Why is Rabat so quiet compared to Marrakech?
The short answer
It's the political capital — seat of the King, parliament, and ministries. Built for governance, not commerce. The medina is smaller and calmer, with less commercial pressure.
The French protectorate chose Rabat in 1912 for order, space, and administrative calm. The medina is navigable without being called into a shop every thirty seconds.
The **Kasbah des Oudaias** — 12th-century fortress overlooking the Bou Regreg river. Whitewashed walls, blue doors, the Andalusian garden, and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon.
**Chellah** — Roman and medieval necropolis overtaken by gardens, with storks nesting on a 14th-century minaret. The **Hassan Tower** — unfinished 12th-century Almohad minaret — beside the **Mausoleum of Mohammed V**.
A day or two shows the Morocco the tourist circuit never touches: the country that governs, educates, and plans its own future.