Prehistory

The oldest fossil of Homo sapiens was found in Morocco in 2017. The discovery shook the history of the origin of humanity, suggesting that our species actually goes back 300,000 years and has evolved in several hotspots on the African continent.

Archaeologists are able to date the arrival of the first ancestors of the current Berber populations at 9,000 years BC. Neolithic sites near Skhirat and Tetouan show early traces of sedentary lifestyle and the birth of agriculture.

From the Phoenicians to the Greeks of Byzantium.

The Phoenicians were the first to explore Morocco, as early as the 11th century BC, by establishing trading posts. The cities of Tangier, Lixus, Sala, Mogador (Essaouira) were Phoenician trading outposts. The Phoenician influence was followed by the Carthaginian influence, which took advantage of the coastal areas to venture and establish themselves deeper inland. The Carthaginians founded outposts in Tangier and Essaouira, while building a city on the site of present-day Rabat.

In 40 AD, the northern region of Morocco was annexed to the Roman Empire. Volubilis is the most important ancient Roman site in Morocco, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The presence of Rome on Moroccan soil lasted until the 3rd century. At the beginning of the 5th century, the country shifted to become under the domination of the Vandals, of Germanic origin, until the middle of the 6th century, a period which saw the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I annihilate the Vandal kingdom.

Arab Conquests and Successive Dynasties

The end of the 7th and the beginning of the 8th century are marked by the consolidation of the Arab conquests, under the reign of the Umayyads, and the Byzantine withdrawal. The Arabs brought their language – Arabic – and most importantly their religion – Islam – which was to impose itself throughout North Africa.

– The Idrissides (789 – 10th century)

The Idrissides were the first royal dynasty to rule Morocco. Originally, an Arab prince born from the union of Ali and Fatima, as a refugee in the Middle Atlas, and whom the local Berbers brought to their helm in 789 under the name of Idriss the First. He was assassinated by an agent of the Abbasid Caliph but his posthumous son, Idriss II, founded the first royal dynasty of Morocco, with Fez as its capital. Shortly before the year one thousand of our era, the Idrissides disappeared, victims of the Fatimids, Arab invaders from Egypt, and the Umayyads from the Emirate of Cordoba, Spain. A new Berber dynasty rose up in the dunes of the Sahara, within the Sanhadja tribe, close relatives of the Tuaregs. We owe to the Idrissides the Al Quaraouiyine mosque and that of the Andalusians in Fez, the mausoleums of Idriss I in Zerhoun and Idriss II in Fez, as well as the mosque of old Ténès in Algeria.

– The Almoravids (1069–1147)

A Berber dynasty, formed from a nomadic clan from the Sahara, the Almoravids settled in 1058 and dominated an empire extending from the eastern confines of the Maghreb to Andalusia for a century. They carried out a remarkable unification process these different territories, based mostly on Islam and the notion of holy war. They also promoted a refined civilization, influenced by the Andalusian culture, to which they were close. They founded Marrakesh, the second imperial city of Morocco, after Fez. Marrakesh then lent its name to the country. Many buildings date from this period, the Great Mosque of Tlemcen, the mausoleum of the Abbadid King of Seville, Al Mutamid ibn Abbad in Aghmat (30 km from Marrakesh, at the foot of the High Atlas) or the Almoravid Qubba in Marrakech.

– The Almohads (1147–1248)

The Almohad movement was founded in the High Atlas by a scholar by the name of Ibn Toumert who preached the return to the sources of Islam and opposed the Malikite rite practiced by the Almoravids. They overthrew the Almoravids and ruled over the Moroccan empire, including North Africa and Muslim Spain for a century; they made Rabat their imperial city. They have left an important trace in the history of this region by the brilliant culture they have been able to develop. The Almohads have left architectural treasures, both in Morocco (the Tinmel Mosque 100km from Marrakech, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the Hassan Tower in Rabat, the Koutoubia in Marrakech) and in Spain (the Golden Tower in Seville, now the Navy Museum, the Giralda in Seville).

– The Marinid dynasty (1248–1548)

The Merinids bequeathed a large number of historical monuments to Morocco, most of them in their capital, Fez, but also in other cities, the Chellah necropolis in Rabat and the Massourha mosque in Tlemcen, Algeria. The Merinid era was the era of the medersas, which were built in large numbers, making Morocco the Muslim country with the most medersas. We can mention the medersa Seffarine in Fez (called the school of boilermakers), Bou Inania of Meknes and Attalaâ of Salé.

– The Saadians (1548–1660)

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Saâdians, Berbers from the Draâ valley, tired by the Christian offensives, revolted against the Marinids and drove them out of power. They founded their own dynasty and fought against the Portuguese. That’s how they took back Agadir. The final battle against the Portuguese took place on 4 August 1578, near Ksar el-Kébir (or Alcazar Quivir). This battle, called the “Battle of the Three Kings,” led to the annexation of Portugal by Spain two years later. The Saadians left us with a magnificent legacy in Marrakesh, the Saadian Tombs, a royal necropolis of great architectural richness.

– The Alaouite (1660 to the present day)

The Alaouite take their name from their kinship with Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law. Coming from Hejaz, they settled in Tafilalet. The Alaouites became sultans of Morocco following a period of instability following the death of the last sultan of the Saadian dynasty in 1659. It was Moulay Rachid, the third Alaouite prince of Tafilalet, who reunified the country between 1664 and 1669 and re-established a central power, thus marking the beginning of the Alaouite dynasty of Morocco. His son, Moulay Ismaïl, moved his capital to Meknes, 60 kilometers from Fez. He repelled various European offensives while fighting against rebellious Berber tribes in the mountains.

Meknes is by far the first great work of the dynasty, a city in the Hispano-Moorish style surrounded by high walls pierced by monumental gates; it reflects particularly well the harmony of Islamic and European styles.

Arab Conquests and Successive Dynasties

The end of the 7th and the beginning of the 8th century are marked by the consolidation of the Arab conquests, under the reign of the Umayyads, and the Byzantine withdrawal. The Arabs brought their language – Arabic – and most importantly their religion – Islam – which was to impose itself throughout North Africa.

– The Idrissides (789 – 10th century)

The Idrissides were the first royal dynasty to rule Morocco. Originally, an Arab prince born from the union of Ali and Fatima, as a refugee in the Middle Atlas, and whom the local Berbers brought to their helm in 789 under the name of Idriss the First. He was assassinated by an agent of the Abbasid Caliph but his posthumous son, Idriss II, founded the first royal dynasty of Morocco, with Fez as its capital. Shortly before the year one thousand of our era, the Idrissides disappeared, victims of the Fatimids, Arab invaders from Egypt, and the Umayyads from the Emirate of Cordoba, Spain. A new Berber dynasty rose up in the dunes of the Sahara, within the Sanhadja tribe, close relatives of the Tuaregs. We owe to the Idrissides the Al Quaraouiyine mosque and that of the Andalusians in Fez, the mausoleums of Idriss I in Zerhoun and Idriss II in Fez, as well as the mosque of old Ténès in Algeria.

– The Almoravids (1069–1147)

After having destroyed the African kingdom of Ghana on the banks of the Niger in 1058, the Almoravids moved northwards and founded Marrakesh, the second imperial city of Morocco, after Fez. Marrakesh then gave its name to the country.

– The Almohads (1147–1248)

The Almohad movement was founded in the High Atlas by a scholar by the name of Ibn Toumert who preached the return to the sources of Islam and opposed the Malikite rite practiced by the Almoravids. After his death, his disciples, the Almohads (from an Arabic word for those who proclaim the oneness of God), took the warpath against the Almoravids. They reigned over the Moroccan empire for half a century and made Rabat as their imperial city.

– The Marinid dynasty (1248–1548)

The founder of the dynasty was Berber chief Abou Yahia who hunted down the last Almohads and took back the city of Marrakesh. They were not only dominant in the Maghreb, but also on a small part of the Andalusian coast; they had to face the expansion of the Portuguese who occupied the port of Ceuta, near the Strait of Gibraltar, in 1415, and began to gain a foot hold on the coastline.

– The Saadians (1548–1660)

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Saâdians, Berbers from the Draâ valley, tired by the Christian offensives, revolted against the Marinids and drove them out of power. They founded their own dynasty and fought against the Portuguese. That’s how they took back Agadir. The final battle against the Portuguese took place on 4 August 1578, near Ksar el-Kébir (or Alcazar Quivir). This battle, called the “Battle of the Three Kings,” led to the annexation of Portugal by Spain two years later. The Saadians left us with a magnificent legacy in Marrakesh, the Saadian Tombs, a royal necropolis of great architectural richness.

– The Alaouite (1660 to the present day)

The Alaouite take their name from their kinship with Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law. Coming from Hejaz, they settled in Tafilalet. The Alaouites became sultans of Morocco following a period of instability following the death of the last sultan of the Saadian dynasty in 1659. It was Moulay Rachid, the third Alaouite prince of Tafilalet, who reunified the country between 1664 and 1669 and re-established a central power, thus marking the beginning of the Alaouite dynasty of Morocco. His son, Moulay Ismaïl, moved his capital to Meknes, 60 kilometers from Fez. He repelled various European offensives while fighting against rebellious Berber tribes in the mountains.

The French protectorate (1912–1956)

The Treaty for the Organization of the French Protectorate in the Cherifian Empire, known as the Treaty of Fez, established a French protectorate over most of the empire on the eve of the First World War. The region of Tetouan, in the north, and the region of Ifni, in the south, were held by Spain under a secret agreement between France and Spain. The Tangier area is subject to a special regime which was later specified by the Paris Convention of 18 December 1923, which gave the city an international status. These various agreements governed Morocco until independence in 1956.

Modern Morocco (1956 to the present)

From the day of the independence, the sultan took the title of king, under the name of Mohamed V. On 26 February 1961, his son Hassan II succeeded him until his death on 23 July 1999. His son, Mohammed VI became the twenty-third monarch of the Alaouite dynasty and the third to bear the title of King of Morocco. The current Crown Prince, Moulay Hassan is called to succeed one day to his august father.