Moroccan History

Live free or die trying: the Berbers

Morocco’s first-known inhabitants were Near Eastern nomads who may have been distant cousins of the ancient Egyptians. Phoenicians appear to have arrived around 800 BC, and when the Romans arrived in the 4th century BC, they called the expanse of Morocco and western Algeria ‘Mauretania’ and the indigenous people ‘Berbers’, meaning ‘barbarians’.

As Rome slipped into decline, the Berbers harried and hassled any army that dared to invade to the point where the Berbers were free to do as they pleased.

Islamic Morocco

In the second half of the 7th century, Arabs took control of north africa. Within a century, nearly all Berber tribes had embraced Islam, although, true to form, local tribes developed their own brand of Islamic Shi’ism.

By 829, local elites had established an Idrissid state with its capital at Fès, dominating all of Morocco. Thus commenced a cycle of rising and falling Islamic dynasties, which included the Almoravids (1062–1147), who built their capital at Marrakesh; the Almohads (1147–1269), famous for building the Koutoubia Mosque; the Merenids (1269–1465), known for their exquisite mosques and madrassas (Quranic schools), especially in Fès; the Saadians (1524–1659), responsible for the Palais el-Badi in Marrakesh; and the Alawites (1659–present).

Royal Morocco

Although maintaining self rule in the ensuing centuries, Morocco’s strategic location became too important for growing European imperialism and the country eventually fell to French (and a little Spanish) ‘protection’ in 1911. In line with the decline in colonialism at the time, Morocco eventually achieved full independence in 1956. Today Morocco is ruled by King Mohammed VI, with a population of approximately 25 million people.

This interesting and rather varied history has given Morocco a wide range and influence of different cultures, allowing it people to meld everything into something uniquely Moroccan, which we celebrate today.

Source: Lonely Planet, Maroc Lifestyle