Monuments to visit Morocco

The entrance to the ruins is 300 m from the city gates, on both sides of the road. We do not know the exact date of the foundation of this fabulous city, that the geographer El Bekri, of the XIth century, makes go back up to the year 140 of the Hégire (792 of our era). From the 9th to the 11th century, Sijilmassa was the capital, the religious center of the Zénètes Berbers and the economic center of an independent kingdom, limited to the north and south by the Atlas Mountains and the desert, to the east and west by the Drâa and the Ziz. An important caravanning center between Morocco, Mali, Sudan and Niger, Sijilmassa ensured the trade of precious commodities, such as salt, dates, cloth, gold and other metals. With a population of 100,000 inhabitants and made up of 600 kasbahs, it is even the direct rival of cities like Fez or Marrakech. But the city aroused a lot of covetousness, and it was conquered by the Almoravids around 1055, who continued the commercial activity. The reasons for the disappearance of Sijilmassa are unknown, but it is known that it was sacked in 1362 by Arab nomads. When Leon the African went there in 1550, all that remained of the city were ruins and vestiges of a past splendor. Replaced by Rissani, it was definitively destroyed and razed in the 19th century. Once on the site, it is hard to imagine that this is the cradle of a civilization whose influence has spread throughout North Africa. A step which will undoubtedly fascinate the amateurs of archaeology and history!

Located in the centre of Talaa Seghira, this 19th century palace was for a time the former residence of Marshal Lyautey. It was also here that the French Protectorate Treaty was signed in 1912. A private residence richly restored, the palace has housed, since independence, a well-made tourist restaurant in a typical and preserved setting. The unique menu, consisting of several starters, a main course and a dessert, is very generous and tasty. Beautiful panoramic terrace, with breathtaking views of the medina.

You can reach the Porte aux Vents Est from Place du Méchouar by following the ramparts from the outside. The ramparts, erected in the 12th century, have been badly restored, and one does not feel the historical unity that one used to see. However, the view is remarkable in Ban er-Rih: on the mountains, plantations and forests of the Jebel Tazzeka. To return to the medina, the street from Bab er-Rih goes up near the Great Mosque and joins the souks.

This small palace with singular appearance has a particular history. Located on the right of the Al-Kortobi Hospital and the Menebhi Palace, it was built by Mr. Benghayat, a Jewish businessman from Tangiers who wanted to have a residence resembling the Seville mosque. During the First World War, he had speculated on the Deutschemark and, defeated Germany, was ruined and lost reason. From this day, he went to his home every morning to contemplate her. Until his death, no one could stop him from continuing his ritual.