The country of Morocco from Arabic (al-Maghrib) is translated as "west", or, in other words, Maghrib al-Aqsa, which means "far west". There is another official name: al-Mamlyaka al-Maghribiya, which means “Kingdom of Morocco”.
More information about this amazing, with unique natural scenery, African country and its cities can be found in this article.
Magnificent and amazingly beautiful, the state of Morocco! The cities in it are exotic and attractive, each of them represents a peculiar culture and a curious history of the centuries-old development of the country.
Before we begin the story of this African country and its cities, let us recall some information about it. Since May 1963, it was part of the OAU (Organization of African Unity), which since 2002 has been renamed the AU (African Union). Since November 1984, the state of Morocco withdrew from the organization.
Morocco
Its cities are located in 16 administrative regions, into which the entire territory of the state is divided.
The country is located on the African continent in its northwestern part and belongs to an area called North Africa. Its capital is the city of Rabat (population over 1 million 720 thousand people), located off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This is the northern part of the Moroccan kingdom.
Due to fairly even favorable climatic conditions, especially in coastal zones, direct access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and due to internal stability and the absence of any conflicts, the state is one of the most comfortable, favorable places for tourism and recreation on all over the continent. And the government of this state invests a lot of money to create conditions conducive to the further development of this particular direction in Morocco.
The largest cities
- Casablanca is the economic capital of the state of Morocco (population over 3 million 630 thousand people).
- Fez is an imperial city, a spiritual capital (population of more than 1 million people).
- Tangier is the 2nd economic capital, the center of the Tangier-Tetuan region, (more than 730 thousand people).
- Marrakech is a tourist capital, an imperial city (population over 850 thousand).
- Meknes is a kind of small Paris, the agricultural capital (more than 570 thousand people).
- Agadir is the second capital of tourism.
- Tetuan is the summer capital.
Although the official capital is the city of Rabat, the largest city in the country is Casablanca. Morocco, in addition to magnificent landscapes, has many historical sights in its cities. Especially I would like to mention the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca , which has the tallest minaret in the world, as well as the Russian necropolis at the Ben Msik cemetery (Christian), created in 2007. In the latter, the most famous Russian figures who lived abroad were buried.
sights
A special place in the Moroccan kingdom is given to the most ancient and eventful history of the state. Here you can see the abundance and huge variety of architectural and historical monuments of different eras. Casablanca occupies a special place in this regard.
Morocco is a state that has replaced several capitals in its history. They cause particular interest among tourists. For example, in today's capital there are many museums, the mausoleum of Mohammed V, the famous Andalusian gardens, Kasba Udaya (an ancient fortress).
In the city of Marrakech are famous, amazingly beautiful palaces and mosques.
One of the most beautiful ancient cities in the world is Fez, in which more than 800 stunning beauty of mosques were built, the mausoleum and the former residence of the king are located.
The Kingdom of Morocco, having a favorable climate, excellent resorts and a well-developed economy, occupies one of the leading positions on the continent of Africa.
City Beni Mellal
This is one of the former capital cities of Morocco in the Middle Ages. The city was the trading center of South Africa, on the site of which 6 major roads converged from Europe itself and from the center of the Sahara desert. This contributed to the prosperity of the entire region.
Geographically, Beni Mellal is located in the lowland of the Mid Atlas ridge, which allows the city to hide from strong hot winds coming from the desert. And the climate here is quite humid.
The city is famous for its numerous orange and banana gardens, which bring huge profits to the state.
There are wonderful natural and architectural attractions, such as the fortress palace of Hadi Pasha on a steep cliff overhanging the city. It houses an interesting museum, representing numerous household items and weapons of previous centuries.
City of beaches
The port city of the state of Morocco is El Jadida. It attracts many beach lovers.
In the 15th century, part of the territory of Morocco came under the protectorate of Portugal, including Al Jadida. In order to protect this land from the local population, the Portuguese built a fortress, which they controlled until 1769. Mohammed Abdullah (Moroccan Sultan) began to rule this fortress in the 18th century. During the reign of the city by the French colonists, it was called Mazagan. The modern name of El Jadida returned in 1956.
The main attraction of the city is the Portuguese fortress Mazagan, which offers amazing views of the coast. The fortress itself consists of four bastions preserved from those times:
• in the eastern part - the bastion of the Angel;
• in the north - the bastion of St. Sebastian;
• bastion of St. Antoine in the west;
• in the south - the bastion of the Holy Spirit.
The cistern, which was once used as a city reservoir, has also been preserved in the city. You can also see the Great Mosque and the Church of the Annunciation.
Conclusion
In terms of geography, Morocco is the most “European” state of all African countries. Cities, each with its own history and magnificence, fabulous nature, close proximity to Spain (15 kilometers across the Strait of Gibraltar), fantastic sandy ocean and sea coasts, beautiful mountain landscapes and a favorable climate - all this is inherent in this amazing exotic corner of the Earth.
To feel all these charms, you should go and relax in Morocco.