History of Morocco

Morocco's position at the northwest tip of Africa, just miles from Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar, made it a crossroads of Berber, Arab, Andalusian, and later European influence — home to a succession of powerful dynasties, one of the world's oldest universities, and, uniquely among its neighbors, a monarchy that traces its lineage back centuries and was never fully absorbed into the Ottoman Empire.

Timeline

• antiquity

  Berber Kingdoms

  Indigenous Amazigh (Berber) peoples establish kingdoms such as Mauretania, later absorbed as a Roman province, long before the arrival of Islam.

• 788 CE

  The Idrisid Dynasty

  Idris I founds Morocco's first Islamic dynasty, and his son Idris II establishes Fez, which becomes a center of Islamic learning.

• 859 CE

  The University of al-Qarawiyyin

  Founded in Fez by Fatima al-Fihri, al-Qarawiyyin is recognized by UNESCO and Guinness World Records as the oldest continuously operating university in the world.

• 1062 – 1269

  The Almoravid and Almohad Empires

  Berber dynasties build empires spanning Morocco and much of Islamic Spain (al-Andalus), founding Marrakesh in 1062 and leaving landmarks like the Koutoubia Mosque.

• 1666 – present

  The Alaouite Dynasty

  The Alaouite dynasty, which still rules Morocco today, comes to power — making the current monarchy one of the oldest continuously ruling royal families in the world.

• 1912 – 1956

  French and Spanish Protectorates

  Morocco is divided into French and Spanish protectorates following the 1912 Treaty of Fez, ending centuries of formal independence while the sultanate is retained as a nominal authority.

• 1956

  Independence

  Morocco regains full independence in 1956 under Sultan (later King) Mohammed V, reuniting the French and Spanish zones (except for a few Spanish-held enclaves that remain contested).

Key facts

• The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, founded in 859 CE, is recognized as the world's oldest continually operating university.
• Morocco's Alaouite dynasty has ruled continuously since 1666, one of the longest-reigning royal families in the world.
• Morocco was never colonized by the Ottoman Empire, unlike much of the rest of North Africa.

Notable figures

• Fatima al-Fihri — 9th-century scholar who founded al-Qarawiyyin, considered the world's oldest existing university.
• Mohammed V — Sultan who led Morocco to independence in 1956 and became its first post-independence king.