Rabat, the capital of Morocco since the independence in 1956 and also during French ruling beginning in 1912, is an elegant city that follows the usual structure of Moroccan cities with the original town, which is called medina, and a new modern part which was built by the French on their arrival.

The existence of these two realities is due to General Lyautey who put a stop to the early approach of destroying the original urban area and reconstructing a new city over it. In doing so the original Moroccan identity was maintained together with its history and the French could build a new city next to it following their models without encountering any opposition whilst keeping the locals in their quarters.

The old city in Rabat is a compact area bordered by the sea and the river on two sides, and on the other two by the Almohades and Andalusian walls, dating back to the 12th and the 17th centuries respectively. Rabat doesn’t have one of the most interesting medinas in the Country, but it is tidy and quiet compared to Fez and Marrakech showing clear Andalusian influences with the white houses and exposed brickwork.

After being destroyed by the Portuguese, the city was in fact rebuilt by the Andalusian who established their pirate base there, the Bou Regreg Republic, renaming Rabat the New Sale’ where they ruled until 1829 when Austria bombed them to revenge one of their ships.

Rabat offers some of the most surprising monuments in Morocco such as the Royal Palace surrounded by the Andalusian Gardens, the Hassan Mosque that with its tower dominates the whole city, and the interesting ruins of Chellah that resembles to another medina but it has actually been abandoned since the 12th century.

Rabat has the largest number of restaurants in the country and some that are not too expensive, some nice cafes and few bars. During Ramadam, the city is quite lively in the evenings.

Society and Cultural Life
The society of Rabat is comprised of Sunni Muslims of Arab, Berber decent, and a mixed group of Arab-Berber groups. Arabic is the local native language of the region. Berber languages can be distinguished in three main vernaculars namely Tarifit, Tashelhiyt, and Tamazight. French is also commonly used within the area and is the primarily language for trade purpose. The northern part of the region even resort to the Spanish language.

One can even hear languages like French and English within the area. This diverse region witness people belonging to the Eastern, southern and the northern region. From the east settlements like Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Jews and Arabs reside while to the Southern one would find Africans and to the North Romans, Vandals, Moors and Jews can be frequently sighted. The religions thriving in the area are paganism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Getting Around
With the city center of Rabat being very compact, all the points of interest are in walking distance. Local Bus services can be very useful and they are marked very clearly. Petit and grands taxis can be found at the airport, the train station and at Boulevard Hassan. Take note that petit taxis are not authorized to operate between Rabat and Sale.

The Rabat Ville main train station is right in the middle of the Ville Nouvelle, and the best way to arrive in Rabat is by train. There is even a bureau de change and a car rental office on the station platform. The main bus terminal is situated in Place Zerktouni - 3 km west of the centre by the road intersection for Casablanca and Beni Mellal Grand taxis from Casablanca and Fez will drop you off at the main bus station.

Airports: Rabat-Salé Airport is 7 km northeast of Rabat and the only connection with the city is via Grands Taxi. The price should be around 150dh for 6 people. Arriving from Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport, the best connection with Rabat is by train with a journey of less than 2 hours.

By Train: Rabat Ville, is the train station in the centre of the new city with frequent trains to Casablanca, Meknes and Fez as well as 4 trains to Tangier. There are another three stations in the area of Rabat-Salé, although they don’t have great tourist importance:
Rabat Agdal station links the southern suburbs with the royal palace
Salé Ville station links Salé with the north of the river’s estuary
Salé Trabiquet station links the northern districts

By Coach: The coach station is on Place Zerktouni 3 km from the centre and links Rabat with Casablanca, Fez, Meknes, Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Tetouan. The best way to get from the centre of Rabat to the coach station is via petit taxi; the ride should cost around 15dh.

Grands Taxi: The Grands Taxis can be for short or long journeys and can take up to 6 people. For long journeys, to Fez and Marrakech, they start from the coach terminal. Those to Meknes start from Hassan II Boulevard in front of the Bab Chellah, while those to Kenitra and Khemisset start further east behind Boulevard Hassan II.

Petit Taxi: The petit taxis, recognizable from their blue and grey colours, are ideal to move within the city. They are meter operated and can be found on Boulevard Hassan II and by the train station. They are not licensed to travel between Rabat and Salé. Prices are subject to a 50% increase at night.

City bus service: City buses are a good transport system to get about in Rabat. Bus stations clearly indicate routes and bus numbers.

Rabat weather
Generally the climate in Rabat remains quite dry for most of the year. You can expect a little bit of rain between November and March.

The Moroccan climate also varies greatly depending on where you are. The temperature is incredibly high in the southern and south eastern desert areas. On the other hand, the temperature drops considerably in the higher lying mountainous areas, even getting to freezing point at night.

If you're planning a visit to Morocco, we suggest that you try and time your stay during the early summer months. You'll be guaranteed of warm days and cool nights and more than likely no rain.

Average weather in Rabat: Jan 17°c / 7°c, April 21°c / 11°c, July 26°c / 18°c, October 24°c / 14°c

Events in Rabat
Wax Lantern Festival: This festival taking place in Salé every April is a night procession with wax lanterns in honour of the patron Saint of Salé. It is celabrated the night before of the Eid el-Mouloud (the birthday of the prophet Mohammed).

Mawazine Rhythms of the World Festival: This event taking place in May is a festival with music from around the world, performed at some of Rabat’s historical sites.

Jazz at the Chellah: Rabat’s annual Jazz Festival takes place in June.

Festival of Rabat (from the 25th of July to the 4th of August): Annual festival featuring cinema, theatre, art exhibitions and Berber Music.