On the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg, Rabat literally means “Fortified Place”, and has a colourful 700 year history. It is an Imperial city, and the current capital of Morocco, but was originally a Pirate stronghold.
On the facing shore of the river lies Salé (Rabats “bedroom community”), the oldest city on the Atlantic coast, with approximately 800,000 people living there – mostly impoverished factory workers. The two cities together with Temara account for a population of 1.8 million.
The cities role as a port has been reduced due to silting problems, but Rabat and Salé still have quite important textile, food processing and construction industries. They also have tourism, and with all of the foreign embassies in Morocco housed here, Rabat is the second most important city in the country after the larger and more economically significant Casablanca.
Although it is the business capital of Morocco, it is far more interesting for tourists than Casablanca. Suspended above the Atlantic waves is the Oudaïa Kasbah, Rabat’s ancient citadel within the 5 Km of city walls. There are also excellent beaches both to the north and south of Rabat.
The biggest place for theatre is the Theatre Mohamed V in the centre of the town. The city also has a few official galleries and an archaeological museum.
Sightseeing
Main sights
- Mausoleum of Mohammed V
- Mohammed V University is located in the city.
- Hassan Tower
- Chellah necropolis
- Kasbah of the Udayas
- Rabat Archaeological Museum
Accommodation
Although we do not have any accommodation in Rabat on our website at the moment, we can recommend hotels in the city should you decide you would like to stay here. Alternatively, please see our recommended accommodation in other Cities of Morocco.
