Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage

Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City is a serial World Heritage property in Morocco that recognises the city’s coastal medina, medieval and modern monuments and planned 20th-century capital functions. The inscription highlights both historic and modern layers of urban development.

Rabat’s development spans prehistoric occupation, medieval Almohad urbanism and 20th-century transformation when it was consolidated as the administrative capital under the French protectorate and later the independent Moroccan state. The city’s historic core preserves Almohad and later Islamic-era monuments alongside modern national constructions.

Rabat lies on Morocco’s Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Bouregreg River, immediately opposite the town of Salé; it is the country’s administrative capital and a principal urban centre in the northwest of Morocco.

• Mixed heritage: The ensemble combines medieval monuments such as the unfinished Hassan Tower with 20th-century national monuments and a historic medina that remains inhabited.
• Viewing points: Good viewpoints are along the Bouregreg riverfront and the ramparts of the Kasbah of the Udayas, offering views of the Atlantic entrance and adjoining city.

What to See #

• Hassan Tower: An unfinished 12th-century minaret project left standing as the emblematic tower with monumental ruins and nearby ceremonial architecture dating to the Almohad period.
• Mausoleum of Mohammed V: A modern royal mausoleum built in the 20th century that houses the tombs of King Mohammed V and his sons, located beside the Hassan Tower.
• Chellah: A medieval necropolis and fortified archaeological complex with Roman and medieval remains located on the river bend between Rabat and Salé.
• Kasbah of the Udayas: A fortified kasbah overlooking the Atlantic and the mouth of the Bouregreg river, known for narrow streets and 17th-century gate architecture.