into the former imperial city. The Mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who made the city his capital in the 17th century, has courtyards and fountains. To the south, ruined Heri es-Souani is a vast structure once used as stables and for food storage.

Oujda

Oujda is a city in northeast Morocco, near the Algerian border. It’s known for its Great Mosque, built in the late 13th century, with intricate carved wood and mosaic tiling. The mosque is in the old town, or medina, behind ramparts and the imposing Sidi Abdelouahab gate. Numerous shops and souks sell fruit, spices, jewelry and traditional clothing. The Art Gallery of Oujda shows modern and traditional Eastern art.

Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen, or Chaouen, is a city in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco. It’s known for the striking, variously hued blue-washed buildings of its old town. Leather and weaving workshops line its steep cobbled lanes. In the shady main square of Uta el Hammam is the red-walled casbah, a 15th-century fortress and dungeon with ethnographic and art exhibits. The octagonal minaret of the Great Mosque rises nearby.

El Jadida

El Jadida is a port city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, located 106 km south of the city of Casablanca in the region of Doukkala-Abda and the province of El Jadida. It has a population of 194,934.

Nador

Nador is a coastal city and provincial capital in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco with a population of about 161,726.

Saïdia

Saïdia, known as the "Blue Pearl", is a beach in Berkane. It is located in the province Berkane, near the Mediterranean Sea and at the Moroccan-Algierian border. Its 14 km coastline is one of the longest beaches of Morocco and is characterized by its golden sand and Mediterranean climate, making it a popular international tourist destination. It hosts numerous resorts and attractions, including private beach resorts, shopping malls, golf courses, and other sports centers. 

Al Hoceima

Al Hoceima is a city in the north of Morocco, on the northern edge of the Rif Mountains and on the Mediterranean coast. It is the capital of Al Hoceima Province. It is situated in the territory of the Ayt Weryaghel and Ibeqquyen tribes of the Rif, who speak Tarifit Berber, locally called Tamazight.

Zagora

Zagora is a town in the Draa River valley in the Drâa-Tafilalet region of southeastern Morocco. It is flanked by the mountain Zagora from which the town got its name. Originally it was called 'Tazagourt' the singular of plural 'Tizigirt', Berber for 'twinpeaks', referring to the fortress of the Murabitun, or Almoravid, people. In old European maps the mountain Zagora is already indicated but the town itself was only built in the 20th century. On the top of the Zagora mountain the remains of an Almoravid fortress can still be seen. The exact location of the former Almoravid mosque is still a matter of dispute. Each year the moussem of the Sufi saint moulay Abdelkader Jilali is celebrated at Zagora. Languages spoken in the city include Moroccan Arabic, Tachelhit and Tamazight. 

Tétouan

Tétouan is a city in northern Morocco. The Berber name means literally "the eyes" and figuratively "the water springs". Tétouan is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea. It lies a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about 40 mi E.S.E. of Tangier. In 2014 the city had 463,968 inhabitants. Tétouan's civil airport Sania Ramel Airport is located 6 km to the east. In 1913 Tétouan became the capital of the Spanish protectorate of Morocco, which was governed by the Jalifa, and the Spanish "Alto Comisario" accredited to him. It remained such a capital until 1956, when Morocco regained its full independence. Arabic is the official language but it is not used for everyday dialogue. 

Ifrane

Ifrane is a town in Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains. It’s known for its alpine-style architecture and nearby ski slopes and forests. A stone statue of a lion near leafy Parc la Prairie is a well-known landmark. Just outside town, Ain Vittel is a spring with several waterfalls. To the west, Ifrane National Park, with its Atlas cedar forests, is home to rare Barbary macaques.

Safi

Safi is a port city on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Ksar El Bahr, a 16th-century fortress built by Portuguese colonizers, is on the waterfront. In the old town, food and craft stalls line the Rue du Souq. Nearby, the National Museum of Ceramics is in another Portuguese-built fort. The centerpiece of the collection is decorated local pottery, created in workshops in the hillside Colline des Potiers quarter.

Asilah

Asilah is a town on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, south of Tangier. Its old town, or medina, is enclosed by well-preserved 15th-century ramparts and gates, built by colonial Portuguese. The medina is an art hub, known for its murals and Moussem Culturel International d’Asilah, an annual festival. Venues include the exhibition space Centre de Hassan II Rencontres Internationales and early-20th-century Palais Raissouni.

Beni Mellal

Beni-Mellal is a Moroccan city. It is the capital of the Béni Mellal-Khénifra Region and has a population of 192,676. It sits at the foot of Jbel Tassemit, and next to the plains of Beni Amir. The walls of the city go back to Moulay Ismail, in 1688, as well as the Kasbah Bel-Kush but most of the city is quite modern and forms an important economic centre for the region particularly in the areas of petrochemical production as well as textile manufacturing which forms the backbone of the wider community. Local agricultural products as oranges, olives, figs etc. find their way to the market via Beni Mellal. 

Kenitra

Kenitra is a city in northern Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sbu river, has a population in 2014 of 431,282, is one of the three main cities of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the Chef-lieu of the Province of Kénitra.

Imlil, Marrakesh-Safi

Imlil is a small village in the high Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It is 1,800 metres above sea level.

Erfoud

Erfoud is an oasis town in the Sahara Desert, in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in eastern Morocco. It is divided into several districts: Hay Salam, Hay Jdid, Hay Ziz, Hay el Bathaa, Hay Annahda, and Hay el Hamri. Due to its proximity to Merzouga desert village in the Erg Chebbi Dunes, Erfoud has developed tourist-related infrastructures such as hotels and restaurants.

Taza

Taza is a city in northern Morocco, which occupies the corridor between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez. It is located at 150 km from Nador, and 210 km from Oujda. It has a population of 300,000 and is the capital of Taza Province.

Tafraout

Tafraout is a town in Tiznit Province, Souss-Massa region, Morocco, in the central part of the Anti-Atlas mountains. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 4,931.

Khenifra

Khenifra is a city in northern central Morocco, surrounded by the Atlas Mountains and located on the Oum Er-Rbia River. National Highway 8 also goes through the town. The population, as of a 2014 census, was 117,510.

Oualidia

Oualidia is a little coastal village in Morocco situated between El Jadida and Safi.

Mohammedia

Mohammédia is a port city on the west coast of Morocco between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Casablanca-Settat. It hosts the most important oil refinery of Morocco, the Samir refinery, which makes it the center of the Moroccan petroleum industry. It has a population of 208,612. 

Tinghir

Tinghir or Tinerhir is a city in the region of Drâa-Tafilalet, south of the High Atlas and north of the Little Atlas in southeastern Morocco. It is the capital of Tinghir Province.

Souss-Massa National Park

The Souss-Massa National Park is a 33,800 hectare national park on the Atlantic coast of Morocco which was created in 1991. It lies between Agadir to the north and Sidi Ifni to the south and its centre is at 9°40'W 30°5'N. The estuary of the Oued Souss is the northern limit of the park, and that of the Oued Massa is near the southern end. 30,000 ha of land near Aglou, south of the park, is also included in the site because it is sometimes used as a feeding area by the northern bald ibis. The habitat is grazed steppe with dunes, beaches and wetlands. The soil is mainly sandy with some rockier areas.

Azilal

Azilal is a town in central Morocco, in the Atlas Mountains. It is located at around 31°58′1″N 6°34′10″W. South of Azilal, there is a 304.8 metres high mast for longwave broadcasting. 

Mirleft

Mirleft is a small town and rural commune in Sidi Ifni Province of the Guelmim-Oued Noun region of Morocco. At the time of the 2004 census, the commune had a total population of 7026 people living in 1303 households.

Berkane

Berkane or is a city in the northeastern Morocco in the area of Trifa, limited by the Mediterranean to its north, the Kiss Oued and Oujda Province in the east, Nador Province to the west, and Taourirt Province in the south.

Midelt

Midelt is a town in central Morocco, in the high plains between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountain ranges. With an estimated population of 44,780, Midelt serves as the commercial center of a large agricultural hinterland. It is also one of Morocco's principal cities for the mining of several minerals.

Ifrane National Park

Ifrane National Park is a national park located in the Middle Atlas mountain range, in Morocco. Its territory extends over the Western part of the Middle Atlas mountains and areas within the provinces of Ifrane and Boulmane. It was established in 2004, and covers an area of 125.000 ha. Much of the park is forested with Atlas cedar. Ifrane National Park is one of the few remaining habitats for the Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus; this primate prehistorically had a much broader range in North Africa, but currently survives as an endangered species in narrowly restricted and fragmented habitats. 

Aït Benhaddou

Aït Benhaddou is an ighrem, along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most citizens attracted by the tourist trade live in more modern dwellings in a village on the other side of the river, although there are four families still living in the ancient village. Inside the walls of the ksar are half a dozen or merchants houses and other individual dwellings, and is a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture. Aït Benhaddou has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and several films have been shot there, including: 

Tazekka National Park

The Tazekka National Park of Morocco was created in 1950 with an initial area of 6.8 km². It was created to protect the natural resources at the top from Jbel Tazekka, particularly the grove of cedars (Cedrus atlantica), which are isolated on this peak in the Middle Atlas range. The park includes the mountain Jbel Tazekka (elev. 1,980 m) which dominates the surrounding area.

Imilchil

Imilchil is a small town in Midelt Province of central Morocco, in the Atlas Mountains with a population of about 1858. It is located at an elevation of 2119 m in the valley of Assif Melloul

Tamri

Tamri is a small town and rural commune in Agadir-Ida Ou Tanane Prefecture, Souss-Massa, Morocco. At the time of the 2004 census, the commune had a total population of 17,442 people living in 2927 households. 

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