Morocco

Volubilis: Berber and Roman City

Volubilis flourished as a Berber and then Roman provincial capital in northern Morocco, preserving some of the finest Roman mosaics in North Africa.

Arab Islamic Conquest of North Africa

Arab armies swept across North Africa in the 7th century, bringing Islam to the Berber peoples of Morocco and fundamentally reshaping the region's culture, language, and religion.

Idrisid Dynasty: Morocco's First Islamic Kingdom

Idris I, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, fled to Morocco and founded the first Islamic dynasty there, establishing Fez as a great centre of learning.

Al-Qarawiyyin: The World's Oldest University

Founded in Fez in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, the University of Al-Qarawiyyin is widely recognised as the world's oldest continuously operating university.

Almoravid Empire: Berber Conquerors of Spain

The Almoravids, a Berber dynasty from the Sahara, united Morocco and conquered much of Spain, spreading their austere brand of Islam across two continents.

Almohad Empire — the Berber reformers who united the Maghreb

The Almohad Empire (1121–1269 CE) was the last great Berber dynasty — founded by Ibn Tumart as a puritanical Islamic reform movement, it unified Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Muslim Spain into a single state and briefly halted the Christian Reconquista.

Marinid Dynasty and the Glory of Fez

The Marinids made Fez one of the Islamic world's greatest cities, building magnificent madrasa complexes and fostering arts of the Islamic Golden Age.

Portuguese Capture Ceuta

Portugal's seizure of Ceuta in 1415 marked the start of European expansion into Africa and launched the Age of Discovery — with Morocco as its first target.

Saadian Dynasty and the Trans-Saharan Gold Trade

The Saadian sultans expelled the Portuguese from most Moroccan ports and conquered the Songhai Empire, seizing control of lucrative trans-Saharan gold routes.

Alaouite Dynasty — Morocco's enduring royal house

The Alaouite Dynasty (1631 CE – present) has ruled Morocco longer than any other ruling house in the world — claiming descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson Hasan, they have held power for nearly four centuries through dynastic instability, European colonialism, and independence, to the present day.

French Protectorate Established

The Treaty of Fez in 1912 made Morocco a French protectorate, ending centuries of Sharifian independence and triggering decades of nationalist resistance.

Moroccan Independence

After years of nationalist struggle and the exile of Sultan Mohammed V, Morocco regained its independence in 1956, becoming a symbol of decolonisation across Africa.