Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It's also the biggest city in the Maghreb. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat. Casablanca hosts headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historical position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world, and the largest port of North Africa. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.
Chaouen, Morocco
Chefchaouen or Chaouen, as it is often called by Moroccans, is a popular tourist destination because of its proximity to Tangier and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The name refers to the shape of the mountain tops above the town, that look like the two horns (chaoua) of a goat. "Chef Chaouen" derives from the Berber word for horns, Ichawen. There are approximately two hundred hotels catering to the summer influx of European tourists. One distinction possessed by Chefchaouen is its blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition that comes from the town's former Jewish population.
Marrakesh, Morocco
Marrakech known as the "Red City", is an important and former imperial city . The city of Marrakech is the capital of the mid-southwestern economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas mountains. Marrakech comprises both an old fortified city (the medina) and an adjacent modern city called Gueliz.Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also has one of the busiest squares in Africa and the world, Djemaa el Fna. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, dancers, and musicians. By night food stalls open in the square turning it into a huge busy open-air restaurant
Tangier, Morocco
The history of Tangier is very rich due to the historical presence of many civilizations and cultures starting from the 5th century BC. Between the period of being a Phoenician town to the independence era around the 1950s, Tangier was a place and, sometimes a refuge for many cultural diversities. However, it wasn't until 1923 that Tangier was attributed an international status by foreign colonial powers, thus becoming a destination for many Europeans and non-Europeans alike such as Americans and Indians.
Asilah, Morocco
Asilah is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about 50 km from Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact. Its history dates back to 1500 B.C., when the Phoenicians used it as a base for trade. The Portuguese conquered the city during the 15th century, but John III later decided to abandon it because of an economic crisis in 1549.In 1692, the town was taken by the Moroccans under the leadership of Moulay Ismail. Asilah served then as a base for pirates in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Rabat, Morocco
The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. On the facing shore of the river lies Sale, Rabat's bedroom community. Together the two cities with Temara account for a population of 1.8 million. Silting problems have diminished the city's role as a port; however, Rabat and Sale still maintain relatively important textile, food processing and construction industries; some are from sweatshop labor by major multinational corporations.
Larache, Morocco
Larache is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tetouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Loukkos River.In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove the inhabitants out of Larache, and again it remained uninhabited until the Sultan of Fes, Mohamed es Said ech Sheik, decided to repopulate it and build a stronghold on the plateau above river Loukos. He constructed a fortress at the entrance to the port as a means of controlling access to the river.In the 15th century superpower due to their marine expenditures Portugal spoke of Larache as the largest Moroccan port.
Taroudant, Morocco
Taroudant is located in the Sous Valley in the southern part of the country. It is situated east from Agadir on the road to Ouarzazate and south from Marrakech. It can be easily visited as a day trip from Agadir en route to the Sahara Desert. It has the feel of a small fortified market town on some caravan route. It is also known for its local crafts like jewelry and carpets. It is called the "Grandmother of Marrakech" because it is a scaled down, slowed down town that resembles Marrakech with its surrounding ramparts. Unlike Marrakech, Taroudant contains almost the whole city within its walls.
Fez, Morocco
Fes, a former capital, is one of the country's four "imperial cities," the others being Rabat, Marrakech and Meknes. It comprises three distinct parts, Fes elBali (the old, walled city), Fes-Jdid (new Fes, home of the Mellah) and the Ville Nouvelle (the French-created, newest section of Fes).Fes el Bali is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its medina, the larger of the two medinas of Fes, is believed to be the world's largest contiguous car-free urban area. The University of Al-Karaouine, founded in AD 859, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the world.
Agadir, Morocco
The city is located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, near the foot of the Atlas Mountains, just north of the point where the Souss River flows into the ocean.Agadir is an important fishing and commercial port, the first sardine port in the world.It is also a seaside resort with a long sandy beach. Because of its large buildings, wide roads, modern hotels, and European-style cafes, Agadir is not a typical city of traditional Morocco, but it is a modern, busy and dynamic town. Agadir is famous for its sea food and agriculture.
Tetouan, Morocco
The city is situated about 60 km east of the city of Tangier and 40 km south of the Spanish exclave of Ceuta (Sebta) and the Strait of Gibraltar. It is in the far north of the Rif Mountains. To the south and west of the city there are mountains. Tetuan is situated in the middle of a belt of orchards that contain orange, almond, pomegranate and cypress trees. The Rif Mountains are nearby, as the city is located in the Martil Valley.
Merzouga, Morocco
Merzouga is a small village in southeastern Morocco, about 35 kilometers southeast of Rissani, about 45 kilometers from Erfoud, and about 20 kilometers from the Algerian border.The village is most famous for Erg Chebbi, a Saharan sand sea, and it is for this reason a part of the itineraries of many tourists visiting Morocco. Merzouga also has the largest natural body of water in Morocco. The best sunrise site in the world.
Ouarzazate, Morocco
Ouarzazate means noiselessly. It is the door of the desert in the southern-central Morocco.The city is located at an elevation of 1,160 metres (3,810 ft) in middle of a bare plateau, south of the High Atlas Mountains. To the south of the town is the desert. The town is chiefly inhabited by Berbers, who constructed many of the prominent kasbahs and building for which the area is known for. Ouarzazate is one of the important holiday destinations in Morocco as a nodal point for excursion across the Draa Valley and desert in the area. The fortified village (ksar) of Ait Benhaddou has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.The town and surrounding area is also a noted film-making location, with Morocco's biggest studios inviting many international film companies to shoot their films. Films such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Star Wars (1977), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000) and Martin Scorsese's Kundun (1997) were shot in the Ouarazate area
Essaouira, Morocco
The Medina of Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage Listed city, as an example of a late 18th century fortified town, as transferred to North Africa.Essaouira is also renowned for its kitesurfing and windsurfing, with the powerful trade wind blowing almost constantly onto the protected, almost waveless, bay. Several world-class clubs rent top-notch material on a weekly basis. Parasols tend to be used on the beach as a protection against the wind and the blowing sand. Camel excursions are available on the beach and into the desert band in the interior.Essaouira is the site of an annual pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as an historic and religious site, the Chaim Pinto Synagogue. The Simon Attias Synagogue is also still standing.
Laayoune, Morocco
Laayoune means is a located in the southern province. It is tae capital of region of Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra. The gateway to the desert. A great place to go fishing.
