Timeline
2,700 years of building. From Phoenician trading posts to World Cup stadiums — every structure in chronological order.
Chellah
A palimpsest of civilizations on the banks of the Bou Regreg. The Romans built Sala Colonia here in the 1st century CE — its decumanus maxim…
Volubilis
Founded in the 3rd century BCE as a Phoenician settlement, Volubilis became a major Roman outpost and the westernmost city of the Roman Empi…
Khettara Water Systems
Khettaras are underground water channels that tap into aquifers and carry water downhill by gravity alone — no pumps, no energy, no moving p…
Kasbah of the Udayas
Perched at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River in Rabat, this 12th-century Almohad fortress-neighborhood is one of Morocco's most perfectly pr…
Saadian Tombs
Sealed off by the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century to erase his predecessors' memory, these royal tombs of the Saadian dyna…
Lixus
Perched above the Loukkos River near Larache, Lixus is one of the oldest settlements in Morocco. Phoenician traders established it around 70…
Al-Qarawiyyin
Founded in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, a woman from Qairouan (Tunisia), Al-Qarawiyyin is recognized by UNESCO and the Guinness Book of Record…
Koubba Ba'adiyn
This small, unassuming domed ablutions pavilion in the heart of the Marrakech medina is the sole surviving structure from the Almoravid dyna…
Koutoubia Mosque
Built between 1147 and 1199 under the Almohad caliphs, the Koutoubia's minaret established the canonical proportions for Moroccan minarets: …
Tin Mal Mosque
At 1,230 meters in the High Atlas, this remote mosque marks where Ibn Tumart founded the Almohad movement that would conquer an empire stret…
Hassan Tower
Begun in 1195 by the Almohad caliph Yacoub al-Mansour, the Hassan Tower was intended to be the world's tallest minaret, the centerpiece of t…
Al-Attarine Medersa
Built in 1325 by the Marinid sultan Abu Said, this intimate medersa sits just steps from the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in the heart of the Fes me…
Bou Inania Medersa
Built between 1350 and 1357 by the Marinid sultan Abu Inan, this theological college in Fes is considered the masterpiece of Moroccan decora…
Ben Youssef Medersa
The largest medersa in Morocco, this theological college could house 900 students in 130 dormitory rooms arranged around a central courtyard…
El Badi Palace
Sultan Ahmad al-Mansour built this palace in 1578 to celebrate his victory over the Portuguese at the Battle of the Three Kings. Funded by P…
Imperial City of Moulay Ismail
When Moulay Ismail moved the capital to Meknes in 1672, he embarked on one of the most ambitious building programs in history. Over 55 years…
Art Deco Casablanca
Between 1912 and 1956, French architects created what is now the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in Africa. The key figure was Mari…
Lyautey's Dual-City Policy
When Resident-General Hubert Lyautey arrived in 1912, colonial practice was to demolish old cities and rebuild. Lyautey did the opposite: he…
Habous Quarter
Built between 1917 and 1955, the Habous Quarter (also called Nouvelle Médina) is one of colonialism's most fascinating architectural experim…
Jardin Majorelle
Created by French painter Jacques Majorelle starting in 1924, this garden in Marrakech features his signature cobalt blue — now called "Majo…
Bill Willis: Neo-Moorish Revival
Bill Willis (1937–2009) arrived in Marrakech in the 1960s and never left. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in…
Hassan II Mosque
Completed in 1993 after seven years of construction, Hassan II Mosque is an engineering marvel. Its 210-meter minaret — the world's tallest …
Marrakech-Menara Airport Terminal
The terminal expansion at Marrakech-Menara Airport, completed in stages from 2008, translates Islamic geometric patterns into contemporary a…
Noor-Ouarzazate Solar Complex
The Noor Solar Complex near Ouarzazate is one of the world's largest concentrated solar power plants, spreading across 3,000 hectares at the…
Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech
Designed by Studio KO (Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty) and opened in October 2017, this museum is a masterwork of contemporary architecture…
Al Boraq High-Speed Rail Stations
Launched in 2018, Al Boraq is Africa's first high-speed rail service, connecting Tangier to Casablanca at 320 km/h. The stations along the r…
Mohammed VI Tower
Under construction in the Bouregreg Valley development in Rabat, the Mohammed VI Tower will stand at approximately 250 meters — making it th…
Grand Stade de Casablanca
The centerpiece of Morocco's 2030 FIFA World Cup infrastructure, the Grand Stade de Casablanca will hold 115,000 spectators, making it the l…